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."
- 2023
- Oppenheimer — Ludwig Göransson [Best Score]
- 2022
- All Quiet on the Western Front — Volker Bertelmann [Best Original Score]
- 2021
- Dune — Hans Zimmer [Best Original Score]
- 2020
- Soul — Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross [Best Original Score]
- 2019
- Joker — Hildur Guðnadóttir [Best Original Score]
- 2018
- Black Panther — Ludwig Göransson [Best Original Score]
- 2017
- The Shape of Water — Alexandre Desplat [Best Original Score]
- 2016
- La La Land — Justin Hurwitz [Best Original Score]
- 2015
- The Hateful Eight — Ennio Morricone [Best Original Score]
- 2014
- The Grand Budapest Hotel — Alexandre Desplat [Best Original Score]
- 2013
- Gravity — Steven Price [Best Original Score]
- 2012
- Life of Pi — Mychael Danna [Best Original Score]
- 2011
- The Artist — Ludovic Bource [Best Original Score]
- 2010
- The Social Network — Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross [Best Original Score]
- 2009
- Up — Michael Giacchino [Best Original Score]
- 2008
- Slumdog Millionaire — A.R. Rahman [Best Original Score]
- 2007
- Atonement — Dario Marianelli [Best Original Score]
- 2006
- Babel — Gustavo Santaolalla [Best Original Score]
- 2005
- Brokeback Mountain — Gustavo Santaolalla [Best Original Score]
- 2004
- Finding Neverland — Jan A.P. Kaczmarek [Best Original Score]
- 2003
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — Howard Shore [Best Original Score]
- 2002
- Frida — Elliot Goldenthal [Best Original Score]
- 2001
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — Howard Shore [Best Original Score]
- 2000
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon — Tan Dun [Best Original Score]
- 1999
- The Red Violin — John Corigliano [Best Original Score]
- 1998
- Life Is Beautiful — Nicola Piovani [Best Original Dramatic Score]
- Shakespeare in Love — Stephen Warbeck [Best Original Musical or Comedy Score]
- 1997
- Titanic — James Horner [Best Original Dramatic Score]
- The Full Monty — Anne Dudley [Best Original Musical or Comedy Score]
- 1996
- The English Patient — Gabriel Yared [Best Original Dramatic Score]
- Emma — Rachel Portman [Best Original Musical or Comedy Score]
- 1995
- The Postman (Il Postino) — Luis Enrique Bacalov [Best Original Dramatic Score]
- Pocahontas — Stephen Schwartz, Alan Menken, Alan Menken [Best Original Musical or Comedy Score]
- 1994
- The Lion King — Hans Zimmer [Best Original Score]
- 1993
- Schindler's List — John Williams [Best Original Score]
- 1992
- Aladdin — Alan Menken [Best Original Score]
- 1991
- Beauty and the Beast — Alan Menken [Best Original Score]
- 1990
- Dances With Wolves — John Barry [Best Original Score]
- 1989
- The Little Mermaid — Alan Menken [Best Original Score]
- 1988
- The Milagro Beanfield War — Dave Grusin [Best Original Score]
- 1987
- The Last Emperor — David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Cong Su [Best Original Score]
- 1986
- 'Round Midnight — Herbie Hancock [Best Original Score]
- 1985
- Out of Africa — John Barry [Best Original Score]
- 1984
- A Passage to India — Maurice Jarre [Best Original Score]
- Purple Rain — Prince [Best Original Song Score]
- 1983
- The Right Stuff — Bill Conti [Best Original Score]
- Yentl — Marilyn Bergman, Alan Bergman, Alan Bergman, Michel Legrand, Michel Legrand, Marilyn Bergman [Best Original Song Score or Adaptaion Score]
- 1982
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial — John Williams [Best Original Score]
- Victor/Victoria — Leslie Bricusse, Leslie Bricusse, Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini [Best Original Song Score and its Adaptation or Adaptation Score]
- 1981
- Chariots of Fire — Vangelis [Best Original Score]
- 1980
- Fame — Michael Gore [Best Original Score]
- 1979
- A Little Romance — Georges Delerue [Best Original Score]
- All That Jazz — Ralph Burns [Best Original Song Score and its Adaptation or Adaptation Score]
- 1978
- Midnight Express — Giorgio Moroder [Best Original Score]
- The Buddy Holly Story — Joe Renzetti [Best Adaptation Score]
- 1977
- Star Wars — John Williams [Best Original Score]
- A Little Night Music — Jonathan Tunick [Best Original Song Score and its Adaptation or Adaptation Score]
- 1976
- The Omen — Jerry Goldsmith [Best Original Score]
- Bound for Glory — Leonard Rosenman [Best Original Song Score and its Adaptation or Adaptation Score]
- 1975
- Jaws — John Williams [Best Original Score]
- Barry Lyndon — Leonard Rosenman [Best Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation or Scoring: Adaptation]
- 1974
- The Godfather Part II — Carmine Coppola, Nino Rota [Best Original Dramatic Score]
- The Great Gatsby — Nelson Riddle [Best Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation or Scoring: Adaptation]
- 1973
- The Way We Were — Marvin Hamlisch [Best Original Dramatic Score]
- The Sting — Marvin Hamlisch [Best Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation or Scoring: Adaptation]
- 1972
- Cabaret — Ralph Burns [Best Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score]
- Limelight — Larry Russell, Raymond Rasch, Charles Chaplin [Best Original Dramatic Score]
- 1971
- Fiddler on the Roof — John Williams [Best Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score]
- Summer of '42 — Michel Legrand [Best Original Dramatic Score]
- 1970
- Love Story — Francis Lai [Best Original Score]
- Let It Be — The Beatles [Best Original Song Score]
- 1969
- Hello, Dolly! — Lionel Newman, Lennie Hayton [Best Score of a Musical Picture - Original or Adaptation]
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid — Burt Bacharach [Best Original Score for a Motion Picture (Not a Musical)]
- 1968
- Oliver! — John Green [Best Score of a Musical Picture - Original or Adaptation]
- The Lion in Winter — John Barry [Best Original Score for a Motion Picture (Not a Musical)]
- 1967
- Camelot — Ken Darby, Alfred Newman [Best Scoring of Music - Adaptation or Treatment]
- Thoroughly Modern Millie — Elmer Bernstein [Best Original Music Score]
- 1966
- Born Free — John Barry [Best Original Music Score]
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum — Ken Thorne [Best Scoring of Music - Adaptation or Treatment]
- 1965
- The Sound of Music — Irwin Kostal [Best Scoring of Music - Adaptation or Treatment]
- Doctor Zhivago — Maurice Jarre [Best Music Score - Substantially Original]
- 1964
- My Fair Lady — Andre Previn [Best Scoring of Music - Adaptation or Treatment]
- Mary Poppins — Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman [Best Music Score - Substantially Original]
- 1963
- Tom Jones — John Addison [Best Music Score - Substantially Original]
- Irma La Douce — Andre Previn [Best Scoring of Music - Adaptation or Treatment]
- 1962
- Lawrence of Arabia — Maurice Jarre [Best Music Score - Substantially Original]
- Meredith Willson's The Music Man — Ray Heindorf [Best Scoring of Music - Adaptation or Treatment]
- 1961
- Breakfast at Tiffany's — Henry Mancini [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- West Side Story — Sid Ramin, Irwin Kostal, Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1960
- Exodus — Ernest Gold [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Song without End (The Story of Franz Liszt) — Harry Sukman, Morris Stoloff [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1959
- Ben-Hur — Miklos Rozsa [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Porgy and Bess — Ken Darby, Andre Previn [Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1958
- The Old Man and the Sea — Dimitri Tiomkin, Dimitri Tiomkin [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Gigi — Andre Previn [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1957
- The Bridge on the River Kwai — Malcolm Arnold [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1956
- The King and I — Ken Darby, Alfred Newman [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- Around the World in 80 Days — Victor Young [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- 1955
- Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing — Alfred Newman [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Oklahoma! — Jay Blackton, Robert Russell Bennett, Adolph Deutsch [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1954
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers — Saul Chaplin, Adolph Deutsch [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- The High and the Mighty — Dimitri Tiomkin, Dimitri Tiomkin [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- 1953
- Lili — Bronislau Kaper [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Call Me Madam — Alfred Newman [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1952
- High Noon — Dimitri Tiomkin, Dimitri Tiomkin [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- With a Song in My Heart — Alfred Newman [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1951
- A Place in the Sun — Franz Waxman [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- An American in Paris — Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1950
- Sunset Blvd. — Franz Waxman [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Annie Get Your Gun — Adolph Deutsch, Roger Edens [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1949
- The Heiress — Aaron Copland [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- On the Town — Lennie Hayton, Roger Edens [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1948
- The Red Shoes — Brian Easdale [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Easter Parade — Johnny Green, Roger Edens [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1947
- A Double Life — Dr. Miklos Rozsa [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Mother Wore Tights — Alfred Newman [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1946
- The Best Years of Our Lives — Hugo Friedhofer [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- The Jolson Story — Morris Stoloff [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1945
- Anchors Aweigh — Georgie Stoll [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- Spellbound — Miklos Rozsa [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- 1944
- Since You Went Away — Max Steiner, Max Steiner [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- Cover Girl — Carmen Dragon, Morris Stoloff [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1943
- The Song of Bernadette — Alfred Newman [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- This Is the Army — Ray Heindorf [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1942
- Yankee Doodle Dandy — Ray Heindorf, Heinz Roemheld [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- Now, Voyager — Max Steiner, Max Steiner [Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]
- 1941
- All That Money Can Buy — Bernard Herrmann [Best Music Score of a Dramatic Picture]
- Dumbo — Oliver Wallace, Frank Churchill, Frank Churchill [Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]
- 1940
- Tin Pan Alley — Alfred Newman [Best Scoring]
- Pinocchio — Ned Washington, Leigh Harline, Paul J. Smith [Best Original Score]
- 1939
- Stagecoach — John Leipold, Frank Harling, Leo Shuken, Richard Hageman [Best Scoring]
- The Wizard of Oz — Herbert Stothart, Herbert Stothart [Best Original Score]
- 1938
- Alexander's Ragtime Band — Alfred Newman [Best Scoring]
- The Adventures of Robin Hood — Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Erich Wolfgang Korngold [Best Original Score]
- 1937
- One Hundred Men and a Girl — Universal Studio Music Department, Charles Previn [Best Scoring]
- 1936
- Anthony Adverse — Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Warner Bros. Studio Music Department, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Leo Forbstein [Best Scoring]
- 1935
- The Informer — Max Steiner, RKO Radio Studio Music Department, Max Steiner [Best Scoring]
- 1934
- One Night of Love — Columbia Studio Music Department, Victor Schertzinger, Gus Kahn, Louis Silvers, Victor Schertzinger [Best Scoring]