But the Hollywood veteran says his nomination for scoring “Dune,” a mammoth adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science-fiction novel, feels different after director Denis Villeneuve was snubbed in the best director category.

“I feel heartbroken for my friend,” Zimmer told Reuters in an interview.

“But I can with clear conscience and with great honesty say that I am nominated because of his work, and because of the work of everybody around me, and so if any one of us wins anything, it is all in his name, it is all for him.”

For the German composer, “Dune” was always going to be a dream project. Like Villeneuve, he had been a fan of Herbert’s intergalactic tale of politics, religion and giant sandworms since his teenage years.

“It was only when Denis very quietly said to me one day, ‘Have you ever heard of a book called Dune?’, that I sort of went into this teenage enthusiasm like a puppy dog chasing his own tail… It was a large chunk of my teenage years,” Zimmer said.

To produce an otherworldly sound for the score, Zimmer created acoustics on a synthesiser and then asked a metal sculptor to recreate these using different shapes and metals.

“Dune”, starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac, received 10 Oscar nominations, mostly in technical categories. Hollywood’s highest honours will be given out on March 27.