Source:Variety

November 13, 2008

Variety reports that the score for The Dark Knight has been disqualified by the executive committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences music branch from being considered for an Oscar.

Formal letters to that effect are expected to go out this week to composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, who collaborated on the music.

Their previous collaboration, on Batman Begins, was similarly disqualified in 2005.

According to the trade, the big issue was the fact that five names were listed as composers on the music cue sheet, the official studio document that specifies every piece of music (along with its duration and copyright owner) in the film.

Zimmer previously said that listing multiple names on the cue sheet was a way of financially rewarding parts of the music team who helped make the overall work successful.

Zimmer, Howard and the other three individuals -- music editor Alex Gibson, ambient music designer Mel Wesson and composer Lorne Balfe -- reportedly signed an affidavit stating that the score was primarily the work of Zimmer and Howard.

That apparently wasn't enough for the majority of the committee, which was also supplied with documentation indicating that more than 60%, but less than 70%, of the score was credited to Zimmer and Howard.