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Academy Award Nominations 2012

January 10, 2013 2 comments

oscarstatuetteThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2012.

In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:

  • MYCHAEL DANNA for Life of Pi
  • ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for Argo
  • DARIO MARIANELLI for Anna Karenina
  • THOMAS NEWMAN for Skyfall
  • JOHN WILLIAMS for Lincoln

This is the first Oscar nomination for Danna, who also picked up Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Life of Pi. This is the 5th Oscar nomination for Desplat,the 3rdOscar nomination for Marianelli, who won the Award in 2007 for Atonement, the 11th Oscar nomination for Newman, and the 48th Oscar nomination for Williams, who previously won in 1971 for Fiddler on the Roof, 1975 for Jaws, 1977 for Star Wars, 1982 for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and 1993 for Schindler’s List.

In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:

  • ADELE ATKINS and PAUL EPWORTH for “Skyfall” from Skyfall
  • MYCHAEL DANNA and BOMBAY JAYASHRI for “Pi’s Lullaby” from Life of Pi
  • WALTER MURPHY and SETH MACFARLANE for “Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from Ted
  • JOSHUA RALPH for “Before My Time” from Chasing Ice
  • CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG, ALAIN BOUBLIL and HERBERT KRETZMER for “Suddenly” from Les Misérables

The winners of the 85th Academy Awards will be announced on February 24, 2013.

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BAFTA Nominations 2012

January 9, 2013 Leave a comment

baftaThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 66th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2012.

In the Best Original Music category, which is named in memory of the film director Anthony Asquith, the nominees are:

  • MYCHAEL DANNA for Life of Pi
  • ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for Argo
  • DARIO MARIANELLI for Anna Karenina
  • THOMAS NEWMAN for Skyfall
  • JOHN WILLIAMS for Lincoln

This is the first BAFTA nomination for Danna. It is the 6th BAFTA nomination for Desplat, who won the award in 2011 for his score for The King’s Speech, and the 2nd BAFTA nomination for Marianelli. It is the 3rd BAFTA nomination for Newman, who won the award in 2000 for American Beauty, and is the 14th nomination for Williams, who has won on seven previous occasions: for Jaws in 1975, Star Wars in 1977, The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in 1983, Empire of the Sun in 1987, Schindler’s List in 1993, and Memoirs of a Geisha in 2006.

The winners of the 66th BAFTA Awards will be announced on February 10, 2013.

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Richard Rodney Bennett, 1936-2012

December 25, 2012 Leave a comment

Composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett died on December 24, 2012, in New York, where he had lived since 1979. He was 76.

Bennett was born in Broadstairs, Kent, in March 1936, the son of novelist and lyricist Rodney Bennett, and singer/pianist Joan Bennett. His mother had trained with Gustav Holst and sang in the first professional performance of The Planets. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Howard Ferguson and Lennox Berkeley, and later in Paris with the avant-garde composer Pierre Boulez.

Bennett was best known to international audiences for his work in film and television, having composed more than fifty scores over the course of his career. He earned Academy Award nominations for Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974), the latter of which contained a lavish orchestral suite evoking 1930s glamour and intrigue, and which remains one of his most celebrated. Other notable works include Lady Caroline Lamb (1973), Equus (1977), Enchanted April (1991), the smash hit comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), and the score for prestige BBC production of Gormenghast in 2000, which was one of his last major media commissions. Read more…

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Golden Globe Nominations 2012

December 13, 2012 2 comments

goldenglobeThe Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) have announced the nominations for the 70th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2012.

In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:

  • MYCHAEL DANNA for Life of Pi
  • ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for Argo
  • DARIO MARIANELLI for Anna Karenina
  • TOM TYKWER, JOHNNY KLIMEK and REINHOLD HEIL for Cloud Atlas
  • JOHN WILLIAMS for Lincoln

These are the first major film music award nominations for both Danna and the Cloud Atlas Pale 3 team, although Danna has been nominated for both a Grammy and and Emmy. This is the 6th nomination for Desplat, who won the award in 2006 for The Painted Veil, the 2nd nomination for Marianelli, who won both the Golden Globe and Oscar in 2007 for Atonement, and the 23rd nomination for Williams, who previously won Globes in 1975 for Jaws, 1977 for Star Wars, 1982 for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and 2005 for Memoirs of a Geisha.

In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:

  • ADELE ATKINS and PAUL EPWORTH for “Skyfall” from Skyfall
  • JON BON JOVI for “Not Running Anymore” from Stand-Up Guys
  • MONTY POWELL and KEITH URBAN for “For You” from Act of Valor
  • CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG, ALAIN BOUBLIL and HERBERT KRETZMER for “Suddenly” from Les Miserables
  • TAYLOR SWIFT, JOHN PAUL WHITE, JOY WILLIAMS and T-BONE BURNETT for “Safe and Sound” from The Hunger Games

The winners of the 70th Golden Globe Awards will be announced on January 13, 2013.

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Richard Robbins, 1940-2012

November 7, 2012 Leave a comment

Composer Richard Robbins died on November 7, 2012, at his home in Rhinebeck, New York. He was 71, and had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for many years.

Robbins was born in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, in December 1940, and studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and later later received a fellowship through a fund established by the philanthropist Frank Huntington Beebe to continue his studies in Vienna, Austria. He joined the film production company Merchant Ivory – co-owned by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory – as a musical advisor in the early 1970s and went on to score over a dozen of the company’s films, with his work becoming an integral part of their cinematic identity.

Robbins crafted elegant, emotionally nuanced scores for the overwhelming majority of Merchant Ivory’s most celebrated films, including The Europeans (1979), Heat and Dust (1983), The Bostonians (1984), A Room with a View (1985), Maurice (1987), Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990), Howards End (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993), Jefferson in Paris (1995), and Surviving Picasso (1996); he received Academy Award nominations for Howards End and The Remains of the Day, and a BAFTA nomination for A Room with a View. Read more…

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Marvin Hamlisch, 1944-2012

August 6, 2012 Leave a comment

Composer Marvin Hamlisch died on August 6, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles, California, after a brief illness. He was 68.

Marvin Frederick Hamlisch was born in June 1944 in New York City to Austrian Jewish parents. He was a child prodigy who entered Juilliard at age seven, and then attended Queens College, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967.

A rare winner of the EGOT – Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards – Hamlisch was one of the most decorated and versatile musicians of his generation. His work ranged from heartfelt ballads to rousing film scores, from Broadway showstoppers to pop hits, all marked by his melodic gift and deep emotional accessibility. He began his career as a rehearsal pianist for Barbra Streisand early in his career, later becoming her musical director and collaborator. His songs became hits for numerous artists, and his work as a conductor with major orchestras further expanded his artistic reach; his popular songs include “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows” and “California Nights” for Lesley Gore, and “The Travelin’ Life” for Liza Minnelli.

His first film score was for 1968’s The Swimmer. He also wrote music for several early Woody Allen films, including Take the Money and Run (1969) and Bananas (1971). Hamlisch’s film work brought him three Academy Awards, all in 1974: two for The Way We Were (Best Original Score and Best Song, shared with lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman), and one for his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s ragtime music for The Sting. Other notable film and TV scores in his career include Kotch in 1971, Save the Tiger in 1973, the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977, Ice Castles in 1978, Ordinary People in 1980, Sophies Choice in 1982, Shirley Valentine in 1989, and The Mirror Has Two Faces in 1996. Read more…

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Movie Music UK Awards 2011

March 6, 2012 3 comments

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Read more…

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Robert B. Sherman, 1925-2012

March 6, 2012 Leave a comment

Composer Robert B. Sherman, one of the greatest and most influential songwriters in the history of Hollywood, died on March 6, 2012, at his home in London, after a short illness. He was 86 years old.

Robert Bernard Sherman was born in New York, New York, in December 1925, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. His father, Al, was a composer and arranger in Tin Pan Alley in New York, and was a contemporary of George Gershwin; the Shermans eventually relocated to Los Angeles in 1937, and Robert attended Beverly Hills High School. Robert joined the Army in 1943 aged 17, and was awarded the Purple Heart medal after being shot in the knee in 1945, an injury which forced him to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. After completing his national service, Sherman and his brother Richard started a songwriting company, and they enjoyed success writing popular songs for artists including Annette Funicello. This success brought them to the attention of producer Walt Disney, who eventually hired them as staff songwriters for the Walt Disney Studio. Read more…

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Academy Award Winners 2011

February 26, 2012 Leave a comment

bource-oscarThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the winners of the 84th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2011.

In the Best Original Score category French composer Ludovic Bource won the award for his score for the silent film The Artist. In his acceptance speech, Bource said:

Wow. I want to pay, first of all, tribute for the power of the music, and I want to thank you and pay tribute to my co-nominees, Mr. Williams, Mr. Shore and Mr. Iglesias. Hans Zimmer is downstairs, he refused to submit this year, so I thank you charity Hans Zimmer, I don’t know if you can see. Thank you to all the musicians tonight, it’s a wonderful show. Can I have ten second more, Hans? Sorry, I have a little speech. I’d like to thank the Academy for this Oscar. You have given a man a special honor. To all of you, please accept me, because I have got so much love to give. I’ve got so much love to give to you. My wife Sara is there {speaks French}, thank you for all. Thank you Michel [Hazanavicius].”

The other nominees were Alberto Iglesias for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Howard Shore for Hugo, John Williams for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, and John Williams again for War Horse.

In the Best Original Song category, the winners was New Zealand-born musician Bret McKenzie from the musical comedy group Flight of the Conchords for the song “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets.

The other nominees were Sérgio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett for “Real in Rio” from Rio.

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IFMCA Award Winners 2011

February 23, 2012 Leave a comment

williamsifmcaJOHN WILLIAMS WINS FIVE AWARDS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS INCLUDING SCORE OF THE YEAR FOR “WAR HORSE”

The International Film Music Critics Association announces the winners of its eighth annual awards for excellence in musical scoring in 2011 with John Williams’ score for Steven Spielberg’s WAR HORSE topping the list, winning Film Score of the Year, Best Score for a Drama Film and Individual Cue for “The Homecoming.” Williams also wins Composer of the Year and Best Score for an Animated Film for THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN. French composer Ludovic Bource wins Breakout Composer of the Year for his score to THE ARTIST.

Cliff Martinez wins Best Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film for Nicolas Winding Refn’s DRIVE. Best Score for a Comedy Film is given to THE RUM DIARY by Christopher Young. Michael Giacchino wins his 11th career award for JJ Abrams’ SUPER 8 in the Best Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film category. Turkish composer Pinar Toprak wins Best Score for a Documentary Film for her score to THE WIND GODS.

In the non-film categories, Arnau Bataller wins Best Score for a Television Series for the Spanish telenovela ERMESSENDA. Veteran Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi wins Best Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media for the Level-5 / Studio Ghibli game NI NO KUNI: WRATH OF THE WHITE WITCH.

The Best Archival Release goes to the massive Warner Bros sixteen-disc, retrospective box-set THE DANNY ELFMAN & TIM BURTON 25TH ANNIVERSARY MUSIC BOX, which was housed in a Zoetrope box and included an exclusive historical book. The winner of Best Archival Re-recording goes to conductor William Stromberg and the Moscow Symphony Orchestra for their re-recording of Bernard Herrmanm’s THE BATTLE OF NERETVA and THE NAKED AND THE DEAD. Best Record Label of the Year goes to La-La Land Records, their second win in a row in this category, for such notable 2011 expanded release soundtracks as 1941, SPACE ABOVE AND BEOND, FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY, COMMANDO and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION COLLECTION VOLUME 1.

The Association is also bestowing a Special Award to SYMPHONY OF HOPE: THE HAITI PROJECT, a benefit recording collaboration between 25 film and TV composers, including John Debney, Christopher Young, Dave Grusin, Marvin Hamlisch, and Christopher Lennertz who produced with Steve Schnur. The recording is available as a download on itunes and Amazon among other outlets with proceeds going to Haiti Earthquake Relief. More information can be found at http://www.haitisymphony.com. Read more…

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BAFTA Winners 2011

February 12, 2012 Leave a comment

bource-baftaThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have announced the winners of the 65th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2011.

In the Best Original Score category composer Ludovic Bource won the award for his score for the critically acclaimed silent film The Artist. In his acceptance speech, Bource said:

“Sorry, I have no speech! Harvey [Weinstein], you reassured me, I know that after all. But, I have just one word, George Clooney, said always, ‘amazing’, ‘you are amazing guy’, so thank you for this award. It’s an amazing evening for me, I am so proud to receive this BAFTA, so thank you BAFTA. [Addressing Stephen Fry] Your speech was fantastic. Bien sur, thank you so much. I love Britain, and God save the Queen. Thank you so much! ”

The other nominees were Alberto Iglesias for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Howard Shore for Hugo, and John Williams for War Horse.

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IFMCA Award Nominations 2011

February 9, 2012 Leave a comment

ifmcasquareJOHN WILLIAMS RECEIVES 7 INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS AWARD NOMINATIONS, INCLUDING TWO FOR FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

The International Film Music Critics Association announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2011 with veteran composer John Williams leading the field with 7 nods including WAR HORSE (3 nominations) and THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN (3 nominations) for Film Score of the Year. Also nominated in this category are Ludovic Bource’s THE ARTIST (3 nominations), Mark McKenzie’s score to THE GREATEST MIRACLE (2 nominations) and Howard Shore’s HUGO (2 nominations).

Williams is short-listed for Film Composer of the Year along with Bource; last year’s winner, Alexandre Desplat (whose many scores include HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2, THE TREE OF LIFE, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE, THE IDES OF MARCH, A BETTER LIFE); Michael Giacchino (SUPER 8, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, 50/50, MONTE CARLO, CARS 2) and Alberto Iglesias (TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, LA PIEL QUE HABITO (THE SKIN I LIVE IN), TAMBIÉN LA LLUVIA, LE MOINE). Read more…

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Academy Award Nominations 2011

January 24, 2012 Leave a comment

oscarstatuetteThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2011.

In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:

  • LUDOVIC BOURCE for The Artist
  • ALBERTO IGLESIAS for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
  • HOWARD SHORE for Hugo
  • JOHN WILLIAMS for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
  • JOHN WILLIAMS for War Horse

This is the first Oscar nomination Ludovic Bource, who won the Golden Globe for his score for The Artist earlier in the season. This is the 3rd Oscar nomination for Iglesias, the 4th nomination for Shore, who previously won for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001 and for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003, and the 46th and 47th Oscar nomination for Williams, who previously won in 1971 for Fiddler on the Roof, 1975 for Jaws, 1977 for Star Wars, 1982 for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and 1993 for Schindler’s List..

In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:

  • BRET McKENZIE for “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets
  • SÉRGIO MENDES, CARLINHOS BROWN and SIEDAH GARRETT for “Real in Rio” from Rio

The winners of the 84th Academy Awards will be announced on February 26, 2012.

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BAFTA Nominations 2011

January 17, 2012 Leave a comment

baftaThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 65th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2011.

In the Best Original Music category, which is named in memory of the film director Anthony Asquith, the nominees are:

  • LUDOVIC BOURCE for The Artist
  • ALBERTO IGLESIAS for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
  • TRENT REZNOR and ATTICUS ROSS for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
  • HOWARD SHORE for Hugo
  • JOHN WILLIAMS for War Horse

These are the first BAFTA nominations for Bource, Reznor and Ross. It is the 3rd BAFTA nomination for Iglesias, the 6th BAFTA nomination for Shore, and the 13th nomination for Williams, who has won on seven previous occasions: for Jaws in 1975, Star Wars in 1977, The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in 1983, Empire of the Sun in 1987, Schindler’s List in 1993, and Memoirs of a Geisha in 2006.

The winners of the 65th BAFTA Awards will be announced on February 12, 2012.

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Golden Globe Winners 2011

January 15, 2012 Leave a comment

bource-globeThe Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) have announced the winners of the 69th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2011.

In the Best Original Score category French composer Ludovic Bource won the award for his score for critically acclaimed silent film The Artist. In his acceptance speech, Bource said:

“I’m sorry, I’m French! Too much emotion for me tonight. Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for this incredible honor. I’m better with music than words. Right now, if I were to write a song it would be a tap dance number. So, the power of the music is universal. The gift of the silent film, The Artist, is also universal. So, thank you Michel [Hazanavicius] for the greatest opportunity and partnership a composer could wish for. Thank you to Bérénice [Bejo], Jean [Dujardin], and the incredible ensemble cast and crew on The Artist, thank you so much. I would also like to thank Thomas Langmann, Bob and Harvey [Weinstein], my family who is watching at home in Paris, and my agent Amos [Newman]. Thamk you! ”

The other nominees were Abel Korzeniowski for W.E., Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Howard Shore for Hugo, and John Williams for War Horse.

In the Best Original Song category, the winners were Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry for “Masterpiece” from W.E., the film about Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson that Madonna directed.

The other nominees were Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for “Lay Your Head Down” from Albert Nobbs; Chris Cornell for “The Keeper” from Machine Gun Preacher; Elton John and Bernie Taupin for “Hello Hello” from Gnomeo and Juliet; and Thomas Newman, Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., and Damon Thomas for “The Living Proof” from The Help.