BEST SOUNDTRACK COVERS OF 2020

A different perspecitive on soundtracks – artwork. To be honest if I want the music to a particular soundtrack then I will buy it regardless of it’s cover but it’s always an extra when the artwork appeals. So, in no particular order…

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION 2020 AWARDS

CHRISTOPHER WILLIS WINS SCORE OF THE YEAR FOR THE DICKENSIAN COMEDY “THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD,” CARLOS RAFAEL RIVERA WINS TWO AWARDS FOR HIT TV SERIES “THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT” FEBRUARY 18, 2021 — The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2020, in the…

FILMIC RADIO BEST SCORES OF 2020

Considering the strange year we have just exprienced it was quite a bumber year fror soundtracks, in fact I listened to the most scores ever – a grand total of 340! Whilst several films have had their release dates changed, and in some cases more than once, there was still enough good movie music to…

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

DANIEL PEMBERTON AND HANS ZIMMER RECEIVE FIVE NOMINATIONS EACH COMEDY CATEGORY DOMINATED BY WOMEN COMPOSERS FIRST EVER JAPANESE FILM NOMINATED FOR SCORE OF THE YEAR FEBRUARY 4, 2021. The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2020, for the 17th annual IFMCA Awards. British composer…

A different kind of cast…….

Well, I have been somewhat lax in my blogging but I think I have an excellent reason why …… I have broken my wrist! And of course, it is my right wrist – my dominant hand!! I am either 3 or 5 weeks away from having the cast off depending on how quickly it is…

FILMIC SOUNDTRACK AWARDS 2019

With the awards season more or less at a close, it’s time for me to announce the scores which impressed me the most last year. As per last 2018, I found parts of 2019 difficult in as much as the first half of the year was quite bereft of both films and soundtracks that I…

INTERNATION FILM MUSIC CRITICS AWARDS 2019

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 — The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2019, in the 2019 IFMCA Awards. The award for Score of the Year goes to legendary veteran John Williams for his score for the ninth and final Star Wars film, “The Rise of…

BEST SOUNDTRACK COVERS OF 2020

A different perspecitive on soundtracks – artwork. To be honest if I want the music to a particular soundtrack then I will buy it regardless of it’s cover but it’s always an extra when the artwork appeals. So, in no particular order…

VIVARIUM as befits this comedy/horror where a family are trapped in a labyrinth-like neighborhood, this artwork is spacially unsettling, the forward tilt in particular is nightmarish.
DA 5 BLOODS shows an explosion of colour literally splattered around relating the chaos and horror of war. It’s a cover that you linger on taking in the colours, torn flag and faces.
GHOST OF TSUSHIMA a study in 3 colours, the striking pose and weapons tell you all you need to know.
AM AMERICAN PICKLE so cleverly rendered as an old photograph with an almost unrecognisable Seth Rogen.
DEVS A haunting image to a haunting soundtrack & TV series, the first glance of this huge sculpture is mesmerising.
BAD HAIR Simple but you have to work at this one to get a perspective. The red is the final clue!
FANNY LYE DEILVER’D If I was choosing a favourite this would probably be it, the sparseness, the brilliant typeface. But mostly it’s the stance of the character that draws you in.
MANK – and in my opinion the very worst cover of the 2020 – the cover to Mank! Upon my first view of this cover I had to look at it for a while to try and make some order of it!! The outer blurred images seem unecessary and the positions of the inner images seem manic. All in all – strange but to soften the blow I do love the actual soundtrack!

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION 2020 AWARDS

CHRISTOPHER WILLIS WINS SCORE OF THE YEAR FOR THE DICKENSIAN COMEDY “THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD,” CARLOS RAFAEL RIVERA WINS TWO AWARDS FOR HIT TV SERIES “THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT”

FEBRUARY 18, 2021 — The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2020, in the 2020 IFMCA Awards.

The award for Score of the Year goes to composer Christopher Willis, for his score for the Dickensian comedy “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” directed by Armando Iannucci. In describing the score, IFMCA member Florent Groult called it a “luminous neo-romantic mini symphony,” while his colleague Olivier Desbrosses called it an “inspired score that in no way seeks to hide its many nods to the great masters of classical music,” and features “sensational orchestrations and constant elegance.” Similarly, IFMCA member Jon Broxton said the score was “the music of an idealized England; the contrast between the bustling streets of London and a more languid life in the countryside, the distinct beauty of its sun-kissed fields and its rugged sea shores, the depiction of lords and ladies and gentlemen, scoundrels and thieves, high society and common folk, and the way that this most profound of literary protagonists weaves his way through it all … there is not a dull moment … there is not a moment where Willis is not taking the time to say something interesting with his music – presenting a new theme, a variation on an existing one, or painting a vivid musical picture of this specific time and place.” The score is also named Best Original Score for a Comedy Film. These are the second and third IFMCA Awards of Willis’s career, him having previously won the Comedy award in 2017 for his score for his feature debut “The Death of Stalin”.

Daniel Pemberton is named Composer of the Year, having written acclaimed music for four films in 2019. The most lauded of these were the literary adventure “Enola Holmes,” based on the popular young adult novels by Nancy Springer about the younger sister of the legendary sleuth Sherlock; the political drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which looks at the real-life trial of a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters charged with inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention; and “Rising Phoenix,” an acclaimed documentary following the stories of nine Paralympic athletes. All of these scores were nominated in their respective genre categories. IFMCA member James Southall called Enola Holmes “a great orchestral adventure romp, whose quirks only add to its great sense of fun … fresh and energetic and one of the year’s strongest scores.” Southall also described “The Trial of the Chicago 7” as “at its peak, one of the strongest film scores of the year” while lauding the fact that “Pemberton exercises a lot of restraint, with subtle music highly respectful of the unfolding drama within the film”. This is Pemberton’s first IFMCA win in any category.

Composer Thomas Clay is named Breakthrough Composer of the Year for his work scoring his own film, “Fanny Lye Deliver’d”. Thomas Clay wrote and directed the film as an independent ‘Puritan western’ and then decided to score the film himself after he spent more than a year unsuccessfully attempting to secure a composer. The resulting score is a blend of 16th century period instruments and contemporary dramatic scoring that belies its low-budget status, and is all the more impressive considering the circumstances in which it was composed. IFMCA member John Mansell observed that the score “is similar to that of many Italian-made westerns, with the music becoming part of the action and the storyline, and adding a near operatic feel to the proceedings.” Mansell also praised the score for utilizing “real instruments and vocalists and developed themes throughout, underlining, punctuating, caressing, and at times ingratiating the movie with these. The music is filled with a plethora of colors and textures, one moment being brooding and dark, and then altering its stance and style to purvey a more romantic or melancholy mood.”

The various other genre awards are won by: Tarō Iwashiro for his moving score for the Japanese drama “Fukushima 50,” about the men and women who worked selflessly to make the eponymous nuclear power plant safe after a devastating earthquake; John Powell for his music for the latest adaptation of Jack London’s classic adventure novel “The Call of the Wild”; Hans Zimmer for his action-packed and uplifting score for the sci-fi/fantasy super hero sequel “Wonder Woman 1984”; Bruno Coulais for his music for the beautiful and mystical Irish animated film “Wolfwalkers”; and Steven Price for his score for the important and prescient nature documentary “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet”.

In the non-film categories, composer Carlos Rafael Rivera wins two awards for his score for the critically acclaimed chess-themed TV series “The Queen’s Gambit,” including the prestigious Film Music Composition of the Year award for his spectacular main title theme. In addition, composers Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad win the award for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media for their bold, stirring score for the latest instalment in Medal of Honor series, subtitled “Above and Beyond”.

Spain-based Quartet Records is named Film Music Record Label of the Year for the first time, in recognition their outstanding series of expanded re-releases and re-recordings which in 2020 included titles such as Bernard Herrmann’s “Endless Night,” and Ennio Morricone’s “The Good the Bad and the Ugly”. Producer James Fitzpatrick and Tadlow Music receives the Archival Award for their new recording of Miklós Rózsa’s score for the 1961 biblical epic “King of Kings,” conducted by Nic Raine with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. In the Compilation category, the award goes to producer Bernhard Güttler and the Deutsche Grammophon label for “John Williams in Vienna,” a compilation of classic John Williams film music pieces re-arranged for virtuoso violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, conducted by Williams himself as part of a gala concert featuring the renowned Wiener Philharmoniker Orchestra.

Jon Broxton, Chairman of the IFMCA

The winners are:

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

  • THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD, music by Christopher Willis

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • DANIEL PEMBERTON

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • THOMAS CLAY

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

  • “Main Title” from THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, music by Carlos Rafael Rivera

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

  • FUKUSHIMA 50, music by Tarō Iwashiro

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

  • THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD, music by Christopher Willis

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

  • THE CALL OF THE WILD, music by John Powell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FILM

  • WONDER WOMAN 1984, music by Hans Zimmer

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE

  • WOLFWALKERS, music by Bruno Coulais

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

  • DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: A LIFE ON OUR PLANET, music by Steven Price

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION

  • THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, music by Carlos Rafael Rivera

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

  • MEDAL OF HONOR: ABOVE AND BEYOND, music by Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – RE-RELEASE OR RE-RECORDING

  • KING OF KINGS, music by Miklós Rózsa; the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick; liner notes by Frank K. DeWald and James Fitzpatrick; album art direction by Nic Finch, Gareth Bevan, and James Fitzpatrick (Tadlow Music)

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – COMPILATION

  • JOHN WILLIAMS IN VIENNA, music by John Williams; the Wiener Philharmoniker and Anne-Sophie Mutter conducted by John Williams; album produced by Bernhard Güttler; liner notes by Otta Biba; album art direction by Büro Dirk Rudolph (Deutsche Grammophon)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR

  • QUARTET RECORDS, José M. Benitez

#######################################

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) is an association of online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing and broadcasting about original film, television and game music.

Since its inception the IFMCA has grown to comprise over 65 members from countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Previous IFMCA Score of the Year Awards have been awarded to John Williams’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019, John Powell’s “Solo” in 2018, Jonny Greenwood’s “Phantom Thread” in 2017, Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Arrival” in 2016, John Williams’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015, Hans Zimmer’s “Interstellar” in 2014, Abel Korzeniowski’s “Romeo & Juliet” in 2013, Mychael Danna’s “Life of Pi” in 2012, John Williams’s “War Horse” in 2011, and John Powell’s “How to Train Your Dragon” in 2010.

For more information about the International Film Music Critics Association go to http://www.filmmusiccritics.org, visit our Facebook page, find us on YouTube, follow us on Twitter @ifmca, or contact us at press@filmmusiccritics.org.

FILMIC RADIO BEST SCORES OF 2020

Considering the strange year we have just exprienced it was quite a bumber year fror soundtracks, in fact I listened to the most scores ever – a grand total of 340! Whilst several films have had their release dates changed, and in some cases more than once, there was still enough good movie music to listen to. With cinemas closed streaming platforms upped their game and gave us a fair selection of film releases. Below is my choice of the best scores and the runner’s up!

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

ANNY LYE DELIVER’D by Thomas Clay

Close: Let Them All Talk – Thomas Newman, Enola Holmes – Daniel Pemberton, The Midnight Sky – Alexander Desplat, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Branford Marsalis

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

index

THOMAS CLAY

Close: Thomas Newman, Daniel Pemberton, Branford Marsalis, Lorne Balfe

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

THOMAS CLAY

Close: Christopher Willis, Daniel Pemberton, Emille Moseri, Isobel Waller-Bridge

BEST DRAMA SCORE

FANNY LYE DELIVERE’D by Thomas Clay

Close: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Mank, Bad Education, Jungleand

BEST COMEDY SCORE

Let Them All Talk by Thomas Newman

Close: The Personal History Of David Copperfield – Christopher Willis, Emma – IIsobel Waller-Bridge, Explota Explota- Roque Banos,  Wild Mountain Thyme – Ameilia Walker

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

ENOLOA HOLMES by Daniel Pemberton

Close: The Call  Of The Wild – John Powell , Villain – Aaron May & David Ridley, Pirates Down The Street – Matthijs Kieboom, Mulan –  Harry Gregson-Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FILM

THE MIDNIGHT SKY by Alexandra Desplat

Close: Bad Hair – Kris Bowers,Kelly Rowland & Justin Simien, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story – John Debney, Wonder Woman 1984 – Hans Zimmer, Come Away – John Debney

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FILM

PETS REUNITED by Thomas Newman

CLOSE: Fearless -Anne-Katherine Dern, Wolf Walkers – Bruno Coulais, Kila & Aurora, Petite Vampire – Olivier Daviaud, Trolls World Tour – Theodore Shapiro

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

A LIFE ON OUR PLANET by Steven Price

CLOSE: RisingPhoenix – Daniel Pemberton, Elephant – Ramin Djawadi, Sadan Hanim – George Kallis, Spaceship Earth – Owen Pallett

THE QUEENS GAMBIT by Carlos Rafael Rivera

CLOSE: Devs – Ben Salisbury, The Insects, Geoff Barrow – The Mandalorian S2 – Ludwig Goransson, His Dark Material – Lorne Balfe

BEST ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME SCORE

THE PATHLESS by Austin Wintory

CLOSE: Agos:A Game Of Space – Austin Wintory, Ghost Of Tsushima by Ilan Eshkeri & Shigeru Umebayshi, Ory and the Will of The Wisps, Gareth Coker, Wolcen Lords of Mayhem – Jean-Gabriel Raynaud, Cedric Baravaglio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

  • DANIEL PEMBERTON AND HANS ZIMMER RECEIVE FIVE NOMINATIONS EACH
  • COMEDY CATEGORY DOMINATED BY WOMEN COMPOSERS
  • FIRST EVER JAPANESE FILM NOMINATED FOR SCORE OF THE YEAR

FEBRUARY 4, 2021. The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2020, for the 17th annual IFMCA Awards. British composer Daniel Pemberton and German composer Hans Zimmer lead the field with the most number of nominations, each receiving a total of five.

Pemberton’s nominations were for his work on three films: the literary adventure “Enola Holmes,” based on the popular young adult novels by Nancy Springer about the younger sister of the legendary sleuth Sherlock; the political drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which looks at the real-life trial of a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters charged with inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention; and “Rising Phoenix,” an acclaimed documentary following the stories of nine Paralympic athletes. “Enola Holmes” is nominated for Score of the Year, and Pemberton is nominated for Composer of the Year. IFMCA member James Southall called Enola Holmes “a great orchestral adventure romp, whose quirks only add to its great sense of fun … conventional by recent Pemberton standards but still features a number of quirks and it feels so continually fresh and energetic … one of the year’s strongest scores”.

Zimmer’s five nominations were all for his work on one film, “Wonder Woman 1984,” the blockbuster sequel to the 2017 DC superhero film directed by Patty Jenkins, and starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. The score is nominated for Score of the Year and in its Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror genre, Zimmer is nominated for Composer of the Year, and two of Zimmer’s individual cues – “1984” and “Themyscira” – are nominated for Film Music Composition of the Year. IFMCA member Jon Broxton praised the score’s “upbeat attitude, its buoyant sense of fun and optimism, and the unashamed, un-ironic sincerity of its emotional content,” and said that “the depth and complexity of Zimmer’s thematic ideas makes the score satisfying from an intellectual point of view, meaning that the whole thing succeeds on every count.”

Also nominated for both Score of the Year and Composer of the Year is British composer Christopher Willis, the winner of the IFMCA’s Comedy Score award in 2017. Willis’s score for the Dickensian literary comedy “The Personal History of David Copperfield” was described by IFMCA member Florent Groult as a “luminous neo-romantic mini symphony,” while his colleague Olivier Desbrosses called it an “inspired score that in no way seeks to hide its many nods to the great masters of classical music,” and features “sensational orchestrations and constant elegance.”

The other nominees for Score of the Year are “The Call of the Wild” by British composer John Powell and “Fukushima 50” by Japanese composer Tarō Iwashiro. “The Call of the Wild” is a new adaptation of the classic Jack London adventure novel of the same name, starring Harrison Ford. IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen said that Powell’s score “transcends the stereotypes of Western film music, merging that genre with modern fantasy and adventure sensibilities to form one of the most uniquely satisfying soundtrack experiences of its era.”

Meanwhile, “Fukushima 50” tells the harrowing true story of what happened to the workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and how they risked their lives to stay at the plant and prevent its destruction in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan in 2011. The score by Tarō Iwashiro was described by IFMCA member Joep de Bruijn as being “full of strong orchestral and solo performances, a memorable theme, and a great dramatic scope”. Iwashiro’s nomination in this category represents the first time in IFMCA history that a score from a Japanese film has been included in the five choices for Score of the Year.

The other nominees for Composer of the Year are Federico Jusid and Bear McCreary. Argentine composer Jusid is nominated for his work on several scores across multiple genres, including the Spanish super-hero themed serial killer thriller “Orígenes Secretos” (also nominated in its genre), the romantic drama “El Verano Que Vivimos,” the thriller “No Matarás,” and TV series including “The Head”. American composer McCreary’s work in 2020 includes the animated film “Animal Crackers” (also nominated in its genre), the horror-thrillers “Fantasy Island” and “Freaky,” the espionage action movie “Ava,” and several prestigious continuing television dramas such as “Outlander,” “The Walking Dead,” “Snowpiercer,” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Each year the IFMCA goes out of its way to recognize emerging talent in the film music world, and this year is no exception. The nominees in the Breakthrough Composer of the Year category are a diverse group, and the IFMCA is especially excited to reveal that again two of the five nominees are women. Israeli composer Nami Melumad co-wrote two outstanding scores alongside veteran Michael Giacchino, notably the comedy “An American Pickle” and the video game “Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond,” showcasing her excellence and diversity across multiple genres. Meanwhile, British composer Isobel Waller-Bridge wrote a quintessentially English period score for the latest version of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” combining whimsical orchestral music with bel canto opera and folk tunes. Waller-Bridge, who is also known for her score for the hit TV comedy “Fleabag” created by and starring her sister Phoebe, is nominated for this award alongside her Emma co-composer David Schweitzer.

The final three composers nominated for Breakthrough Composer begin with British composer Alex Baranowski, who wrote outstanding scores for films such as “The Windermere Children” and “A Christmas Carol” after working extensively and successfully in the theater. British filmmaker Thomas Clay wrote and directed an independent ‘Puritan western’ entitled “Fanny Lye Deliver’d,” and then decided to score the film himself after he was unable to secure a composer; the resulting score is a blend of 16th century period instruments and contemporary dramatic scoring that belies its low-budget status, and is all the more impressive considering the circumstances in which it was composed. Finally, American composer Philip Klein wrote a superb score for the war drama “The Last Full Measure,” the first credited work of his career after he spent several years writing additional music and orchestrating for many of Hollywood’s premier composers. Clay’s score for “Fanny Lye Deliver’d” is also nominated individually in the Drama category.

As it has in previous years, the IFMCA takes pride in honoring composers from across the film music world; in addition to the ones already mentioned, this year’s international nominees include French composer Bruno Coulais for the Irish animated film “Wolfwalkers,” and Cypriot composer George Kallis for the Turkish documentary film “Sadan Hanım”.

The IFMCA is also especially pleased to note that the majority of the nominees in the Comedy category were written by women – “An American Pickle” jointly by Nami Melumad with Michael Giacchino, “Emma” jointly by Isobel Waller-Bridge with David Schweitzer, “Godmothered” by Rachel Portman, and “Wild Mountain Thyme” by Amelia Warner. This is the first time in IFMCA history that a single score category has had a female-composer majority, and is testament to the work of organizations such as the Alliance for Women Film Composers (AFWC) and their efforts to redress the gender gap in film music.

Several composers are receiving their first ever IFMCA Award nominations this year in addition to the aforementioned newcomers; these are Terence Blanchard (“Da 5 Bloods,” Drama), Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste (“Soul,” Animation), Laura Karpman and Raphael Saadiq (“Lovecraft Country,” Television), and Shigeru Umebayashi (“Ghost of Tsushima,” Game).

The International Film Music Critics Association will announce the winners of the 17th IFMCA Awards on February 18, 2021.


The nominees are:

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

  • THE CALL OF THE WILD, music by John Powell
  • ENOLA HOLMES, music by Daniel Pemberton
  • FUKUSHIMA 50, music by Tarō Iwashiro
  • THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD, music by Christopher Willis
  • WONDER WOMAN 1984, music by Hans Zimmer

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • FEDERICO JUSID
  • BEAR MCCREARY
  • DANIEL PEMBERTON
  • CHRISTOPHER WILLIS
  • HANS ZIMMER

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • ALEX BARANOWSKI
  • THOMAS CLAY
  • PHILIP KLEIN
  • NAMI MELUMAD
  • ISOBEL WALLER-BRIDGE AND DAVID SCHWEITZER

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

  • DA 5 BLOODS, music by Terence Blanchard
  • FANNY LYE DELIVER’D, music by Thomas Clay
  • FUKUSHIMA 50, music by Tarō Iwashiro
  • NEWS OF THE WORLD, music by James Newton Howard
  • THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, music by Daniel Pemberton

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

  • AN AMERICAN PICKLE, music by Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad
  • EMMA, music by Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer
  • GODMOTHERED, music by Rachel Portman
  • THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD, music by Christopher Willis
  • WILD MOUNTAIN THYME, music by Amelia Warner

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

  • THE CALL OF THE WILD, music by John Powell
  • ENOLA HOLMES, music by Daniel Pemberton
  • MULAN, music by Harry Gregson-Williams
  • ORÍGENES SECRETOS [UNKNOWN ORIGINS], music by Federico Jusid
  • TENET, music by Ludwig Göransson

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FILM

  • THE INVISIBLE MAN, music by Benjamin Wallfisch
  • THE MIDNIGHT SKY, music by Alexandre Desplat
  • WENDY, music by Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin
  • THE WITCHES, music by Alan Silvestri
  • WONDER WOMAN 1984, music by Hans Zimmer

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE

  • ANIMAL CRACKERS, music by Bear McCreary
  • FEARLESS, music by Anne-Kathrin Dern
  • ONWARD, music by Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna
  • SOUL, music by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste
  • WOLFWALKERS, music by Bruno Coulais

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

  • DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: A LIFE ON OUR PLANET, music by Steven Price
  • ELEPHANT, music by Ramin Djawadi
  • HARBOR FROM THE HOLOCAUST, music by Chad Cannon
  • RISING PHOENIX, music by Daniel Pemberton
  • SADAN HANIM, music by George Kallis

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION

  • DRACULA, music by David Arnold and Michael Price
  • HIS DARK MATERIALS, music by Lorne Balfe
  • LOVECRAFT COUNTRY, music by Laura Karpman and Raphael Saadiq
  • THE MANDALORIAN, music by Ludwig Göransson
  • THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, music by Carlos Rafael Rivera

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

  • GHOST OF TSUSHIMA, music by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi
  • MEDAL OF HONOR: ABOVE AND BEYOND, music by Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad
  • ORI AND THE WILL OF THE WISPS, music by Gareth Coker
  • THE PATHLESS, music by Austin Wintory
  • STAR WARS: SQUADRONS, music by Gordy Haab

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – RE-RELEASE OR RE-RECORDING

  • ENDLESS NIGHT, music by Bernard Herrmann; the Basque National Orchestra, conducted by Fernando Velázquez; album produced by Edouard Dubois and José M. Benitez; liner notes by Frank K. DeWald; album art direction by Nacho B. Govantes (Quartet)
  • THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, music by Ennio Morricone; album produced by Chris Malone and José M. Benitez; liner notes by Chris Malone and Tim Greiving; album art direction by Nacho B. Govantes (Quartet)
  • HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, music by John Powell; album produced by John Powell, Batu Sener, Bryon Davis, and Cary E. Mansfield; liner notes by Tim Greiving; album art direction by Bill Pitzonka (Varèse Sarabande/5 Cat Studios)
  • KING OF KINGS, music by Miklós Rózsa; the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatick; liner notes by Frank K. DeWald and James Fitzpatrick; album art direction by Nic Finch and Gareth Bevan (Tadlow Music)
  • ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, music by Michael Kamen; album produced by Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson; liner notes by Frank K. DeWald; album art direction by Kay Marshall (Intrada)

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – COMPILATION

  • FRANZ WAXMAN: THE DOCUMENTARIES, music by Franz Waxman; album produced by Ford A. Thaxton and James Nelson; liner notes by Jon Burlingame; album art direction by Mark Banning (Dragon’s Domain)
  • JOHN WILLIAMS IN VIENNA, music by John Williams; the Wiener Philharmoniker and Anne-Sophie Mutter, conducted by John Williams; album produced by Bernhard Güttler; liner notes by Otta Biba; album art direction by Büro Dirk Rudolph (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • MORRICONE SEGRETO, music by Ennio Morricone; album produced by Pierpaolo De Sanctis; album art direction by Leonardo Pellegrino (Decca)
  • VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, music by Alexander Courage, Robert Drasnin, Jerry Goldsmith, Lennie Hayton, Joseph Mullendore, Nelson Riddle, Paul Sawtell, Herman Stein, and Leith Stevens; album produced by Jeff Bond and Neil S. Bulk; liner notes by Jeff Bond; album art direction by Mark Banning (La-La Land)
  • WORLD SOUNDTRACK AWARDS – TRIBUTE TO THE FILM COMPOSER, music by Various Composers; the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra and Vlaams Radiokoor, conducted by Dirk Brossé; album produced by Thomas Van Parys; liner notes by Thomas Van Parys; album art direction by Stuart Ford (Silva Screen/Film Fest Ghent)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR

  • INTRADA RECORDS, Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson
  • LA-LA LAND RECORDS, MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys
  • MOVIESCORE MEDIA, Mikael Carlsson
  • QUARTET RECORDS, José M. Benitez
  • TADLOW MUSIC, James Fitzpatrick

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

  • “1984” from WONDER WOMAN 1984, music by Hans Zimmer
  • “Buck Takes the Lead” from THE CALL OF THE WILD, music by John Powell
  • “Main Title” from THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, music by Carlos Rafael Rivera
  • “Symphonic Suite F – 1st Chapter: All Life” from FUKUSHIMA 50, music by Tarō Iwashiro
  • “Themyscira” from WONDER WOMAN 1984, music by Hans Zimmer

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) is an association of online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing and broadcasting about original film, television and game music.

Since its inception the IFMCA has grown to comprise over 65 members from countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Previous IFMCA Score of the Year Awards have been awarded to John Williams’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019, John Powell’s “Solo” in 2018, Jonny Greenwood’s “Phantom Thread” in 2017, Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Arrival” in 2016, John Williams’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015, Hans Zimmer’s “Interstellar” in 2014, Abel Korzeniowski’s “Romeo & Juliet” in 2013, Mychael Danna’s “Life of Pi” in 2012, John Williams’s “War Horse” in 2011, and John Powell’s “How to Train Your Dragon” in 2010.

FILMIC RADIO SHOW – September 2020

filmiccoversept2020-3

Well… it has been a while since I published in my blog – all due to breaking my wrist in May. After many months of physio I am able to commence with doing what I like best – listening, broadcasting and writing about film soundtracks. Click here for this month’s show: http://www.cinematicsound.net/filmic-with-ley-bricknell-episode-4/

It’s also available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Here is this month’s playlist:                 

TRACK                          COMPOSER                         FILM

Pirates Never Fight Fair

Matthijs Kierboom Pirates DownThe Street
Fate On the Lucky Star Andrew Orkin Lucky Grandma
Villain Aaron May & David Ridley Villain
Scare Or Snare Ian Taylor/Julian Surma/Aston Mills Rune Scape:Land Out Of Time
Bloods Go Into Jungle Terence Blanchard Da 5 Bloods
Suicide Is Painless Michael Altman MASH
Main Title Johnny Mandel I Want To Live
Symphonic Suite F-2nd Chapter: A Gift Taro Iwashiro FukuShima 50
You Only Live Twice JohnBarry/Beulahbelle Used in Tully
Awakening Arkadius Rykpwski Kholat
The Burning Forest Arkadious Rykpwski Kholat
Main Title Theme aand Theme:Gabriel Angelo Milli Resistance
Crossing The Border Angelo Milli Resistance
You Are Not Alone Atli Ovarsson/Rickard Goransson Euro Song Comeption:The Story Of Fire Saga       
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

A different kind of cast…….

Well, I have been somewhat lax in my blogging but I think I have an excellent reason why …… I have broken my wrist! And of course, it is my right wrist – my dominant hand!! I am either 3 or 5 weeks away from having the cast off depending on how quickly it is healing.

Life is slow and exhausting as doing the most simple of things brings on a tsunami of frustration. However I am currently sorting out tracks for my next Filmic show, so stick with me, and if you want to tease, why not suggest tracks from movie scores that allude to plaster casts or broken bones?

I look forward to hearing from you.

images

 

FILMIC RADIO SHOW – April 2020

Untitled.jpegI am now nicely settled and very warmly welcomed into my new recording home at http://www.cinematicsound.net/ and this is my second show of the year. Moving to this fab network has been the main reason for not posting anything for a while, had to make some changes but all done now.

This first 3 months of this year have been pretty good for soundtrack releases, especially in the documentary category. Here are some I can highly recommend:

Dolphin Reef – Steven Price   Elephant – Ramin Djawadi   Stuffed – Ben Lovett –  Les Ailes Pourpres – Steve McLaughlin & The Cinematic Orchestra – Melville, Le Dernier Samourai – Eric Demarsan.

Here is the playlist to this month’s show, I am always open to requests so please do contact me filmicradio@gmail.com. The show can be heard on most streaming platforms and direct from the Cinematic Sound Radio link above.

Shankara Re Shankara Ardarsh Shinde Tanhaji:The Unsung Warrior
Measuring Locks David Hirschfelder Escape From Pretoria
Rough Dancing Sally Potter The Roads Not Taken
Dance Suite Roy Webb Notorious
Kwolock’s Malaise Gareth Coker Ori & The Will Of The Wisps
Kwolock’s Throne Room Gareth Coker Ori & The Will Of The Wisps
Opening Robert Glasper The Photograph
Unceasing Carlo Rustichelli Il Ragazzo Che Sorride
Mbouma Roque Banos Adu
A Traves de Africa Roque Banos Adu
Born Free John Barry Born Free [Movieola]
Enticelle Evgueni & Sacha Galperine Radioactive
Inventions For John Ennio Morricone A Fistful Of Dynamite
March of the Beggars Ennio Morricone               A Fistful Of Dynamite
Treasure Ceremony Christopher Wong, Ian Rees, Garrett Crosby The Royal Bride
Franta’s Theme Kristian Sensini All Against All
Guilty Secrets Kristian Sensini All Against All
Snow Volker Bertleman Downhill
Roof Snow Dump Volker Bertleman Downhill
Bernards’ Theme H Scott Salinas The Banker
Matt Get’s It H Scott Salinas The Banker
Dance For Me Wallis Abel Korzeniowski W.E.

 

FILMIC SOUNDTRACK AWARDS 2019

With the awards season more or less at a close, it’s time for me to announce the scores which impressed me the most last year. As per last 2018, I found parts of 2019 difficult in as much as the first half of the year was quite bereft of both films and soundtracks that I liked so thank goodness it got going for the remainder of the year!

This year I  have added scores [per category] which I feel should get a mention.

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

JOKER_Sdtk_Cover_02_3000px_RGB_300dpiJoker – Hildur Gudnadottir 

CLOSE: 1917, Little Women/Star Wars/The Rise Of Skywalker

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

bear-mccrearyBear McCreary

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

Wow, McCreary’s output in 2019 was phenomenal and each score was really good: Eli/Child’s Play/Outlander [series 4]/Godzilla: King Of The Monsters/Rim Of The World/The Professor And The Mad Man/ Happy Death Day 2.

BOBBY KRILIC

Bobby Krilic [Minsommer]

BEST DRAMA SCORE

HildurJoker – Hildur Gudnadottir

           CLOSE: The Professor And The Mad Man/A Hidden Life/Motherless Brooklyn

BEST COMEDY SCORE

Henri PickLe Mystere Henri Pik – Laurent Perez Del Mar

CLOSE: Blanche Comme Neige/Dolemite Is My Name

BEST SCORE ACTION ADVENTURE/ADVENTURE/THRILLER SCORE

1917 cover

1917 – Thomas Newman

CLOSE: The Man Who Killed Bigfoot and Then Hitler

BEST SCIENCE FICTION SCORE

Godzilla

Godzilla – Bear McCreary

BEST HORROR SCORE

Midsommer

Midsommer – Bobby Krilic

CLOSE: Us – Michael Abels

BEST ANIMATION SCORE

external-content.duckduckgo.com

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – John Powell

CLOSE: Miniscule: Les Mandibules Du Bout Du Monde

BEST SCORE FOR DOCUMENTARY

61Y98ESBBLL._SS500_

Our Planet – Steven Price

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION

Chernobylcover-820x600

Chernobyl – Hildur Gudnadottir

BEST VIDEO GAME SCORE

Erica

Erica – Austin Wintory

Close: A Plaugue Tale: Innocence

BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE

dialM

Dial M For Murder – Dimitri Tiomkin

BEST MUSIC COMPOSITION (CUE) OF THE YEAR

THomas Newman

The Night Window from 1917 by Thomas Newman

CLOSE: A Hidden Life from A Hidden Life

INTERNATION FILM MUSIC CRITICS AWARDS 2019

IFMCA WINNERS

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 — The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2019, in the 2019 IFMCA Awards.

The award for Score of the Year goes to legendary veteran John Williams for his score for the ninth and final Star Wars film, “The Rise of Skywalker,” which concluded the sequel trilogy of adventures about the scavenger Rey, heroic former Stormtrooper Finn, and Kylo Ren, the leader of the Imperial First Order. The film is directed by J.J Abrams, and stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Adam Driver. In describing the score, IFMCA member James Southall described “The Rise of Skywalker” as ‘one last brilliant piece of musical adventure to call time on his signature work … a triumphant conclusion to an extraordinary musical saga,’ and also said that ‘it’s simply impossible to overstate Williams’s contribution to the series’ success’. The score is also named Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film, while the main theme “The Rise of Skywalker” is named Film Music Composition of the Year.

The IFMCA has also chosen to bestow a Special Award on Williams, primarily in recognition of his near-unparalleled achievement in scoring the 9-movie saga that began with the original Star Wars film in 1977. IFMCA member Jon Broxton opined that ‘no-one has achieved the holy triumvirate of musical excellence, peer respect, and pop culture recognition the way that John Williams has,’ and described the entire Star Wars saga as ‘works of staggering genius and beauty … his Ring Cycle, the work that will define his life and his legacy, a nine-movement 25-hour masterpiece of enduring musical brilliance that has taken a full 42 years to come to fruition’. Williams is, of course, the composer of other such landmark works as “Jaws,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Schindler’s List,” among many other classics.

The IFMCA Roberto Aschieri Special Award, which is named in memory of the IFMCA member from Argentina who died in 2017, is not awarded every year, and is only given to projects or individuals that the membership deems worthy of significant recognition outside of the ‘regular’ IFMCA categories. These are the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th IFMCA Award wins of Williams’s career; he previously won Score of the Year awards for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015, “War Horse” in 2011, and “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005.

Bear McCreary is named Composer of the Year, having written music for an astonishing six films and four television series in 2019. The most lauded of these were “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “The Professor and the Madman”, both of which were nominated in their respective genre categories. Regarding Godzilla, IFMCA member Florent Groult noted that McCreary ‘takes up [existing themes] with great passion and turns them into a score that is massive and fantastic,’ while IFMCA member Randall Larson called it the score a ‘supremely impressive musical conception rich in agitato gestures and textured in dark, flaring colors; a magnificent work that will stay in memory for a long time’. McCreary’s other work in 2020 included the horror sequel “Happy Death Day 2U,” the children’s adventure “Rim of the World,” the reboot of “Child’s Play,” and the horror film “Eli,” as well as the TV shows “The Walking Dead,” “See,” and “Proven Innocent”. This is McCreary’s first Composer of the Year win, having previously won IFMCA awards in the TV category for “Battlestar Galactica” and “Human Target,” and in the Video Game category for “God of War”.

British composer Nainita Desai is named Breakthrough Composer of the Year, having enjoyed the most high-profile year of her career to date by far in 2019. Desai especially impressed members with her spectacular, colorful score for the nature film “Untamed Romania,” which was nominated in the Documentary category. IFMCA member Charlie Brigden called Untamed Romania ‘an impressive score that instantly grabs you in its talons and takes you on a swift journey,’ while IFMCA member Steven Kennedy called Desai herself ‘a rising voice in the film music scene’. Her other scores in 2019 included the Oscar-nominated Syrian civil war documentary “For Sama,” the Anglo-Indian thriller “Darkness Visible”, the WWII-set action drama “Enemy Within”, and the video game “Telling Lies”.

The various other genre awards are won by: Alexandre Desplat for his sumptuous score for the period literary drama “Little Women”; Michael Giacchino for his music for director Taika Waititi’s satirical Nazi-era comedy “Jojo Rabbit”; Thomas Newman for his spectacular musical contribution to the World War I action-drama “1917”; John Powell for his music for the third and final entry in the How to Train Your Dragon series, “The Hidden World”; and Steven Price for his expansive orchestral score for the nature documentary “Our Planet”.

In the non-film categories, composer Hildur Guðnadóttir won for her innovative score for the critically acclaimed TV series “Chernobyl,” while composer Neal Acree wins the award for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media for his dynamic, imposing score for the action-adventure survival game “Rend”.

Burbank, California-based La-La Land Records is named Film Music Record Label of the Year, recognition their ongoing excellence in restoring and releasing the most beloved film scores of the past. Producers Roger Feigelson and Douglas Fake of Intrada Records receive the Archival Award for their new recording of Dimitri Tiomkin’s classic score for the 1954 noir thriller “Dial M for Murder,” conducted by William Stromberg with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In the Compilation category, the award goes to producer Bernhard Güttler of the Deutsche Grammophon label for “Across the Stars,” a new compilation of classic John Williams film music pieces re-arranged for virtuoso violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, conducted by Williams himself with the Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles.

The winners are:

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

  • STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, music by John Williams

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • BEAR McCREARY

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • NAINITA DESAI

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

  • LITTLE WOMEN, music by Alexandre Desplat

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

  • JOJO RABBIT, music by Michael Giacchino

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

  • 1917, music by Thomas Newman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FILM

  • STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, music by John Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE

  • HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD, music by John Powell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

  • OUR PLANET, music by Steven Price

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION

  • CHERNOBYL, music by Hildur Guðnadóttir

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

  • REND, music by Neal Acree

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – RE-RELEASE OR RE-RECORDING

  • DIAL M FOR MURDER, music by Dimitri Tiomkin; The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by William Stromberg; album produced by Douglass Fake; liner notes by Roger Feigelson and Douglas Fake; art direction by Kay Marshall (Intrada)

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – COMPILATION

  • ACROSS THE STARS, music by John Williams; The Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles and Anne-Sophie Mutter, conducted by John Williams; album produced by Bernhard Güttler; liner notes by Jon Burlingame; art direction by Büro Dirk Rudolph (Deutsche Grammophon)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR

  • LA LA LAND RECORDS, MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

  • “The Rise of Skywalker” from STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, music by John Williams

THE ROBERTO ASCHERI SPECIAL AWARD

  • JOHN WILLIAMS, for career achievement

******************************

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) is an association of online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing and broadcasting about original film, television and game music.

Since its inception the IFMCA has grown to comprise over 65 members from countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Previous IFMCA Score of the Year Awards have been awarded to John Powell’s “Solo” in 2018, Jonny Greenwood’s “Phantom Thread” in 2017, Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Arrival” in 2016, John Williams’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015, Hans Zimmer’s “Interstellar” in 2014, Abel Korzeniowski’s “Romeo & Juliet” in 2013, Mychael Danna’s “Life of Pi” in 2012, John Williams’s “War Horse” in 2011, John Powell’s “How to Train Your Dragon” in 2010, Michael Giacchino’s “Up” in 2009, Alexandre Desplat’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” in 2008, Dario Marianelli’s “Atonement” in 2007, James Newton Howard’s “Lady in the Water” in 2006, John Williams’s “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005, and Michael Giacchino’s “The Incredibles” in 2004.

For more information about the International Film Music Critics Association go to http://www.filmmusiccritics.org, visit our Facebook page, find us on YouTube, follow us on Twitter @ifmca, or contact us at press@filmmusiccritics.org.