Ludwig Göransson won the Best Original Score Oscar for his work on Sinners — the supernatural horror drama directed by Ryan Coogler, set in 1932 Mississippi Delta. Göransson’s score is built on the blues, gospel, and folk music of the Deep South, weaving those sounds together with his signature modern orchestral style to create something completely unforgettable.
With this win, Göransson became the first three-time Best Original Score winner in the 21st century — joining an elite group that includes only John Williams (5 wins) and Alan Menken (4 wins) among living composers with three or more scoring Oscars. His previous wins were for Black Panther (2019) and Oppenheimer (2024). At just 41 years old, he is also the second-youngest composer in Oscar history to win three scoring Oscars.
In his acceptance speech, Göransson shared a moving story: “My dad bought his first blues album in Sweden in 1964. It was a John Lee Hooker album. Even though it was on the other side of the world from a place my dad had never been, and a place he could not relate to, the music was so powerful that it changed my dad’s life and he devoted his life to music. When I was 7, he put a guitar in my arms… it was the guitar that opened up a lot of doors for me.”
This win was also historic for another reason — Göransson was the only composer nominated for BOTH Best Original Score and Best Original Song in the same year, something that has never happened before in his career.
All Best Original Score Nominees Oscars 2026
| Nominee | Film | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Ludwig Göransson WINNER | Sinners | Ryan Coogler |
| Jerskin Fendrix | Bugonia | Yorgos Lanthimos |
| Alexandre Desplat | Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro |
| Max Richter | Hamnet | Chloé Zhao |
| Jonny Greenwood | One Battle After Another | Paul Thomas Anderson |
Best Original Song – Winner & All Nominees
WINNER: “Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
In one of the biggest upsets of the night, “Golden” from Netflix’s animated blockbuster KPop Demon Hunters won the Best Original Song Oscar — becoming the first K-Pop song in history to win an Academy Award. The song was performed at the ceremony by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, who are the singing voices behind the fictional K-pop group HUNTR/X in the film.
“Golden” had already been a massive commercial hit — spending eight weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the most successful original film songs in years. The song was written by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon, and Teddy Park.
KPop Demon Hunters director Chris Appelhans delivered one of the night’s most memorable acceptance speeches: “Keep telling your story. The world is waiting.”
“I Lied to You” – Sinners (The Other Nominee That Stole the Show)
Even though “Golden” won, the performance of “I Lied to You” from Sinners was widely considered the greatest live performance moment of the entire ceremony. The song — written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson and performed by Miles Caton — became a full-scale concert production on the Oscars stage.
Miles Caton was joined by Raphael Saadiq, co-stars Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, and Jack O’Connell, and a remarkable lineup of musical legends including Buddy Guy (who also plays a character in the film), Shaboozey, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Eric Gales, Brittany Howard, Bobby Rush, Alice Smith, and retired ballet dancer Misty Copeland. The performance was a near-recreation of the famous juke joint scene from Sinners, and it brought the Dolby Theatre audience to its feet. When the cameras panned to Michael B. Jordan in the audience, he was nodding and beaming with pride.
All Best Original Song Nominees
| Song | Film | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| “Golden” WINNER | KPop Demon Hunters | EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon, Teddy Park |
| “Dear Me” | Diane Warren: Relentless | Diane Warren |
| “I Lied to You” | Sinners | Raphael Saadiq & Ludwig Göransson |
| “Sweet Dreams of Joy” | Viva Verdi! | Nicholas Pike |
| “Train Dreams” | Train Dreams | Nick Cave & Bryce Dessner (Music); Nick Cave (Lyric) |
Ludwig Göransson’s Historic Record at the 2026 Oscars
Image Via Pitchfork/Rich Polk/Golden Globes 2024/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images
The 2026 Best Original Score win added several milestones to Göransson’s remarkable legacy:
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1st three-time Best Score winner in the 21st century | Joins John Williams (5) and Alan Menken (4) as living composers with 3+ scoring Oscars |
| First back-to-back-to-back wins since Santaolalla | First composer to win two Oscars within three years since Gustavo Santaolalla won in 2006 (Brokeback Mountain) and 2007 (Babel) |
| Only nominee for both music categories | First time Göransson was nominated for Best Score AND Best Song in the same year |
| 2nd youngest composer with 3 Oscars in history | Won his third at age 41 |
| 4th person born in Sweden to win 3 Oscars | Joins Ingrid Bergman, Per Hallberg, and Paul N.J. Ottosson |
The Live Musical Performances at the 2026 Oscars
Only two original song performances took place on stage at the 98th Academy Awards ceremony, as the producers made a selective choice for the night’s show:
“Golden” – EJAE, Audrey Nuna & Rei Ami (KPop Demon Hunters) The three artists performed the winning K-Pop anthem live on stage early in the ceremony. The performance was electric, colorful, and full of energy — giving the Dolby Theatre a taste of the infectious K-Pop sound that made the song a global hit.
“I Lied to You” – Miles Caton, Raphael Saadiq & Ensemble (Sinners) This was arguably the most powerful live performance at the Oscars in years. The full production recreated the juke joint scene from Sinners, featuring over a dozen artists representing the full spectrum of American music heritage — blues, soul, gospel, and ballet. The standing ovation was immediate and long.
The Academy had confirmed that all five nominees would be represented on the show in a special way, even though only two performed in full.
About the 98th Academy Awards – Music Night in Context
The 2026 Oscars were dominated by two films: One Battle After Another (6 wins, including Best Picture) and Sinners (4 wins). In the music categories, Sinners swept both nominations for Best Score and shared the stage beautifully even in the song category it did not win. Below is a brief look at where the music fits in the bigger Oscar night picture:
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Original Score | Ludwig Göransson | Sinners |
| Best Original Song | “Golden” (EJAE, Sonnenblick et al.) | KPop Demon Hunters |
| Best Picture | One Battle After Another | — |
| Best Director | Paul Thomas Anderson | One Battle After Another |
| Best Actor | Michael B. Jordan | Sinners |
| Best Actress | Jessie Buckley | Hamnet |
| Best Sound | F1 | — |
FAQs
Q1. Who won Best Original Score at the 2026 Oscars?
Ludwig Göransson won Best Original Score for his work on Sinners. It was his third win in the category, making him the first three-time winner in the 21st century.
Q2. What film won Best Original Song at the 2026 Oscars?
The song “Golden” from Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters won Best Original Song. It became the first K-Pop song in history to win an Academy Award.
Q3. Who wrote “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters?
“Golden” was written by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon, and Teddy Park.
Q4. What were all the Best Original Score nominees in 2026?
The five nominees were Ludwig Göransson (Sinners), Jerskin Fendrix (Bugonia), Alexandre Desplat (Frankenstein), Max Richter (Hamnet), and Jonny Greenwood (One Battle After Another).
Q5. What were all the Best Original Song nominees in 2026?
The five nominees were “Golden” (KPop Demon Hunters) — winner, “Dear Me” (Diane Warren: Relentless), “I Lied to You” (Sinners), “Sweet Dreams of Joy” (Viva Verdi!), and “Train Dreams” (Train Dreams).
Q6. How many times has Ludwig Göransson won the Oscar for Best Original Score?
Three times — for Black Panther (2019), Oppenheimer (2024), and Sinners (2026). He is the first three-time winner in this category in the 21st century.
Q7. Which songs were performed live at the 2026 Oscars?
Two songs were performed live — “Golden” by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami from KPop Demon Hunters, and “I Lied to You” by Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq from Sinners, with a large ensemble of musicians and performers.
Q8. Where were the 98th Academy Awards held?
The ceremony was held on March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. Conan O’Brien hosted for the second year in a row. The show aired live on ABC and Hulu.
Q9. Was Ludwig Göransson nominated for both music categories in 2026?
Yes — Göransson was the only person nominated for both Best Original Score (for the Sinners score) and Best Original Song (for “I Lied to You,” which he co-wrote with Raphael Saadiq). He won Best Score but not Best Song.
Q10. What is “I Lied to You” from Sinners?
“I Lied to You” is the original song from Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners, written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson and performed in the film by Miles Caton as a young Delta blues singer named Sammie Moore. The song was nominated for the Grammy and Oscar, and its live Oscar performance — featuring Buddy Guy, Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, Misty Copeland, and others — was one of the most talked-about moments of the entire ceremony.