Ryan Coogler’s Sinners was the standout winner at the 16th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards, held at the Avalon in Hollywood on Wednesday night, securing three honours including Best Score, Best Song – Feature Film, and Best On-Screen Performance. The latter two awards were for the track “I Lied to You,” written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson and performed by Miles Caton. Göransson also took home the Best Score trophy for the film.
Other multiple winners included the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless and Fabrizio Mancinelli for the indie feature Out of the Nest, each claiming two awards. Wicked also made its mark: director Jon M. Chu won the inaugural Music-Themed Film, Biopic or Musical category for Wicked: For Good, while the TV special Wicked: One Wonderful Night won for Music Performance / Special Program.
The animated phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters claimed Best Song – Animated Film for the hit single “Golden,” while Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest earned Best Song – Independent Film. Diane Warren took Best Song – Documentary for “Dear Me,” performed alongside Kesha. Lady Gaga and Andrew Watt won Best Song – TV Show/Limited Series for Gaga’s performance of “The Dance” from Tim Burton’s Wednesday.
Key Winners Table:
| Category | Winner | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Song – Feature Film | Miles Caton | “I Lied to You” (Sinners) |
| Song – Independent Film | Aiyana-Lee | “Highest 2 Lowest” |
| Song – Documentary | Kesha & Diane Warren | “Dear Me” |
| Song – Animated Film | EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami | “Golden” (KPop Demon Hunters) |
| Score – Feature Film | Ludwig Göransson | Sinners |
| Score – Animated Film | Tom Howe | Dog Man |
| Music-Themed Film/Biopic/Musical | Jon M. Chu | Wicked: For Good |
| Song – TV Show/Limited Series | Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt | “The Dance” (Wednesday) |
Additional awards recognised achievements across TV, video games, commercials, and new media, highlighting the breadth of contemporary music in visual media. From independent films and live concert recordings to theme park installations, the HMMA 2025 celebrated the creative diversity and global impact of music across all screens.
The ceremony underscored the continued rise of composers and performers shaping both mainstream and niche musical landscapes, cementing the HMMA as a premier platform for recognising excellence in media music.