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Movie Music UK Awards 2016
I know I have said this year after year, but this year it seems to be truer than ever: choosing the best scores of 2016 was an incredibly difficult task. The issue, for me, was the lack of a clear 5-star masterpiece score, combined with a whole host of very good-but-not-great scores.I keep a running tally of every score I hear throughout the year, and I have ended up with an astonishing 58 scores which, if I were still giving out star ratings, I would have rated either **** or ****½.
Putting these in any kind of hierarchical order is virtually impossible task considering the tiny margins of quality between each score but, nevertheless, it’s something I had to do. So, after much deliberation, here are my choices for the Best Scores of 2016! Read more…
Academy Award Nominations 2016
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the nominations for the 89th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2016.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- NICHOLAS BRITELL for Moonlight
- JUSTIN HURWITZ for La La Land
- MICA LEVI for Jackie
- DUSTIN O’HALLORAN and VOLKER “HAUSCHKA” BERTELMANN for Lion
- THOMAS NEWMAN for Passengers
These are the first Oscar nominations for Britell, Hurwitz, Levi, O’Halloran and Bertelmann, although Hurwitz did win the Golden Globe for Best Original Score earlier during the season. It is the 14th Oscar nomination for Newman, but he has never won, thus ensuring that this year’s winner will be a first time Oscar champion.
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- JUSTIN HURWITZ, BENJ PASEK, and JUSTIN PAUL for “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from La La Land
- JUSTIN HURWITZ, BENJ PASEK, and JUSTIN PAUL for “City of Stars” from La La Land
- LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA for “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana
- JOSHUA RALPH and GORDON SUMNER (STING) for “The Empty Chair” from Jim: The James Foley Story
- JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, MAX MARTIN, and KARL JOHAN SCHUSTER (SHELLBACK) for “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” from Trolls
The winners of the 89th Academy Awards will be announced on February 26, 2017.
BAFTA Nominations 2016
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 70th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2016.
In the Best Original Music category, which is named in memory of the film director Anthony Asquith, the nominees are:
- JUSTIN HURWITZ for La La Land
- JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON for Arrival
- ABEL KORZENIOWSKI for Nocturnal Animals
- MICA LEVI for Jackie
- DUSTIN O’HALLORAN and VOLKER “HAUSCHKA” BERTELMANN for Lion
This is the third BAFTA nomination for Jóhannsson, and the second nomination for Levi. All the other four nominees are first-time recipients, although Korzeniowski did win a BAFTA TV Award in 2015 for his television score Penny Dreadful. None of the nominees have previously won a British Academy Film Award.
The winners of the 70th BAFTA Awards will be announced on February 12, 2017.
Golden Globe Winners 2016
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) have announced the winners of the 74th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2016.
In the Best Original Score category composer Justin Hurwitz won the award for his score for the original musical La La Land. In his acceptance speech, Hurwitz said:
“Thank you, thank you. HFPA, everybody who worked on the movie, everybody at Lionsgate, all the LA musicians. I could start going through names, but I would have to pick and choose and leave so many names out, and then I would feel bad and then I would also start imagining that people were angry at me for not saying their names, so, just kind of across the board everyone who worked on the movie. I feel like it was the kind of movie where … well, first of all I was lucky to get to work, because it was a musical, I got to work with or at least know, pretty much all the departments, and there was just this spirit across the movie where people kind of worked harder than I think they’re used to working, and went to bed later than they’re used to going to bed, and wore more hats than they’re used to, and because I think we were all … we didn’t believe that this movie was getting made, and we didn’t believe that Damien had created something so unique that allowed us to put so much of ourselves into it, so, we didn’t want to take it for granted, and everybody worked so hard, and so passionately, so thank you to everybody, and this is very much appreciated.”
The other nominees were Nicholas Britell for Moonlight, Jóhann Jóhannsson for Arrival, Dustin O’Halloran and Volker “Hauschka” Bertelmann for Lion, and Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and Benjamin Wallfisch for Hidden Figures.
In the Best Original Song category, the winners were Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul for their song “City of Stars” from La La Land.
The other nominees were Lin-Manuel Miranda for “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana, James Osterberg (Iggy Pop), Daniel Pemberton, Stephen Gaghan, and Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) for “Gold” from Gold, Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Schuster (Shellback) for “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from Trolls, and Stevie Wonder, Ryan Tedder, and Francis Farewell Starlite for “Faith” from Sing.
Golden Globe Nominations 2016
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has announced the nominations for the 74th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2016.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- NICHOLAS BRITELL for Moonlight
- JUSTIN HURWITZ for La La Land
- JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON for Arrival
- DUSTIN O’HALLORAN and VOLKER BERTELMANN (“HAUSCHKA”) for Lion
- HANS ZIMMER, PHARRELL WILLIAMS, and BENJAMIN WALLFISCH for Hidden Figures
These are the first major film music award nominations for Britell, Bertelmann, and Wallfisch; Hurwitz was previously nominated for a Grammy for his score for Whiplash, and O’Halloran won an Emmy for his work on the TV series Transparent, while Pharrell is a multiple award nominee and winner for his work as a solo recording artist.
This is the 2nd nomination for Jóhannsson (who won the Globe in 2015 for The Theory of Everything), and the 13th nomination for Zimmer (who previously won Globes for The Lion King in 1994 and Gladiator in 2000).
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- JUSTIN HURWITZ, BENJ PASEK, and JUSTIN PAUL for “City of Stars” from La La Land
- LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA for “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana
- JAMES OSTERBERG (IGGY POP), DANIEL PEMBERTON, STEPHEN GAGHAN, and BRIAN BURTON (DANGER MOUSE) for “Gold” from Gold
- JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, MAX MARTIN and KARL SCHUSTER (SHELLBACK) for “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from Trolls
- STEVIE WONDER, RYAN TEDDER, and FRANCIS FAREWELL STARLITE for “Faith” from Sing
The winners of the 74th Golden Globe Awards will be announced on January 8, 2017.
Academy Award Winners 2015
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the winners of the 88th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2015.
In the Best Original Score category 87-year-old Italian composer Ennio Morricone won the award for his score for director Quentin Tarantino’s dark, violent western The Hateful Eight. Speaking in Italian, with his son Giovanni translating into English, Morricone accepted the award by saying:
“Buona sera, signore, buona sera. Thank you to the Academy for this prestigious acknowledgement. My tribute goes to the other nominees, and in particular to the esteemed John Williams. There isn’t a great soundtrack without a great movie that inspires it. I want to thank Quentin Tarantino for having chosen me, Harvey Weinstein, and the entire team who made this extraordinary film. I dedicate this award to my wife Maria, who is there watching me. Thank you. Grazie.”
The other nominees were Carter Burwell for Carol, Jóhann Jóhannsson for Sicario, Thomas Newman for Bridge of Spies, and John Williams for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In the Best Original Song category, the winners were Sam Smith and James Napier for their song “Writing’s On the Wall” from James Bond film Spectre.
The other nominees were Ahmad Balshe (Belly), Stephan Moccio, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) for “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey; Stefani Germanotta (Lady Gaga) and Diane Warren for “Til It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground; Antony Hegarty and Joshua Ralph for “Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction; and David Lang for “Simple Song #3” from Youth.
IFMCA Award Winners 2015
INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2015 IFMCA AWARDS; JOHN WILLIAMS WINS THREE AWARDS FOR STAR WARS
The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2015, in the 2015 IFMCA Awards.
The award for Score of the Year goes to composer John Williams for his work on the massively popular and successful epic science fiction fantasy “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” from director J. J. Abrams. IFMCA member James Southall said that “the Force remains strong in John Williams and long may it continue” and called the score “glorious,” while IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen called the score “a powerfully melodic and excitingly complex piece of grand artistry from an era of greatness that only John Williams in top form could deliver.” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is also named Best Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film, and wins the Film Music Composition of the Year award for the film’s conclusive end credits suite, “The Jedi Steps and Finale”. These are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth IFMCA Awards of Williams’s career, and it marks the third time he has been awarded Score of the Year, after “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005, and “War Horse” in 2011. Read more…
BAFTA Winners 2015
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have announced the winners of the 69th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2015.
In the Best Original Score category composer Ennio Morricone won the award for his score for director Quentin Tarantino’s critically acclaimed brooding western The Hateful Eight. Morricone was not present at the ceremony, but sent a message to BAFTA, which was read by presenter Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje saying:
“I am sorry I cannot be there in person in London. I am conducting a concert in Dublin tonight, including the score for The Hateful Eight. My sincere thanks going to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for this honour. I want to thank Quentin Tarantino, the entire team and the Weinstein Company for having invited me to be a part of this film. Collaborations with great directors like Quentin have given me creative pleasure over the 55 years since I wrote my first film score. At 87 years old it is gratifying that my work is still deemed relevant. Thank you.”
The other nominees were Jóhann Jóhannsson for Sicario, Thomas Newman for Bridge of Spies, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto for The Revenant, and John Williams for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
IFMCA Award Nominations 2015
INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED; OCTOGENARIAN VETERANS JOHN WILLIAMS AND ENNIO MORRICONE LEAD THE FIELD, MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS FOR MICHAEL GIACCHINO, LATE JAMES HORNER
The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2015, for the 12th annual IFMCA Awards. The most nominated composers are industry veterans John Williams and Ennio Morricone, as well as Michael Giacchino, and the late James Horner.
83-year old John Williams receives four nominations, all for his score for the smash hit sci-fi adventure “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” directed by J. J. Abrams, which is nominated for Score of the Year, Best Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror score, and Film Music Composition of the Year. Williams also receives a personal nomination as Composer of the Year. Williams has previously been nominated for 31 IFMCA Awards, winning on 12 occasions, including Score of the Year for “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005 and “War Horse” in 2011. Read more…
Movie Music UK Awards 2015
I feel like I say this every year, but narrowing down my choices for the best scores of 2015 has been harder than ever. It’s been a wonderful year for film music – I managed to experience well over 400 scores this year, both by watching movies and listening to their soundtracks independently, and the quality of music being written in all corners of the world just gets better and better.
This year, I have nominated works from France, Iran, Japan, Lebanon, Norway, Portugal, and Spain, as well the USA and the UK, proving once again that if you look outside the mainstream, you can still find a lot of outstanding music being written for smaller-scale projects all across the world.
My choices for the best of the year range from major Hollywood blockbusters and art house dramas, to broad comedies, classic fairytales, and science fiction adventures that take you beyond the stars – so, for your reading and listening pleasure, I present the 2015 Movie Music UK Awards! Read more…
Academy Award Nominations 2015
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have announced the nominations for the 88th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film in 2015.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- CARTER BURWELL for Carol
- JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON for Sicario
- ENNIO MORRICONE for The Hateful Eight
- THOMAS NEWMAN for Bridge of Spies
- JOHN WILLIAMS for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
This is the first Oscar nomination Burwell, the second Oscar nomination for Jóhannsson, the 13th Oscar nomination for Newman, and the 50th 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. Morricone has previously been nominated for five Academy Awards, but has never won a competitive Oscar, although he did win an Honorary Award in 2007 “for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music”.
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- AHMAD BALSHE (BELLY), STEPHAN MOCCIO, JASON DAHEALA QUENNEVILLE and ABEL TESFAYE (THE WEEKND) for “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey
- STEFANI GERMANOTTA (LADY GAGA) and DIANE WARREN for “Til It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground
- ANTONY HEGARTY and JOSHUA RALPH for “Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction
- DAVID LANG for “Simple Song #3” from Youth
- SAM SMITH and JAMES NAPIER for “Writing’s On the Wall” from Spectre
The winners of the 88th Academy Awards will be announced on February 28, 2016.
Golden Globe Winners 2015
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) have announced the winners of the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2015.
In the Best Original Score category legendary composer Ennio Morricone won the award for his score for The Hateful Eight. Morricone was not present at the ceremony, and his award was accepted by the film’s director, Quentin Tarantino. In his acceptance speech, Tarantino said:
“Thank you! Wow, this is really cool. Do you realize that Ennio Morricone – who, as far as I am concerned is my favorite composer, and when I say favorite composer, I don’t mean movie composer, that ghetto, I’m talking about Mozart, I’m talking about Beethoven, I’m talking about Schubert, that’s who I’m talking about – and Ennio Morricone has never won an award for any one individual movie that he has done. He has in Italy! But not in America – and this is I know not America, it’s the Hollywood Foreign Press Association – but, I have to say – please wrap it up, I will – I have to say that I directed the movie that the great Ennio Morricone, at 87 years of age, did an original score for and won the Golden Globe. For Ennio, and his wife, I say thank you, and grazie. Grazie!”
The other nominees were Carter Burwell for Carol, Alexandre Desplat for The Danish Girl, Daniel Pemberton for Steve Jobs, and Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto for The Revenant.
In the Best Original Song category, the winners were Sam Smith and James Napier for their song “Writing’s On the Wall” from the James Bond movie Spectre.
The other nominees were Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth and Cameron Thomaz (Wiz Khalifa) for “See You Again” from Furious 7, David Lang for “Simple Song #3” from Youth, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Ali Payami and Tove Nilsson for “Love Me Like You Do” from Fifty Shades Of Grey, and Brian Wilson and Scott Bennett for “One Kind Of Love” from Love and Mercy.
BAFTA Nominations 2015
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 69th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2015.
In the Best Original Music category, which is named in memory of the film director Anthony Asquith, the nominees are:
- JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON for Sicario
- ENNIO MORRICONE for The Hateful Eight
- THOMAS NEWMAN for Bridge of Spies
- RYUICHI SAKAMOTO and ALVA NOTO for The Revenant
- JOHN WILLIAMS for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
This is the second BAFTA nomination for Jóhannsson; the 6th BAFTA nomination for Morricone (who won the award every time he was previously nominated: for Days of Heaven in 1979, Once Upon a Time in America in 1984, The Mission in 1986, The Untouchables in 1987, and Cinema Paradiso in 1999); the 5th BAFTA nomination for Newman, who won in 1999 for American Beauty and again in 2012 for Skyfall; the 3rd BAFTA nomination for Sakamoto, who won in 1983 for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence; and the 16th nomination for Williams, who has won on seven previous occasions: for Jaws 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, Schindler’s List in 1993, and Memoirs of a Geisha in 2005.
The winners of the 69th BAFTA Awards will be announced on February 14, 2016.
Golden Globe Nominations 2015
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has announced the nominations for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2015.
In the Best Original Score category, the nominees are:
- CARTER BURWELL for Carol
- ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for The Danish Girl
- ENNIO MORRICONE for The Hateful Eight
- DANIEL PEMBERTON for Steve Jobs
- RYUICHI SAKAMOTO and ALVA NOTO for The Revenant
These are the first major film music award nominations for both Pemberton and Noto, although Pemberton has received two BAFTA nominations for his work in video games. Noto is the stage name of German musician and artist Carsten Nicolai, an influential experimental electronic composer who has worked with Michael Nyman and Blixa Bargeld, among others.
This is the 2nd nomination for Burwell, the 8th nomination for Desplat (who won the Globe in 2006 for The Painted Veil), the 9th nomination for Morricone (who previously won Globes for The Mission in 1986 and The Legend of 1900 in 1999), and the third nomination for Sakamoto (who previously won Globes for The Last Emperor in 1987 and The Sheltering Sky in 1990).
In the Best Original Song category, the nominees are:
- JUSTIN FRANKS, ANDREW CEDAR, CHARLIE PUTH and CAMERON THOMAZ (WIZ KHALIFA) for “See You Again” from Furious 7
- DAVID LANG for “Simple Song #3” from Youth
- MAX MARTIN, SAVAN KOTECHA, ILYA SALMANZADEH, ALI PAYAMI and TOVE NILSSON for “Love Me Like You Do” from Fifty Shades of Grey
- SAM SMITH and JAMES NAPIER for “Writing’s On the Wall” from Spectre
- BRIAN WILSON and SCOTT BENNETT for “One Kind of Love” from Love and Mercy
The winners of the 73rd Golden Globe Awards will be announced on January 10, 2016.
Movie Music UK presents the Greatest Scores of the Twentieth Century
A new series by Craig Lysy
As part of Movie Music UK’s tradition of innovation, I have decided launch a new series charting the Greatest Scores of the Twentieth Century. I had always wanted to undertake this daunting challenge, and after 35 years of procrastination, finally summoned up the resolve and courage necessary to bring it to fruition. So, every Monday, over the course of the next several years, I will list my choices for the Greatest Scores of the Twentieth Century, initially in reverse chronological order, but thereafter with a little more leeway in terms of timing.
In regards to rankings, I was not successful after numerous attempts to listen them in order of merit. Ranking these scores would seem to be an exercise in futility, so instead, I have chosen with this series to take you on a journey through time, beginning with the score, which launched film score art – King Kong, by Max Steiner. I will relate to you why I believe each score merits inclusion, and my hope is to provide an insightful and enjoyable journey.
I believe simplicity of criteria was needed to be successful. Firstly, the score must have achieved a masterful synergy with the story’s imagery, characters, setting and narrative, which served to elevate the film. Secondly, the score must have provided an exceptional and memorable listening experience within both film context and as a CD/MP3. Finally, the score must have made an indelible and lasting impression due to its creativity, innovation, sophistication, or thematic beauty.
I freely admit that this is but one man’s opinion, that I like everyone has certain biases, and that these manifest in my choices. But we must be authentic, and true to ourselves. So I offer my voice to the chorus of voices that have preceded me, and hope to achieve some degree of consonance.
All the best!
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