Hans Zimmer and his compositions for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two have just been ruled ineligible for the 2025 Academy Awards.

While the original score to the sci-fi blockbuster was seen to be a frontrunner for the Best Original Score award, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ set of pre-existing rules has barred Zimmer’s work from earning a nomination. The Academy’s rule states: “In cases such as sequels and franchises from any media, the score must not use more than 20% of pre-existing themes and music borrowed from previous scores in the franchise.” With Zimmer’s score for the film incorporating substantial elements and motifs from his work on 2021’s Dune, it unfortunately falls outside of the Academy’s eligibility criteria.

Fans and industry insiders have been speculating on its eligibility over the past few weeks, as Warner Bros. has not included the score in its ‘For Your Consideration’ campaign for next year’s Academy Awards. The news was eventually confirmed by Variety just yesterday.

While Zimmer’s score to Dune: Part Two may not be competing for the 2025 Oscars, it will still be in the running for contention across other prestigious awards bodies — including the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and even the Grammys. However, his work on Steve McQueen’s forthcoming World War II drama Blitz still remains eligible — giving the renowned German composer another chance at securing an Oscar nod for next year’s awards show.

Throughout his decorated career on the film circuit, Zimmer has won two Academy Awards — winning one in 1995 for Disney’s The Lion King and in 2022 for Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune film. He has also accumulated a total of twelve nominations, including several nods to some of the 21st century’s most influential soundtracks, such as Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, Inception, and Dunkirk, as well as Ridley Scott’s Gladiator and Dreamworks Animation’s The Prince of Egypt over the years.

Listen to Hans Zimmer’s composition work to Dune: Part Two below: