One factor that I will always look out for in a film or tv show is the musical score. When a musical score is transcendent it can get caught in my soul in the days, weeks, months, and even the years that come. There is immense artistry in weaving emotions from music, having us slip into the world that is created, fear the oncoming dread even if we do not know why, or rejoice in the triumph of that final victory.
Music charts the cinematic world as it guides us, lifts us up, and yet it can also crush our souls with a couple of notes on a piano. This is its power.
Also, a reminder that this award is for Musical Scores and Original Songs only, so no needle drops or non-original songs.
Our Highly Commended Films in 2025 are: The Brutalist, Conclave, F1, How to Train Your Dragon, One Battle After Another, Thunderbolts* &Tron: Ares
Our Highly Commended TV in 2025 are: Doctor Who, Murderbot, Paradise & The Residence
So, without further ado, these are the musical scores that moved us in 2025. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead.
This might be the most experimental score on this list, because it is taking some real chances here and incorporating vocal chanting, strings, electronica, oh and a muse on psychological torture. It is a profoundly compelling, if off-putting score at times.
At some point this year, you have joined Genevieve O’Reilly by having a crashout to the techno dance funk of NIAMOS, which the show uses to demonstrate the progression of time in the universe. This is a profoundly emotional series, and the music always supports it. In a way, it shows that Star Wars can find a voice that is not John Williams and still be Star Wars.
For a film without dialogue, Flow needed to use all of the tools at its disposal to bring you into this world, and the musical score is one of its best ways. Its rhythms almost mimic the water that you can see everywhere, bonding you to the world and the animals in it.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
This could have stolen a spot on this list for H.E.R.B.I.E’s lullaby alone, but I appreciate that Michael Giacchino decided to bring something different to the MCU. It’s light and poppy, yet it can hit the heights you need when you need it to soar. A more optimistic musical score that fits the film well.
Kpop Demon Hunters decided that they were going to drop a group of songs so catchy that they have stayed stuck in my head ever since I listened to them. There is an energy to the music and songs that match the film in ways that you don’t often see. A joyous blast of K-pop to help define 2025.
Much like the series itself, the musical score for Pluribus is a bit of an odd duck. It helps keep you off-set with a juxtaposition of light poppy notes, and an undercurrent of vocals that puts the hairs on the back of your neck. Constantly reinforcing that something is very, very wrong here.
Few films in the modern era have been such a love letter to the Blues as Sinners was. From the moment you hear that first twang of a guitar string, you are teleported back in time to the Mississippi Delta. It is a love letter to a musical form that deserves some time in the sun; it also forms the foundation of the best sequence in cinema in 2025.
The Best Musical Score in Television or Film 2025 is: Sinners
Directed by – Ryan Coogler
Written by – Ryan Coogler
Music by – Ludwig Göransson
Unsurprisingly, a musical score would be solid in a film where music is central to the story. Also, I am not sure there is a Ludwig Göransson score that I have not enjoyed. But even with that foundation, I was not ready for the sheer bombast that was the musical score for Sinners. Not only was it a love letter to Blues, but it was also a musical score that was built on both integrity and grandeur.
Music is integral to every part of the film, the setting, the worldbuilding, the characters, and, most importantly, the narrative. Every part of this film is dripping in a musical voice that was a wonder to behold and helped combine with other elements of the film to land the most memorable moment of 2025.
What are your favourite musical moments from 2025 that wormed their way into your brains and lingered? Let us know what you would have chosen as your number one in the comments below.
By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.
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Credits – All images used were created by the respective studios and artist of each film
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