The Indian musician had previous won a Golden Globe and several Oscars in 2008 for his score in Danny Boyle's picture Slumdog Millionaire. Incidentally, 127 Hours, for which Rahman has now sacked the Golden Globe selection, is additionally steered by Boyle.
Rahman’s compositions in the film have been described by critics as “haunting tracks” with “wonderful crescendos”.
Other nominees in the same category include: Alexandre Desplat for The King's Speech, Danny Elfman for Alice in Wonderland, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Social Network and Hans Zimmer for Inception.