Hans Zimmer beats Jonny Greenwood to the Opus Klassik film-music prize

Jonny Greenwood's score for Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another was one of three on the shortlist for Film Music/Score of the Year at Opus Klassik 2026, and on Monday the prize went to Hans Zimmer and Aleksey Igudesman for Schwarzes Gold (Black Gold), their music for an ARD television drama. Max Richter, the third nominee, lost out too, with Hamnet.

Opus Klassik is Germany's main classical recording award, the successor since 2018 to the Echo Klassik. The prizes are handed out in Berlin in October.

Nonesuch announced the shortlisting on 2 June. Two more of its composers, Steve Reich and Sarah Kirkland Snider, were nominated in other categories, and neither won. Greenwood's score, the sixth of his for Anderson that Nonesuch have released, has 18 new pieces played by the London Contemporary Orchestra under Hugh Tieppo-Brunt. Greenwood plays piano, guitar, bass and percussion on it, and the ondes Martenot, an early electronic keyboard.