Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz and Demon Hunters composer Mark Sonnenblick are ready to take on each other at the upcoming Oscars.
At the beginning of 2025, Schwartz and Sonnenblick had a mentor-mantee relationship, which has now turned into a friendly rivalry.
The pair met through the ASCAP Foundational Musical Theatre Workshop where Schwartz, the Oscar winner with scores from Wicked, Godspell, and Pippin helped Sonnenblick in his work.
Now both have landed on the Academy Awards shortlist for Best Original Song and have earned Golden Globe nominations, putting their tracks against each other.
Schwartz wrote two new original songs for Wicked: For Good, Cynthia Erivo’s No Place Like Home and Ariana Grande’s The Girl in the Bubble.
Meanwhile, Sonnenblick has co-written Golden, the breakout hit from K-pop Demon Hunters. The song has spent weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Previously, Schwartz revealed his reaction to earning two Golden Globe nominations for his songs.
He revealed that he had forgotten about the Golden Globes until he got a text from director Jon M. Chu congratulating him on his two nominations.
“I couldn’t, obviously, think of anyone better to have to have heard from,” Schwartz said.
Sonnenblick hasn’t made any public statement about standing against his mentor.
Golden Globe Awards will air on January 11, 2026, meanwhile Oscars will premiere live on March 15, 2026.
