Best needle drop
The hosts pick the best use of a pre-existing song in the movie – the moment when a needle figuratively drops on a record and a familiar (or soon-to-be-familiar) track elevates a scene to another level. Named after the literal act of placing a turntable needle on a vinyl record.
A great needle drop is one of cinema's most powerful tools: the right song at the right moment can define a movie forever. Think 'Stuck in the Middle with You' in 'Reservoir Dogs', 'Layla' in 'Goodfellas', or 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' in 'The Breakfast Club'. This category does not cover original scores – only pre-existing songs used in the film.
A relatively late addition to the category lineup, it came from the The New Categories Selection Show episode in 2022. It was initially called the 'Slow Ride' award from 'Dazed and Confused', but was later renamed to Kid Cudi's 'Pursuit of Happiness' from 'Project X'.