Archive
BAFTA Nominations 2006
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 60th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2006.
In the Best Original Music category, which is named in memory of the film director Anthony Asquith, the nominees are:
- DAVID ARNOLD for Casino Royale
- ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for The Queen
- HENRY KRIEGER for Dreamgirls
- JOHN POWELL for Happy Feet
- GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA for Babel
These are the first nominations Arnold and Krieger. It is the second nomination for Desplat, the second nomination for Powell, and the third nomination Santaolalla. Santaolalla previously won for The Motorcycle Diaries in 2004
The winners of the 60th BAFTA Awards will be announced on February 11, 2007.
Golden Globe Nominations 2006
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has announced the nominations for the 64th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2006.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for The Painted Veil
- CLINT MANSELL for The Fountain
- GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA for Babel
- CARLO SILIOTTO for Nomad
- HANS ZIMMER for The Da Vinci Code
These are the first nominations for Mansell and Silotto. It is the second nomination for Santaolalla, the third nomination for Desplat, and the seventh nomination for Zimmer. Zimmer previously won for The Lion King in 1994 and Gladiator in 2000.
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- BRYAN ADAMS, ELIOT KENNEDY, and ANDREA REMANDA for “Never Gonna Break My Faith” from Bobby
- SHERYL CROW for “Try Not to Remember” from Home of the Brave
- BEYONCÉ KNOWLES, HENRY KRIEGER, SCOTT CUTLER, and ANNE PREVEN for “Listen” from Dreamgirls
- PRINCE ROGERS NELSON for “The Song of the Heart” from Happy Feet
- HENRY SAMUEL (SEAL) and CHRISTOPHER BRUCE for “A Father’s Way” from The Pursuit of Happyness
The winners of the 64th Golden Globe Awards will be announced on January 15, 2007.
Shirley Walker, 1945-2006
Composer Shirley Walker died on November 30, 2006, in Reno, Nevada, from complications following a stroke. She was 61.
Born Shirley Anne Rogers in April 1945, in Napa, California, Walker was a musical prodigy. She had an early start performing as a teenager at various hotels, jazz and art bands in tje 1960s, and later attended both San Francisco State University and Berkeley. She began her professional music career in the late 1970s, and for several years she wrote jingles and composed for industrial films.
Her career in film began in 1979, when she was hired to play the synthesizers on Carmine Coppola’s score for Apocalypse Now, and she quickly established herself as one of the most in-demand arrangers, conductors, and orchestrators in Hollywood, working notably with composers such as Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, and Brad Fiedel. Notably, she is credited for being a major influence on the symphonic style Elfman adopted on scores like Scrooged, Batman, and Edward Scissorhands.
Walker was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood during her career, and became one of the first female composers to earn a solo score credit on a major Hollywood motion picture when she was hired to score John Carpenter’s Memoirs of an Invisible Man in 1992. Her work on the animated super-hero film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) remains a standout achievement, praised for its operatic intensity and emotional complexity; this film also initiated her long-standing relationship with DC Animation, as over the course of the next decade she would write music for shows such as Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The Flash, The New Batman Adventures, and Batman Beyond, among many others. Read more…
Basil Poledouris, 1945-2006
Composer Basil Poledouris died on November 8, 2006, at his home in Los Angeles, California, after a battle with cancer. He was 61.
Vassilis Konstantinos Poledouris was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in August 1945, to a family of Greek immigrants. A piano player from an early age, Basil moved to Los Angeles in 1964 to study filmmaking and music at the University of Southern California, where he was a contemporary of soon-to-be-directors George Lucas, John Milius and Randal Kleiser, who would go on to be lifelong friends and collaborators. Poledouris dabbled in acting – he had a non-speaking role as a crewmember on the original series of Star Trek – but concentrated on music following his graduation with a BA in film studies.
Poledouris composed music for over 100 educational films before getting his break in feature films, which came in 1978 following the release of the popular cult surfing movie Big Wednesday (directed by Milius), and which he followed by writing music for hit teen romance The Blue Lagoon in 1980, and the action fantasy epic Conan the Barbarian in 1982. The latter film launched the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is considered one of the finest fantasy scores ever written. Read more…
Remembering Toru Takemitsu, 1930-1996
Composer Toru Takemitsu died ten years ago today, on February 20, 1996, in Tokyo, Japan, of pneumonia while undergoing treatment for bladder cancer. He was 65.
FULL REMEMBRANCE COMING SOON.
Academy Award Nominations 2005
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the nominations for the 78th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2005.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- ALBERTO IGLESIAS for The Constant Gardener
- DARIO MARIANELLI for Pride & Prejudice
- GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA for Brokeback Mountain
- JOHN WILLIAMS for Memoirs of a Geisha
- JOHN WILLIAMS for Munich
These are the first Oscar nominations for Iglesias, Marianelli, and Santaolalla, and are the 39th and 40th nominations for Williams. Williams previously won for Fiddler on the Roof in 1971, Jaws in 1975, Star Wars in 1977, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial in 1982, and Schindler’s List in 1993.
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- JORDAN HOUSTON, CEDRIC COLEMAN, and PAUL BEAUREGARD for “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp” from Hustle & Flow
- DOLLY PARTON for “Travelin’ Thru” from Transamerica
- KATHLEEN ‘BIRD’ YORK and MICHAEL BECKER for “In the Deep” from Crash
The winners of the 78th Academy Awards will be announced on March 5, 2006.
BAFTA Nominations 2005
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 59th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2005.
In the Best Original Music category, which is named in memory of the film director Anthony Asquith, the nominees are:
- T-BONE BURNETT for Walk the Line
- GEORGE FENTON for Mrs. Henderson Presents
- ALBERTO IGLESIAS for The Constant Gardener
- GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA for Brokeback Mountain
- JOHN WILLIAMS for Memoirs of a Geisha
This is the first nomination Iglesias. It is the second nomination Santaolalla, the third nomination for Burnett, the sixth nomination for Fenton, and the eleventh nomination for Williams. Santaolalla previously won for The Motorcycle Diaries in 2004. Williams previously won for Jaws and The Towering Inferno in 1975, Star Wars in 1978, The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982, Empire of the Sun in 1988, and Schindler’s List in 1993.
The winners of the 59th BAFTA Awards will be announced on February 19, 2006.
Golden Globe Nominations 2005
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has announced the nominations for the 63rd Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2005.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for Syriana
- HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- JAMES NEWTON HOWARD for King Kong
- GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA for Brokeback Mountain
- JOHN WILLIAMS for Memoirs of a Geisha
These are the first nominations for Gregson-Williams, Howard, and Santaolalla. It is the second nomination for Desplat, and the 20th nomination for Williams. Williams previously won for Jaws in 1975, Star Wars in 1977, and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in 1982.
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- MEL BROOKS for “There’s Nothing Like a Show on Broadway” from The Producers
- ALANIS MORISSETTE for “Wunderkind” from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- DOLLY PARTON for “Travelin’ Thru” from Transamerica
- TONY RENIS for “Christmas in Love” from Christmas in Love
- GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA and BERNIE TAUPIN for “A Love That Will Never Grow Old” from Brokeback Mountain
The winners of the 63rd Golden Globe Awards will be announced on January 16, 2006.
Remembering Brian Easdale, 1909-1995
Composer Brian Easdale died ten years ago today, on October 30, 1995, at his home in London, England. He was 86.
FULL REMEMBRANCE COMING SOON.
Remembering Miklós Rózsa, 1907-1995
Composer Miklós Rózsa died ten years ago today, on July 27, 1995, at his home in Los Angeles, California, due to complications from a series of strokes. He was 88.
Born in Budapest in April 1907, Rózsa was a child prodigy who studied violin and composition from an early age. He completed his formal training in Leipzig, Germany, and initially made his name as a composer of concert music. In the 1930s he moved to Paris, and later London, having been encouraged by his friend, Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, to supplement his income writing music for cinema. His entry into film scoring came with Knight Without Armour (1937), produced by his fellow Hungarian Alexander Korda, and his success in British cinema led to a contract with MGM and a move to Hollywood in 1940.
Rózsa quickly distinguished himself in America with powerful, emotionally charged scores for films such as The Thief of Bagdad (1940), Lydia (1940), Sundown (1941), That Hamilton Woman (1941), Jungle Book (1942), Double Indemnity (1944), and Spellbound (1945), the latter of which earned him the the first of his three Oscar wins for Best Original Score. He was acclaimed for his ability to seamlessly blend traditional symphonic writing with dramatic storytelling, and often conducted extensive historical and ethnomusicological research to bring authenticity to his scores, resulting in a style that helped define the sound of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
He won his second Oscar for A Double Life (1947), and then a third for Ben-Hur (1959), which at time was heralded as one of the most ambitious film scores ever written, and which subsequently became a benchmark of epic film music. His other acclaimed and popular scores included such titles as The Lost Weekend (1945), The Killers (1946), The Red Danube (1949), Quo Vadis (1951), Ivanhoe (1952), Julius Caesar (1953), Knights of the Round Table (1953), Young Bess (1953), Valley of the Kings (1954), Lust for Life (1956), El Cid (1961), King of Kings (1961), Sodom and Gomorrah (1963), and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974). Read more…
Academy Award Nominations 2004
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the nominations for the 77th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2004.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- JOHN DEBNEY for The Passion of the Christ
- JAMES NEWTON HOWARD for The Village
- JAN A. P. KACZMAREK for Finding Neverland
- THOMAS NEWMAN for Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
- JOHN WILLIAMS for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
These are the first Oscar nominations for Debney and Kaczmarek. This is the 4th nomination for Howard, the 8th nomination for Newman, and the 38th nomination for Williams. Williams previously won for Fiddler on the Roof in 1971, Jaws in 1975, Star Wars in 1977, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial in 1982, and Schindler’s List in 1993.
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- BRUNO COULAIS and CHRISTOPHE BARRATIER for “Look to Your Path” from The Chorus
- JORGE DREXLER for “Al Otro Lado del Río” from The Motorcycle Diaries
- ADAM DURITZ, CHARLIE GILLINGHAM, JIM BOGIOS, DAVID IMMERGLÜCK, MATT MALLEY, DAVID BRYSON, and DAN VICKREY for “Accidentally in Love” from Shrek 2
- ANDREW LLOYD-WEBBER and CHARLES HART for “Learn to Be Lonely” from The Phantom of the Opera
- ALAN SILVESTRI and GLENN BALLARD for “Believe” from The Polar Express
The winners of the 77th Academy Awards will be announced on February 27, 2005.
BAFTA Nominations 2004
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 58th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2004.
In the Best Original Music category, which is named in memory of the film director Anthony Asquith, the nominees are:
- CRAIG ARMSTRONG for Ray
- BRUNO COULAIS for The Chorus
- JAN A. P. KACZMAREK for Finding Neverland
- GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA for The Motorcycle Diaries
- HOWARD SHORE for The Aviator
These are the first nominations for Coulais, Kaczmarek, and Santaolalla. It is the third nomination for Armstrong, and the fifth nomination for Shore. Armstrong previously won for William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet in 1997 and Moulin Rouge! in 2001.
The winners of the 58th BAFTA Awards will be announced on February 12, 2005.
Golden Globe Nominations 2004
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has announced the nominations for the 62nd Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2004.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- CLINT EASTWOOD for Million Dollar Baby
- JAN A. P. KACZMAREK for Finding Neverland
- ROLFE KENT for Sideways
- HOWARD SHORE for The Aviator
- HANS ZIMMER for Spanglish
These are the first nominations for Eastwood, Kaczmarek, and Kent, although Eastwood has been nominated three times previously as a director, winning for Bird in 1988 and Unforgiven in 1992. It is the third nomination for Shore, and the sixth nomination for Zimmer. Shore previously won for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003. Zimmer previously won for The Lion King in 1994 and Gladiator in 2000.
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- ADAM DURITZ, DAN VICKREY, DAVID BRYSON, MATT MALLEY, and DAVID IMMERGLÜCK (COUNTING CROWS) for “Accidentally in Love” from Shrek 2
- MICK JAGGER and DAVID A. STEWART for “Old Habits Die Hard” from Alfie
- WYCLEF JEAN, JERRY DUPLESSIS, and ANDREA GUERRA for “Million Voices” from Hotel Rwanda
- ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER and CHARLES HART for “Learn to Be Lonely” from The Phantom of the Opera
- ALAN SILVESTRI and GLEN BALLARD for “Believe” from The Polar Express
The winners of the 62nd Golden Globe Awards will be announced on January 16, 2005.
Elmer Bernstein, 1922-2004
Composer Elmer Bernstein died on August 18, 2004, at his home in Ojai, California, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 82.
Bernstein was born in New York City in April 1922, the son of immigrants from Ukraine and Austria-Hungary. He studied piano as a child and showed early promise as a performer; during his childhood, he performed professionally as a dancer and an actor, but then switched to music and trained at the Juilliard School where he was encouraged by prominent figures such as Aaron Copland. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces, where he composed and arranged music for military radio programs.
Bernstein moved to California in in the early 1950s, when he was hired to score the thriller Sudden Fear in 1952. However, along with many other artists in Hollywood, Bernstein faced censure during the McCarthy era of the early 1950s, and was called by the House Un-American Activities Committee. After he refused to name names, pointing out that he had never attended a Communist Party meeting, he found himself composing music for Z-grade sci-fi movies such as Robot Monster and Cat-Women of the Moon.
His work on The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), one of the first major studio films to feature a jazz score, brought him back into the mainstream, earned him his first Oscar nomination and marked him as a daring and contemporary voice in film music. His score for The Ten Commandments (1956), an epic of biblical scale, demonstrated his facility with grand orchestration and established him as a composer of serious dramatic substance. He followed it with the heroic and unforgettable theme to The Magnificent Seven (1960), whose galloping rhythms and bold brass fanfares became one of the most enduring musical signatures in film history. Read more…
David Raksin, 1912-2004
Composer David Raksin died on August 9, 2004, in Los Angeles, after a short illness. He was 92.
Raksin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in August 1912. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the Curtis Institute of Music, and later with Isadore Freed in New York and Arnold Schoenberg in Los Angeles. He worked as an arranger for Charlie Chaplin on the score for Modern Times in 1936 when he was just 24 years old, and soon after began a long career as a composer for studio films.
With a career spanning more than six decades, Raksin composed music for over 100 films and numerous television programs, earning a reputation for melodic sophistication and dramatic sensitivity. His theme for the 1944 classic Laura is often cited as one of the most memorable in film history, and became a popular standard, with lyrics later added by Johnny Mercer. Raksin’s theme song for the 1953 film The Bad and the Beautiful (also called “Love is For the Very Young”) was also a hit.
Rakin’s other major composing credits include Forever Amber (1947), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), Force of Evil (1948), Whirlpool (1950), The Magnificent Yankee (1950), Across the Wide Missouri (1951), The Big Combo (1955), Bigger Than Life (1956), Separate Tables (1958), and Two Weeks in Another Town (1962), among many others. He received two Academy Award nominations and numerous honors for his work, which was admired for its lyrical beauty, harmonic depth, and keen dramatic sense. One of his last major scores was for the critically acclaimed nuclear holocaust-themed TV drama The Day After in 1983. Read more…
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