7 of the most iconic movie scores by Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson

Last night, the 96th Oscars event was held in Los Angeles, California. An evening of glitz and glamour to celebrate the best of the best in motion pictures. Although a small region, Scandinavia has performed well in Awards ceremonies past, from Ingmar Bergman’s 1982 classic Fanny and Alexander to Alicia Vikander’s win for the Danish Girl in 2016.

And what would films be without the music that accompanies them? Music is the true hero in creating a mood, from suspense and fear to surprise and joy.

Ludwig Göransson, the Swedish musician and producer from Jönköping, is one of the most successful composers of the 21st century, taking home his win for Best Score in 2024 for his crucial musical contribution to the Christopher Nolan-directed bio pic Oppenheimer.

Below, we take a look back at the very best of the composer's arrangements:

Related: From Adele to Black Panther, composer Ludwig Göransson has Hollywood falling at his feet

This monumental score put Ludwig on the map as the one to watch in film scoring, alongside his success in pop music. After spending time in Senegal with famous Senegalese artist Baaba Maal, Ludwig was able to set the tone for one of the most influential films of the 2010s — and take home an Oscar.

Göransson's most recent project, Turning Red is Pixar and Disney's latest grand success. The story follows Meilin, a 13-year-old girl who discovers that she can turn into a giant red panda. An uplifting, joyous score featuring early 2000s inspired hits from none other than Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish.

Christopher Nolan's eleventh feature film Tenet tells a tale of espionage and time travel. Known for creating stories with mind-boggling twists and turns, Tenet was no exception. Although confusing, there is nothing confusing about Göransson's score, which kept us at the edge of our seats throughout the movie.

For the smash-hit Disney series The Mandalorian, set in the Star Wars universe, Ludwig Göransson is following in the footsteps of none other than the great John Williams. Instead of opting for the traditionally massive thematic score, Göransson took a more Western, low-key route. With the theme song having over 40 million streams on Spotify and now stamped a bonafide classic, he made the right call.

In the same year as Black Panther, Ludwig Göransson also created the score for fellow marvel hit Venom. The Marvel film follows the tale of a so-called villain turned hero after a journalist is infected with an alien entity, becoming one. A superhero film soundtrack at its finest, this is the essence of drama and suspense.

In the same vein as The Mandalorian, Ludwig Göransson also set the tone for Disney's Star Wars TV series following the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett. With a main title fit for the world of Astrid Lindgren classics, this is an example of how Ludwig Göransson's melodies draw inspiration from Scandi culture. Considered to be one of the best new shows of the year, it is no surprise Ludwig is at the forefront of this contemporary classic.

Göransson's latest bombastic award-winning score was created for Christopher Nolan-directed bio pic Oppenheimer. One of the buzziest movies of last summer, the movie follows American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer played by Cillian Murphy – who also received a Golden Globes award for his role – as he and his team take on The Manhattan Project: developing and designing the world's first atomic bomb. Göransson's score goes "beyond what’s ‘Humanly Possible’" according to Rolling Stone magazine.