Ludwig Göransson’s score for “Sinners” won the award for best original music at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) in London on Sunday, February 22, 2026. It marks the second time in three years the Swedish composer has received the honor.
Göransson previously won the BAFTA for best original music in 2024 for his work on Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” according to Jedi News. This win makes him the first composer to win the award twice within a three-year span since Gustavo Santaolalla was recognized for “The Motorcycle Diaries” (2004) and “Babel” (2006).
The composer recently secured wins at the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and Grammys for the “Sinners” score prior to the BAFTA ceremony. He was up against a competitive field at the BAFTAs, including Alexandre Desplat, a thirteen-time nominee and three-time winner, who was nominated for his score for Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein.”
Ryan Coogler, director of “Sinners,” accepted the award on Göransson’s behalf, joking that the composer was currently working on a “minor indie film” – a reference to Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, “The Odyssey,” slated for release this summer. Other nominees in the category were Jonny Greenwood (“One Battle After Another”), Max Richter (“Hamnet”), and Jerskin Fendrix (“Bugonia”).
Notably, the same five composers are similarly nominated in the best original score category at the upcoming Academy Awards on March 1, representing the first time in fourteen years that both the BAFTAs and the Oscars have featured identical nominees. In 2012, the awards diverged, with Thomas Newman winning the BAFTA for “Skyfall” and Mychael Danna taking the Oscar for “Life of Pi.”
“Sinners” received a total of thirteen nominations at the BAFTAs, ultimately winning three awards: best original screenplay, best supporting actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and best original music. “One Battle After Another” was awarded best film, with Paul Thomas Anderson receiving the award for best director for his work on the film.
The awards ceremony also featured a performance by K-pop group HUNTR/X, marking their debut on a major awards show with their hit song “Golden.” The BAFTAs do not include a category for best original song. HUNTR/X is scheduled to perform at the BRIT Awards next Saturday, February 28, becoming the first K-pop group to perform on that stage. They will also perform “Golden” at the Academy Awards ceremony on March 15, where the song is nominated for best original song.
During the In Memoriam segment, Jessie Ware performed Barbra Streisand’s classic, “The Way We Were,” from the 1973 film of the same name. The performance honored recently deceased figures including Robert Redford, Catherine O’Hara, Rob Reiner, Brigitte Bardot, Val Kilmer, and Gene Hackman.
