16th Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA): ‘Sinners’ Wins 3, Plus Diane Warren and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
The winners of the 16th Annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) were announced this evening during their annual ceremony at The Avalon in Hollywood, California where Sinners was the big winner, taking home three awards: Song – Feature Film (“I Lied to You”), Song – On-Screen Performance (Miles Caton, “I Lied to You”) and Score – Feature Film.
Five-time Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal opened the HMMA ceremony with Afghan artist Aryana Sayeed, performing their song “We Believe in Hope”—recipient of the 2025 High Note Global Prize from United Nations Human Rights—before he took home the award for Score – Independent Film for Rule Breakers. Other performers during the ceremony included Miles Caton, Diane Warren, and Aiyana-Lee.
Diane Warren: Relentless received two HMMAs. Legendary songwriter Diane Warren won for SONG – DOCUMENTARY FILM for“Dear Me.” Warren wrote and performed the song with Kesha for the documentary about her life. The film’sdirector, Bess Kargman, also received the HMMA for MUSIC DOCUMENTARY – SPECIAL PROGRAM. Warren won her first HMMA last year for SONG – FEATURE FILM for “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight, which was performed by H.E.R.
Major song winners also included the global chart-topping hit “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters which won the HMMA for SONG – ANIMATED FILM. The song was co-written by HUNTR/X lead vocalist and songwriter EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Park Hong Jun, and performed by the group HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami).
Aiyana-Lee received the HMMA for SONG – INDEPENDENT FILM for “Highest 2 Lowest,” the showstopper she co-wrote with her mother, Nicole Daciana Anderson, and performed for Denzel Washington in the finale of Spike Lee’s film Highest 2 Lowest. Lady Gaga and Andrew Watt alsowon SONG – TV SHOW / LIMITED SERIES for“The Dead Dance” from WEDNESDAY, a song they co-wrote and performed.
Other composer winners included Avatar: Fire and Ash by composer Simon Franglen (SCORE – SCI-FI/FANTASY FILM), Severance from composer Theodore Shapiro (SCORE – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES), Wolf Man by composer Benjamin Wallfisch (SCORE – HORROR/THRILLER FILM), and Out of the Nest by composer Fabrizio Mancinelli (SCORE – INDEPENDENT FILM (FOREIGN LANGUAGE), among others.
The Wicked franchise received two HMMAs: DirectorJon M. Chu won MUSIC-THEMED FILM, BIOPIC, OR MUSICAL for Wicked: For Good, and the program WICKED: ONE WONDERFUL NIGHTwas awarded the HMMA for MUSIC PERFORMANCE / SPECIAL PROGRAM. Dog Man composer Tom Howe also received two awards: He won for SCORE – ANIMATED FILM, and took home the HMMA for SONG – DOCUMENTARY SERIES – TV/LIMITED SERIES with his co-writer Sam Ryder, who performed the song for the series.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy also received two accolades: the film’s composer Dustin O’Halloran received the HMMA for SCORE – TV/STREAMED MOVIE, and its music supervisor Nick Angel won for MUSIC SUPERVISION – FILM. TheHMMA for SOUNDTRACK ALBUM was awarded to F1 the Album(Atlantic Records).
The HMMA for MAIN TITLE – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES went to Your Friends and Neighbors by the series’ composer Dominic Lewis and Hamilton Leithauser.
Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles also won SONG – ON-SCREEN PERFORMANCE – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES for “Our Highway” (The Bondsman Season 1), a song they also co-wrote.
Here is the complete list of winners.
SONG – FEATURE FILM: “I Lied To You” from SINNERS. Written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson. Performed by Miles Caton.
SONG – INDEPENDENT FILM: “Highest 2 Lowest” from HIGHEST 2 LOWEST. Written By Aiyana-Lee Anderson and Nicole Daciana Anderson. Performed by Aiyana-Lee.
SONG – DOCUMENTARY FILM: “Dear Me” from DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS. Written by Diane Warren. Performed by Kesha.
SONG – ANIMATED FILM: “Golden” from KPOP DEMON HUNTERS. Written by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, Park Hong Jun. Performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami.
SONG – ON-SCREEN PERFORMANCE (FILM): Miles Caton – “I Lied to You” from SINNERS
SCORE – ANIMATED FILM: Tom Howe – DOG MAN
SCORE – FEATURE FILM: Ludwig Göransson – SINNERS
SCORE – SCI-FI/FANTASY FILM: Simon Franglen – AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
SCORE – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES: Theodore Shapiro – SEVERANCE
SCORE – INDEPENDENT FILM: Jeff Beal – RULE BREAKERS
SCORE – INDEPENDENT FILM (FOREIGN LANGUAGE): Fabrizio Mancinelli – OUT OF THE NEST
SCORE – HORROR/THRILLER FILM: Benjamin Wallfisch – WOLF MAN
SCORE – DOCUMENTARY: Anne Nikitin – PANGOLIN – KULU’S JOURNEY
MUSIC-THEMED FILM, BIOPIC, OR MUSICAL: WICKED: FOR GOOD – Jon M. Chu (director)
MUSIC DOCUMENTARY – SPECIAL PROGRAM: DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS – Bess Kargman (director)
SONG – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES: “The Dead Dance” from WEDNESDAY. Written by Lady Gaga and Andrew Watt. Performed by Lady Gaga.
SONG – ON-SCREEN PERFORMANCE – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES: Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles – “Our Highway” (THE BONDSMAN S1) Written by Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles
MAIN TITLE – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES: YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS – Dominic Lewis and Hamilton Leithauser
SCORE – SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION): Carl Thiel – EL LAZO DE PETRA
SCORE – SHORT FILM (ANIMATED): Qing Madi – VALORANT
SCORE – SHORT FILM (DOCUMENTARY): Benjamin Westphalen – A DREAM CALLED KHUSHI (HAPPINESS)
SCORE – DOCUMENTARY SERIES -TV/DIGITAL: Duncan Thum and David Bertok – CHEF’S TABLE: LEGENDS
SCORE – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES (FOREIGN LANGUAGE): Arturo Cardelús – TERRA ALTA
SCORE – VIDEO GAME (CONSOLE & PC): LEAGUE OF LEGENDS: Welcome to Noxus – League of Legends (Bill Hemstapat, Sebastien Najand, Alex Seaver, J.D. Spears, Alexander Temple, Richard Thomson, Seth Tsui, Gong Ao, Merlin Cen)
SONG – VIDEO GAME (CONSOLE & PC): “Against the Tide” from WUTHERING WAVES. Written by Obadiah Brown-Beach. Performed by Forts and Obadiah Brown-Beach.
SONG/SCORE – MOBILE VIDEO GAME: AFK JOURNEY – Alec Justice
MUSIC SUPERVISION – TV SHOW/LIMITED SERIES: Sean Fernald – DEXTER: RESURRECTION
MUSIC SUPERVISION – FILM: Nick Angel – BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY
MUSIC SUPERVISION – VIDEO GAME: Steve Schnur – BATTLEFIELD 6
SONG/SCORE – COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT: APPLE: 6 OUT OF 5 STARS – SILO: Music – Neil Ormandy, Linkoln, and Allen Stone
SOUNDTRACK ALBUM: F1: THE MOVIE – Atlantic Records
SONG – SHORT FILM: “Stars In My Eyes” from SWEETWATER. Written by Sean Douglas. Performed by Kyra Sedgwick.
SCORE – TV/STREAMED MOVIE: BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY – Dustin O’Halloran
MUSIC DESIGN – TRAILER: NECAXA (FX – HULU) – Juan Carlos Enriquez
MAIN TITLE – TV SHOW (FOREIGN LANGUAGE): ON THE HIGH SEAS – Sandrine Rudaz
MUSIC VIDEO (INDEPENDENT): Evanescence – “Afterlife”
LIVE CONCERT FOR VISUAL MEDIA: THE LION KING AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL – The Lion King Cast
EXHIBITIONS, THEME PARKS, SPECIAL PROJECTS: “Opening” WALT DISNEY WORLD’S EPCOT: TEST TRACK – Zain Effendi
SONG/SCORE – NEW MEDIA: LA PANDORA’S BOX Written by Victoria Dawson, Nadeem Majdalany, Camille J. Thomas, Carmen A. Thomas, Shannon K., Luke Shrestha, Simon Jay. Performed by memyself&vi.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE / SPECIAL PROGRAM: WICKED: ONE WONDERFUL NIGHT
SONG – DOCUMENTARY SERIES – TV/LIMITED SERIES: “Go Steady” from PARENTHOOD. Written by Tom Howe and Sam Ryder.
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