It's finally winter break! The sweet freedom that gives students enough time to actually do what they want. A week of relaxing, sleeping, and seeing friends followed by four weeks of extreme boredom. With all this time, why not check out the music from your favorite movies? Here I've compiled a list of some of my favorite film score composers who have been active in the world of popular films. So as you're relaxing, reading, or mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and taking Buzzfeed quizzes, check out these composers and their amazing film scores!

[No, John Williams isn't on the list. You should definitely already be listening to his film scores.]

1. Howard Shore: "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy.

If you haven't listened to the music from this trilogy, then you are depriving yourself of incredible compositions. Howard Shore is a brilliant composer who created one of the best film scores of all time for "The Lord of the Rings." His film scores for "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Return of the King" both won Best Film Score at the Academy Awards in 2001 and 2003. Words cannot do his incredible compositions justice. If you only listen to one composer on this list, it should be Howard Shore. He's number one on the list for a reason. Listen to these film scores and you will not regret it.

2. Hans Zimmer: "Inception," "Gladiator," "Batman Begins," "Sherlock Holmes," "Interstellar," "12 Years a Slave."

Zimmer composes for a variety of films, and his excellent composing abilities are present in each. My favorite of his scores comes from the action and drama films. He has composed for an large amount of famous and well-known films, including "Pirates of the Caribbean."

3. Ramin Djawadi: "Game of Thrones," Pacific Rim," "Iron Man."

If you enjoy intense and epic music, then listen to any of Djawadi's scores. His music for "Games of Thrones" perfectly fits the fantasy world with a tone of warrior intensity and mythic beauty.

4. Murray Gold: "Doctor Who" (Series 1-7).

Though he doesn't technically compose film scores, Gold enhances the quality and drama of "Doctor Who" with marvelous soundtracks worthy of film.

5. James Horner: "A Beautiful Mind," "Braveheart," "Titanic."

This composer's distinctive style has produced some of the most beautiful film scores. All three of these albums, along with all of his other scores, are unique and fantastic. "A Beautiful Mind" is an exquisite and memorable score that is my favorite of all of his works. His score for "Titanic" won an Academy Award in 1997.

6. Alexandre Desplat: "The Imitation Game," "Grand Budapest Hotel," "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," "The King's Speech."

Desplat is an eclectic composer who has the ability to compose scores with the same modern feel as his contemporaries, along with beautiful, classically-inspired pieces, such as those in "Mr. Magorium's." As a composer, he is rising in popularity and fame. His most recent work in "The Imitation Game" is worth checking out.

7. Thomas Newman: "Road to Perdition," "Finding Nemo," "Little "Women," "American Beauty," "Cinderella Man."

Newman uses piano and strings in a similar way to create similar tone throughout each of his scores that can be beautiful, haunting, or both. Newman's consistent tone does not detract from his scores, rather, it is gives him a niche within film composition that is definitely worth listening to. Multiple of his scores have been nominated for Academy Awards.

8. Rachel Portman: " One Day," "Mona Lisa Smile," "Chocolat," "The Cider House Rules," "Emma."

Portman's gorgeous melodies beautifully suit the female-centered movies for which she composes. Her score for "Emma" won an Academy Award in 1996, and "Cider House Rules" was nominated in 1999.

9. Johann Johannsson: "The Theory of Everything."

Though he's not as well known a composer, Johannsson's score for "The Theory of Everything" was nominated for Best Film Score at the 2014 Academy Awards. The nomination was well deserved, as the score is beautiful and intelligent.

10. John Powell: "How to Train Your Dragon," "The Bourne Trilogy," "P.S. I Love You."

Many of Powell's film scores are worth listening to, but his Academy Award nominated score for "How to Train Your Dragon" is incredible. The animated film, set in the time of the Vikings, embodies a unique Scottish sound that is beautiful beyond words. Some of the songs on this score are my favorites from any film.

11. Jean-Yves Thibaudet: "Pride and Prejudice."

Another one of my favorites, "Pride and Prejudice" is an elegant composition driven by Thibaudet's emphasis on the piano. It is poised and encapsulates the independence of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet. This score is wonderful to listen to when reading. As many of the other scores on this list, it was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005.

12. Michael Giacchino: "Star Trek/Star Trek: Into Darkness," "Up," "Jurassic World," "Inside Out."

Giacchino's best works are either action films or Pixar animated films.
"Up" and "Inside Out" are creatively crafted to embody both the jovial and emotional aspects typical of Pixar films. His innovation with "Jurassic World" and "Star Trek" takes the original melodies from the films' predecessors and transforms them into a modernized form. ("Up" won Best Film Score in 2009).

13. John Lunn: "Downton Abbey."

Lunn's score for "Downton Abbey" is everything that it should be: dramatic, polished, aristocratic, emotive, and driven. It contains a balance of melancholy and enthusiasm that perfectly characterizes this British drama.

14. Mark Isham: "Once Upon a Time" (seasons 1-4), "Life as a House," "October Sky."

Mark Isham an underrated composer. While he hasn't composed scores for any popular films, his compositions for the TV series "Once Upon a Time" evoke a modern but simplistic tone for the different fairy tales within. He also gives many characters their own themes within the show, expressing the uniqueness of their character.

15. Harry Gregson-Williams: "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," "Kingdom of Heaven."

Gregson-Williams's scores for the "Chronicles of Narnia" films are his most popular. I prefer the score from the first film. The music is filled with the wonder, discovery, and fantasy adventure that wonderfully characterizes C.S. Lewis's story. "Kingdom of Heaven" is another beautiful score that has a medieval tone.

Honorable Mentions (Film Scores):

"Master and Commander" - Various Artists

"The Eagle" - Atli Orvarsson

"The Artist" - Ludovic Bource

"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; The Mission" - Ennio Morricone

P.S. If you want to hear more amazing songs from films without looking them up, then follow my Spotify playlist "Film Score Favorites."