Organisers at the World Soundtrack Awards announced the nominees in the three major categories of film composer of the year, best original score and best original song.

Composer of the year nominees are: Alexandre Desplat for The Golden Compass; James Newton Howard (Charlie Wilson's War, Michael Clayton and I Am Legend); Alberto Iglesias for The Kite Runner; Dario Marianelli for Atonement; and John Powell for The Bourne Ultimatum.

Best original score of the year nominees are: 3:10 To Yuma by Marco Beltrami; Atonement by Marianelli; The Kite Runner by Iglesias; There Will Be Blood by Jonny Greenwood and Wall-E by Thomas Newman.

The nominees for best original song written directly for film are:

Despedida from Love In The Time of Cholera (music by Antonio Pinto and Shakira, lyrics and performance by Shakira); Down To Earth from Wall-E (music by Thomas Newman and Peter Gabriel, lyrics and performance by Peter Gabriel); Do You Feel Me from American Gangster (music lyrics by Diane Warren, performed by Anthony Hamilton); Guaranteed from Into the Wild (music, lyrics and performance by Eddie Vedder); A Hero Comes Home from Beowulf (music and lyrics Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri, performed by Robin Wright Penn and Idina Menzel).

The winners will be announced on October 18 at the closing night ceremony of the 35th Ghent International Film Festival.