Wicked Composer Stephen Schwartz and Demon Hunters composer Mark Sonnenblick are set to face off at the upcoming Oscars.
As of early 2025, Schwartz and Sonnenblick had a mentor-and-maintain relationship, which has now blossomed into a friendly rivalry.
The couple met through ASCAP’s Musical Theater Foundation Workshop where Schwartz, the Oscar winner with scores from Evil, god spelland Pippin helped Sonnenblick in his work.
Now both have made it to the shortlist for the Academy Awards for Best Original Song and have earned Golden Globe nominations, pitting their songs against each other.
Schwartz wrote two new original songs for Evil: foreverCynthia Erivo No place like home and Ariana Grande’s The bubble girl.
Meanwhile, Sonnenblick has co-written Golden, the smash hit K-pop demon hunters. The song has spent weeks atop 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 received a text from director Jon M. Chu congratulating him on his two nominations.
“Obviously, I can’t think of anyone better to hear from,” Schwartz said.
Sonnenblick has not made any public statement about his opposition to his mentor.
The Golden Globes will air on January 11, 2026, while the Oscars will premiere live on March 15, 2026.
