John Williams Breaks Record With ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Oscar Nomination
Film composer John Williams breaks his own Academy Award record again this year, with his Best Original Score nomination for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. This nomination marks the 52nd nod of his career, solidifying him once more as the most Oscar-nominated person alive. (Walt Disney holds the all-time record at 59 nominations.)
As Williams told CBS News back in September, The Rise of Skywalker marks the last Star Wars film he plans on composing. "This will put the bow on the package for me," Williams stated. When Williams scored Star Wars: A New Hope back in 1977, he had no idea there would be a sequel, let alone a series that would span way into the 21st century. "It'll probably be the end of a sort of thematic flow, which started on the first movie and ended now."
The first time Williams was nominated was for Mark Robson’s Valley of the Dolls in 1968. However, his first win came in 1972 for his work on Fiddler on the Roof. Since then, Williams has won the Oscar four more times, most recently in 1993 for Schindler’s List. This year, Williams is nominated alongside Randy Newman for Marriage Story, Thomas Newman for 1917, Hildur Guðnadóttir for Joker, and Alexandre Desplat for Little Women.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is also nominated for Best Sound Editing and Visual Effects. If it wins one of these categories, it will be the first time a Star Wars movie wins an Academy Award in nearly 40 years. In light of this year’s most controversial snubs, it’s kind of nice to see Williams’ friendly face in the Oscar race year after year. May the Force be with you, John Williams.
Gallery — Every Star Wars Movie Ranked From Worst to Best