The nominees for the 2026 Academy Awards were announced on Thursday, January 22. Among this year’s nominees in the Music (Original Score) category is Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, for his work on the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed One Battle After Another.
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Greenwood, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Radiohead in 2019, previously was nominated for a best score Oscar in 2018 for Phantom Thread and 2021 for The Power Of The Dog, but lost both times. If the guitarist and songwriter does take home the Oscar this year, he will join an elite club—Rock Hall inductees who also have won Oscars for their work on film scores.
Here is a look at four who have been honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as well as receiving Academy Awards for best original film score.
The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ (1971)
A documentary capturing The Beatles making what became their final studio album, Let It Be, was released in 1970. In 1971, the band was nominated for an Oscar in the Original Song Score category, honoring the music and lyrics of the tunes featured in the movie.
The band had announced their breakup in April 1970, and the members weren’t on great terms at the time of the 1971 Oscars ceremony. Since none of The Beatles attended the event, Quincy Jones, who was serving as the ceremony’s musical director, accepted the honor for the band.
“This is fantastic,” Jones said in his speech. “I just wanted an excuse to get close to it, and I wish The Beatles were all here together tonight to receive this, but I have to get back to conduct the orchestra. On their behalf, thank you very much!”
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison received trophies, but not Ringo Starr. The Academy apparently overlooked the fact that Ringo had co-written the Let It Be track “Dig It.”
The Beatles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. The band’s four members have been welcomed into the Rock Hall individually over the ensuing years.
Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ (1985)
Prince proved just how multi-talented he was with the 1984 film Purple Rain and its hugely successful soundtrack album. The entertainer starred in the movie, which was partly based on his life, while also singing, writing or co-writing, and playing various instruments on all of the songs on the soundtrack.
In 1985, Prince won the Oscar for Original Song Score for Purple Rain. In accepting the honor, Prince, who wore a purple, sequined, hooded robe, was joined at the podium by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman of his band The Revolution.
“This is very unbelievable,” he said. “I could never imagine this in my wildest dreams.” Prince also thanked his manager, some Revolution members who weren’t at the event, and “most of all, God.”
Prince was welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
David Byrne’s ‘The Last Emperor’ (1988)
Talking Heads frontman David Byrne contributed several musical pieces to the 1987 historical drama The Last Emperor. Byrne shared an Oscar for the Original Score in 1988 with Japanese composers Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su.
All three musicians were on hand to accept the honor at the ceremony. Byrne thanked the film’s director, Bernardo Bertolucci, and producer, Jeremy Thomas. He added, “This is a lot of fun, but it’s more fun doing it.”
The Last Emperor won a total of 10 Academy Awards in 1988, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Byrne was inducted into the Rock Hall with Talking Heads in 2002.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ ‘The Social Network’ (2011) and ‘Soul’ (2021)
In 2005, Atticus Ross began working with Nine Inch Nails as a composer and programmer. A few years later, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor began collaborating with Ross on film soundtracks.
In 2010, Reznor and Ross won the Academy Award for Original Score for The Social Network.
Reznor said during his acceptance speech, “Wow, is this really happening? When we finished work on The Social Network, we were very proud of our work. And happy to just be involved in this film, and to be standing up here in this company is humbling and flattering beyond words.” He then thanked the movie’s director, David Fincher, and his “wonderful wife,” Mariqueen. Ross, meanwhile, called Reznor “a great friend and a genius.”
In 2016, Ross officially joined the Nine Inch Nails lineup. Trent and Atticus were inducted into the Rock Hall in 2019 as members of NIN.
Then, in 2021, Reznor and Ross won their second Academy Award for Original Score, for the animated flick Soul. They shared the honor with New Orleans jazz musician Jon Batiste, who also contributed music to the film. Trent and Atticus were also nominated in the category for their work on Mank.
(Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images; Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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