Zain Effendi’s Test Track Score Earns GRAMMY Nomination for “Opening”
Anyone who’s ridden Test Track 3.0 knows that the updated attraction came with a banger of a soundtrack. Zain Effendi’s score feels like a throwback to old school EPCOT and its positive vibes. Fortunately for Effendi, it’s not just theme park fans who appreciate his music. “Opening,” the first track from the Test Track album, has been nominated for an Instrumental Composition GRAMMY.
According to the Grammys, the Instrumental Composition category is “a Composer’s Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year.” It’s for singles or tracks only, not entire albums. Here are this year’s nominees:
- First Snow
Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Nordkraft Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf & Danielle Wertz) - Live Life This Day: Movement I
Miho Hazama, composer (Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band & Danish National Symphony Orchestra) - Lord, That’s A Long Way
Sierra Hull, composer (Sierra Hull) - Opening
Zain Effendi, composer (Zain Effendi) - Train To Emerald City
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers (John Powell & Stephen Schwartz) - Why You Here / Before The Sun Went Down
Ludwig Göransson, composer (Ludwig Göransson Featuring Miles Caton)
This is a tough category. I love all of these composers, especially John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon) and Ludwig Göransson (The Mandalorian, Oppenheimer). But Effendi’s music stacks up.
After attending two Boston conservatories to study music composition, Effendi apprenticed under Hans Zimmer. He contributed to many scores during his time with the legendary composer, including The Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, and Kung Fu Panda. While I can hear Zimmer’s influence, Effendi’s voice is very much his own.
The 2026 GRAMMYS take place on February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Read more: Test Track 3.0 Soundtrack Now Streaming on Major Platforms
