Note: Although it has not been awarded since 1984, the Best Original Song Score (which has since been renamed to Best Original Musical) remains in the Academy rules as an eligible category. According to the rules, the category "may be activated only by special request of the Music Branch Executive Committee to the Board of Governors in a year when the field of eligible submissions is determined to be of sufficient quantity and quality to justify award competition."
- 2018
- Joker — Hildur Guðnadóttir
- 2019
- Black Panther — Ludwig Goransson
- 2017
- The Shape of Water — Alexandre Desplat
- 2016
- La La Land — Justin Hurwitz
- 2015
- The Hateful Eight — Ennio Morricone
- 2014
- The Grand Budapest Hotel — Alexandre Desplat
- 2013
- Gravity — Steven Price
- 2012
- Life of Pi — Mychael Danna
- 2011
- Hugo — Robert Richardson
- 2010
- The Social Network — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
- 2009
- Up — Michael Giacchino
- 2008
- Slumdog Millionaire — A.R. Rahman
- 2007
- Atonement — Dario Marianelli
- 2006
- Babel — Gustavo Santaolalla
- 2005
- Brokeback Mountain — Gustavo Santaolalla
- 2004
- Finding Neverland — Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
- 2003
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — Howard Shore
- 2002
- Frida — Elliot Goldenthal
- 2001
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — Howard Shore
- 2000
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon — Tan Dun
- 1999
- The Red Violin — John Corigliano
- 1998
- Life Is Beautiful — Nicola Piovani [Original Dramatic Score]
- Shakespeare in Love — Stephen Warbeck [Original Musical or Comedy Score]
- 1997
- Titanic — James Horner [Original Dramatic Score]
- The Full Monty — Anne Dudley [Original Musical or Comedy Score]
- 1996
- The English Patient — Gabriel Yared [Original Dramatic Score]
- Emma — Rachel Portman [Original Musical or Comedy Score]
- 1995
- The Postman (Il Postino) — Luis Enrique Bacalov [Original Dramatic Score]
- Pocahontas — Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; Orchestral Score by Alan Menken [Original Musical or Comedy Score]
- 1994
- The Lion King — Hans Zimmer
- 1993
- Schindler's List — John Williams
- 1992
- Aladdin — Alan Menken
- 1991
- Beauty and the Beast — Alan Menken
- 1990
- Dances With Wolves — John Barry
- 1989
- The Little Mermaid — Alan Menken
- 1988
- The Milagro Beanfield War — Dave Grusin
- 1987
- The Last Emperor — Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, Cong Su
- 1986
- 'Round Midnight — Herbie Hancock
- 1985
- Out of Africa — John Barry
- 1984
- A Passage to India — Maurice Jarre
- Purple Rain — Prince [Original Song Score]
- 1983
- The Right Stuff — Bill Conti
- Yentl — Song Score by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman [Original Song Score or Adaptation Score]
- 1982
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial — John Williams
- Victor/Victoria — Song Score by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse; Adaptation Score by Henry Mancini [Original Song Score and Its Adaptation -or- Adaptation Score]
- 1981
- Chariots of Fire — Vangelis
- 1980
- Fame — Michael Gore
- 1979
- A Little Romance — Georges Delerue
- All That Jazz — Adaptation Score by Ralph Burns [Original Song Score and Its Adaptation -or- Adaptation Score]
- 1978
- The Buddy Holly Story — Joe Renzetti [Adaptation Score]
- Midnight Express — Giorgio Moroder
- 1977
- Star Wars — John Williams
- A Little Night Music — Adaptation Score by Jonathan Tunick [Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score]
- 1976
- The Omen — Jerry Goldsmith
- Bound for Glory — Adaptation Score by Leonard Rosenman [Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score]
- 1975
- Jaws — John Williams
- Barry Lyndon — Adaptation Score by Leonard Rosenman [Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation -or- Scoring: Adaptation]
- 1974
- The Godfather Part II — Nino Rota, Carmine Coppola [Original Dramatic Score]
- The Great Gatsby — Adaptation Score by Nelson Riddle [Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation -or- Scoring: Adaptation]
- 1973
- The Way We Were — Marvin Hamlisch [Original Dramatic Score]
- The Sting — Adaptation Score by Marvin Hamlisch [Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation -or- Scoring: Adaptation]
- 1972
- Limelight — Charles Chaplin, Raymond Rasch, Larry Russell [Original Dramatic Score]
- Cabaret — Adaptation Score by Ralph Burns [Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score]
- 1971
- Summer of '42 — Michel Legrand [Original Dramatic Score]
- Fiddler on the Roof — Adaptation Score by John Williams [Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score]
- 1970
- Love Story — Francis Lai
- Let It Be — Music and lyrics by The Beatles [Original Song Score]
- 1969
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid — Burt Bacharach [Original Score--for a motion picture [not a musical]]
- Hello, Dolly! — Adaptation score by Lennie Hayton and Lionel Newman [Score of a Musical Picture--original or adaptation]
- 1968
- The Lion in Winter — John Barry [Original Score--for a motion picture [not a musical]]
- Oliver! — Adaptation score by John Green [Score of a Musical Picture--original or adaptation]
- 1967
- Thoroughly Modern Millie — Elmer Bernstein [Original Music Score]
- Camelot — Alfred Newman, Ken Darby [Scoring of Music--adaptation or treatment]
- 1966
- Born Free — John Barry [Original Music Score]
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum — Ken Thorne [Scoring of Music--adaptation or treatment]
- 1965
- Doctor Zhivago — Maurice Jarre [Music Score--substantially original]
- The Sound of Music — Irwin Kostal [Scoring of Music--adaptation or treatment]
- 1964
- Mary Poppins — Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman [Music Score--substantially original]
- My Fair Lady — Andre Previn [Scoring of Music--adaptation or treatment]
- 1963
- Tom Jones — John Addison [Music Score--substantially original]
- Irma La Douce — Andre Previn [Scoring of Music--adaptation or treatment]
- 1962
- Lawrence of Arabia — Maurice Jarre [Music Score--substantially original]
- Meredith Willson's The Music Man — Ray Heindorf [Scoring of Music--adaptation or treatment]
- 1961
- Breakfast at Tiffany's — Henry Mancini [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- West Side Story — Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Sid Ramin, Irwin Kostal [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1960
- Exodus — Ernest Gold [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Song without End (The Story of Franz Liszt) — Morris Stoloff, Harry Sukman [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1959
- Ben-Hur — Miklos Rozsa [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Porgy and Bess — Andre Previn, Ken Darby [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1958
- The Old Man and the Sea — Dimitri Tiomkin [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Gigi — Andre Previn [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1957
- The Bridge on the River Kwai — Malcolm Arnold [Scoring]
- 1956
- Around the World in 80 Days — Victor Young [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- The King and I — Alfred Newman, Ken Darby [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1955
- Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing — Alfred Newman [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Oklahoma! — Robert Russell Bennett, Jay Blackton, Adolph Deutsch [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1954
- The High and the Mighty — Dimitri Tiomkin [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers — Adolph Deutsch, Saul Chaplin [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1953
- Lili — Bronislau Kaper [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Call Me Madam — Alfred Newman [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1952
- High Noon — Dimitri Tiomkin [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- With a Song in My Heart — Alfred Newman [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1951
- A Place in the Sun — Franz Waxman [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- An American in Paris — Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1950
- Sunset Blvd. — Franz Waxman [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Annie Get Your Gun — Adolph Deutsch, Roger Edens [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1949
- The Heiress — Aaron Copland [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- On the Town — Roger Edens, Lennie Hayton [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1948
- The Red Shoes — Brian Easdale [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Easter Parade — Johnny Green, Roger Edens [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1947
- A Double Life — Dr. Miklos Rozsa [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Mother Wore Tights — Alfred Newman [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1946
- The Best Years of Our Lives — Hugo Friedhofer [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- The Jolson Story — Morris Stoloff [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1945
- Spellbound — Miklos Rozsa [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Anchors Aweigh — Georgie Stoll [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1944
- Since You Went Away — Max Steiner [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Cover Girl — Morris Stoloff, Carmen Dragon [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1943
- The Song of Bernadette — Alfred Newman [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- This Is the Army — Ray Heindorf [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1942
- Now, Voyager — Max Steiner [Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Yankee Doodle Dandy — Ray Heindorf, Heinz Roemheld [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1941
- All That Money Can Buy — Bernard Herrmann [Music Score of a Dramatic Picture]
- Dumbo — Frank Churchill, Oliver Wallace [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1940
- Pinocchio — Leigh Harline, Paul J. Smith, Ned Washington
- Tin Pan Alley — Alfred Newman [Scoring]
- 1939
- The Wizard of Oz — Herbert Stothart
- Stagecoach — Richard Hageman, Frank Harling, John Leipold, Leo Shuken [Scoring]
- 1938
- The Adventures of Robin Hood — Erich Wolfgang Korngold
- Alexander's Ragtime Band — Alfred Newman [Scoring]
- 1937
- One Hundred Men and a Girl — Universal Studio Music Department, Charles Previn, head of department (no composer credit) [Scoring]
- 1936
- Anthony Adverse — Warner Bros. Studio Music Department, Leo Forbstein, head of department (Score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold) [Scoring]
- 1935
- The Informer — RKO Radio Studio Music Department, Max Steiner, head of department (Score by Max Steiner) [Scoring]
- 1934
- One Night of Love — Columbia Studio Music Department, Louis Silvers, head of department (Thematic Music by Victor Schertzinger and Gus Kahn) [Scoring]
