It feels that there were more soundtracks than ever last year!! Yippee, I am inclined to write but when it comes down to voting for the IFMCA  it became a never ending quest to reduce the list down to the very best. I was so close to the wire as well with meeting the deadline but I made it. Here is the cream of the cream in my humble opinion.

Film Score of the Year

High Rise – Clint Mansell
The Light Between The Oceans – Alexandre Desplat
Dark Waves [Bellerofonte] – Alexander Cimini
Julieta – Alberto Iglasias
Nocturnal Animals – Abel Korzeniowski
I listened to High Rise very early on in the year on in 2016 and it’s the soundtrack I have returned to the most. Both this and Dark waves are reviewed in this blog.

Film Composer of the Year

Fernando Velazquez
Alexander Cimini
Rachel Portman
John Debney
Mark Korven
The sheer versatility of Velazquez’s 2016 scores has been mind blowing. Take Guernica, A Monster Calls and Ozzy for starters!

Breakthrough Composer of the Year

Nicholas Britell
Simon Franglen
Justin Hurwitz
E Dylan
Daniel Belardinelli
Britell is on the up with scores such as Free State of Jones and Moonlight, watch this space!

Best Original Score for a Drama Film

High Rise – Clint Mansell
The Light Between The Oceans – Alexandre Desplat
Julieta – Alberto Iglasias
Nocturnal Animals – Abel Korzeinowski
Hacksaw Ridge – Rupert Gregson-Williams
Yep that’s right, four of my Top Scores of the Year are in the Best Drama category as well as Best of the Year. Gregson-William’s triumphant score well deserves to be in this category.

Best Original Score for a Comedy Film

The Nice Guys – John Ottman and David Buckley
Dad’s Army – Charlie Mole
Tordenskold & Kold – Henrik Skram
Eddie The Eagle – Matthew Margeson
Swiss Army Man
Anyone who can near perfect score a soundtrack to match the scores of the 70’s is OK in my book.

Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film

The Jungle Book – John Debney
The Magnificent Seven – James Horner & Simon Franglen
The Legend of Tarzan – Rupert Gregson-Williams
Made In France – Robin Coudert
Criminal – Brian Tyler & Keith Power Tussled with the first 2 but Debney’s score is just so luscious in parts!

Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film

Dark Waves [Bellerofonte] – Alexander Cimini
Witch – Marl Korven
Arrival – Johann Johannsson
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them – James Newton Howard
Gods of Egypt – Marco Beltrami
Cimini’s score is simply beautiful.

Best Original Score for an Animated Score

Kubo and the Two Strings – Dario Marianelli
Tortue Rouge – Laurent Perez del Mar
Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom – George Streicher
Ice Age Collision Course – John Debney
Bilal: A New Breed of Hero – Atli Ovarsson
Superb, Kubo is now officially one of my all time favourite animation film scores.

Best Score for a Documentary

1916 The Irish Rebelleion – Patrick Cassidy
The Seventh Fire – Nicholas Britell
Before The Flood – music by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Gustavo
Santaoalla & Mogwai
Ester Blenda – Frid & Frid

Best Original Score for a Television Score

War & Peace
The Night Manager – Victor Reyes
Stranger Things – Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein
House of Cards [Series 4] – Jeff beal
The Crown – Rupert Gregson – Williams