Sinners Takes Home Best Original Score Oscar

March 31, 2026

Swedish composer and musician Ludwig Göransson of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) was awarded the Oscar for Best Original Score for the film, Sinners. This follows recent wins at the Grammys, Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and BAFTAs. It marks Göransson’s third statuette, following his success with Black Panther in 2019 and Oppenheimer in 2024.

There were 125 AFM musicians who performed on the Sinners soundtrack, which was recorded over two months at Warner Bros. Eastwood Scoring Stage. Among the featured blues legends were Buddy Guy of Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL), Raphael Saadiq of Local 47, and Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard Local 256-733 (Birmingham, AL).

“Congratulations to this year’s Oscar winner for Best Original Score for the film Sinners, composed by Ludwig Göransson, and recorded in the US using our world-class AFM musicians,” says Tino Gagliardi. “For years, we’ve seen many scores head overseas, but this victory proves what we’ve always known: There is no substitute for the artistry of American recording musicians.”

At 41, Göransson is already legendary in Oscar history. Among living composers, only John Williams of Local 47 and Alan Menken of Local 802 (New York City) have had more Oscar wins.

Göransson, an accomplished guitarist, wrote almost the entire score on the 1932 Dobro resonator seen in the film. He dedicated his third win to his father, a guitar teacher, whom he credits for his musical development, especially for introducing him to the blues.

“The score is a personal journey, going back to the music he played for me as a kid,” says Göransson. “He heard the blues music in the ’60s and it changed his life.” By extension, it changed Göransson’s, who went on to study at the University of Southern California, where he met Sinners director Ryan Coogler.