INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION 2020 AWARDS

February 19, 2021February 19, 2021 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ Leave a comment

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

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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

February 6, 2021February 6, 2021 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ Leave a comment

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

FILMIC SOUNDTRACK AWARDS 2019

February 24, 2020March 18, 2020 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ 2 Comments

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_300dpi Joker – Hildur Gudnadottir

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

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

bear-mccreary Bear 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

Hildur Joker – Hildur Gudnadottir

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

BEST COMEDY SCORE

Henri Pick Le 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

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

CLOSE: Miniscule: Les Mandibules Du Bout Du Monde

BEST SCORE FOR DOCUMENTARY

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Our Planet – Steven Price

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION

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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

February 20, 2020February 20, 2020 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ Leave a comment

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

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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.

Hildur Gudnadottir – Congratulations

February 11, 2020 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ 1 Comment

Awards left to right:

Society of Composers and Lyricists/Bafta/Critics Choice/Emmy/Golden Globe/Oscar

Her surname may be unpronounceable to many but the award-winning success of her terrific score for Joker cannot be ignored. You either hate and dismiss it or like me, think it is one of the best ever and embrace it. It would seem that there is no middle ground with this one and thankfully it also seems the cheers outnumbered the boos.

Joker is a soundtrack for the age, and at last, firmly signals that a score does not have to be symphonic or melodic. Above all else what it does have to be/do is fit the film like a glove. I am not saying that the film itself would not have received the plaudits it has if Icelandic composer Hildur Gudnadottir had not done the score, Joaquin Phoenix alone would have elevated this film as would the inclusive direction of Todd Phillips. The score was another character playing a vital and unforgettable role namely the echo of all that was happening inside Joker’s fractured mind.

I saw the film in a packed cinema, at the end we all slowly shuffled out and not one single person said a word for quite a while. It had high impact and for me, being a soundtrack enthusiast for many years, her closing music stayed in my head for some time. Imagine watching the film without Gudnadottir’s participation, it would be difficult to imagine such is the symbiotic nature of her composition.

Over the past few weeks, I have read many comments about ‘why is she winning awards for her work – for Joker and her superb score for the TV series Chernobyl. It has been uncomfortable to read at times. I am sure some of it is down to the usual age-old question- ‘is this music or just noise’? ‘Well it’s much more than noise, it’s a state of mind and that’s exactly what this film was all about. The tortured and twisted mind of a comic book character who is reacting to the evils of a society in a world we are all aware of. Serious stuff that needed a serious slug of music to enhance Joker’s breakdown [or transference].

Another reason I write is to applaud the sheer number of Awards Gudnadottir has garnered, not just the ones I have mentioned but numerous others, plus we cannot ignore the history that’s been made. She is the first woman to win in the best original score category since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences combined all of the score categories into one in 2000.

And she is one of only seven women to be nominated in any score composition category, only three have won. Previously, Marilyn Bergman won an Oscar for composing for “Yentl” alongside Michel Legrand and Alan Bergman, Rachel Portman won for “Emma” and Anne Dudley won for “The Full Monty.”

After thanking her family and collaborators, Hildur ended her Oscar acceptance speech by saying “To the girls, to the women, to the mothers, to the daughters who hear the music bubbling within: please, speak up. We need to hear your voices.”

WELL DONE HILDUR!

https://www.hildurness.com/

IFMCA Award Nominations 2019

February 6, 2020 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ Leave a comment

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD

NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

HILDUR GUÐNADÓTTIR RECEIVES FIVE NOMINATIONS; MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS FOR ALEXANDRE DESPLAT, BEAR McCREARY, THOMAS NEWMAN, JOHN WILLIAMS.

FEBRUARY 6, 2020. The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2019, for the 16th annual IFMCA Awards. For the first time in IFMCA history a female composer leads the field, with Icelandic composer and cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir receiving five separate nominations for her work on the critically acclaimed comic-book drama “Joker,” and for the devastating HBO television series “Chernobyl”. These are the first nominations for Guðnadóttir, who is nominated in the categories for Film Score of the Year, Composer of the Year, Drama Score, Television Score, and Film Music Composition of the Year. IFMCA member James Southall was particularly complimentary about “Joker,” describing it as having ‘complexity in its extraordinary emotional depth,’ and calling it a ‘primal’ score which ‘made him think’.

Also nominated for both Score of the Year and Composer of the Year are veteran composers Alexandre Desplat, Thomas Newman, and John Williams. French composer Desplat’s most lauded score of 2019 is the one he wrote for director Greta Gerwig’s new adaption of the classic American novel “Little Women,” which is also nominated for Drama Score. IFMCA member Jon Broxton said that the score ‘overflows with gorgeous orchestrations, sublime instrumental combinations, and harmonies,’ and has ‘a dramatic sense of freedom and movement, effortless elegance, and lush emotional content’. Desplat’s other major scores in 2019 include the French drama “Adults in the Room,” the animated sequel “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” and director Roman Polanski’s look at the Dreyfus Affair of 1906 in “J’accuse”. Desplat previously won the IFMCA Score of the Year award in 2008 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.

American Thomas Newman receives his nominations mostly for his work on director Sam Mendes’s epic World War I action-drama “1917,” which is also nominated for Action/Adventure/Thriller Score and Film Music Composition of the Year. IFMCA member Daniel Schweiger called the score ‘a musical experience unlike any other’ that brings ‘the war to end all wars to daringly creative, and dramatically impactful musical life.’ Also in 2019, Newman wrote music for the Netflix drama “The Highwaymen,” which explores the Bonnie & Clyde story from a different perspective, and the biopic “Tolkien,” which is another WWI movie, albeit one that specifically looks at the wartime experiences of the author of The Lord of the Rings.

The legendary John Williams, who turns 88 next week, wrote the final installment in the Star Wars saga, “The Rise of Skywalker,” and in doing so completed a 40-year film music project spanning nine movies that may never be equaled in the history of cinema. The score, which is also nominated for Fantasy/SciFi/Horror Score and Film Music Composition of the Year, is described by IFMCA member James Southall as ‘one last brilliant piece of musical adventure to call time on his signature work … a triumphant conclusion to an extraordinary musical saga,’ who also said that ‘it’s simply impossible to overstate Williams’s contribution to the series’ success’. In a similar vein, 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 has three prior IFMCA Score of the Year wins, for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015, “War Horse” in 2011, and “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005.

The fifth nominee for Score of the Year is Englishman John Powell’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” the third and final entry in the series of well-loved animated films based on the novels by Cressida Cowell. IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen said the score was ‘a satisfying conclusion to an incredible trilogy of music’ and noted that Powell’s work, led by three exuberant main themes of friendship and flying, has ‘become recognizable to children worldwide and has developed into the most famous musical anthem’ from any DreamWorks pictures. Powell previously won the IFMCA Score of the Year awards in 2018 for “Solo” and in 2010 for the original “How to Train Your Dragon”.

The fifth nominee for Composer of the Year is American composer Bear McCreary, who wrote music for an astonishing six films and four television series in 2019. The most lauded of these are “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, which is nominated in the Fantasy-SciFi-Horror category, and “The Professor and the Madman”, which is nominated in the Drama category. IFMCA member Florent Groult noted that McCreary ‘takes up [existing Godzilla themes] with great passion and turns them into a score that is massive and fantastic,’ while IFMCA member Randall Larson called it 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 2019 includes “Happy Death Day 2U,” “Rim of the World,” the reboot of “Child’s Play,” and “Eli,” as well as the TV shows “The Walking Dead,” “See,” and “Proven Innocent”. This is McCreary’s first Composer of the Year nomination and his first IFMCA nominations outside the TV and Video Game categories.

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 two of the five nominees are women. British composer Nainita Desai impressed members with her spectacular, colorful score for the nature film “Untamed Romania,” which is also nominated in the Documentary category, as well as her scores for the Syrian civil war documentary “For Sama,” among others. Meanwhile, French composer Anne-Sophie Versnaeyen wrote a beautiful score for the nature documentary “Chambord,” having spent many years working as an orchestrator and arranger in French cinema for composers such as Alexandre Desplat and Guillaume Roussel.

The final three composers nominated for Breakthrough Composer are British electronic composer Bobby Krlic, whose work on the disturbing horror film “Midsommar” earned many plaudits; French composer Mathieu Lamboley, who wrote a broad and expressive orchestral score for the animated film “Minuscule: Les Mandibules du Bout du Monde”; and German Christoph Zirngibl, whose music for the documentary feature “Finis Terrae” was rich and detailed in its musical exploration of big topics like faith and global politics.

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 several from France (Bruno Coulais for “Blanche Comme Neige” in Comedy, Laurent Perez Del Mar for “Le Mystère Henri Pick” in Comedy, and Dan Levy for “I Lost My Body” in Animation), Spanish composers Arturo Cardelús (“Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles,” Animation) and Carlos Martín Jara (“Sordo: The Silent War,” Action/Adventure/Thriller), Japanese composer Naoki Sato (“Masquerade Hotel,” Action/Adventure/Thriller), and another Frenchman, this time scoring a movie from Sweden – Nathaniel Méchaly for “Eld & Lågor” aka “Swoon” in Comedy.

Several other composers are receiving their first-ever IFMCA Award nominations this year in addition to the aforementioned Cardelús, Levy, Martín, and Méchaly, including Scott Bomar (“Dolemite Is My Name,” Comedy), Gordy Haab (“Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,” Game), Samuel Sim (“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,” Television), and Nathan Whitehead (“Days Gone,” Game).

The International Film Music Critics Association will announce the winners of the 16th IFMCA Awards on February 20, 2020.

The nominees are:

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

1917, music by Thomas Newman
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD, music by John Powell
JOKER, music by Hildur Guðnadóttir
LITTLE WOMEN, music by Alexandre Desplat
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, music by John Williams

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
HILDUR GUÐNADÓTTIR
BEAR McCREARY
THOMAS NEWMAN
JOHN WILLIAMS

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

NAINITA DESAI
BOBBY KRLIC
MATHIEU LAMBOLEY
ANNE-SOPHIE VERSNAEYEN
CHRISTOPH ZIRNGIBL

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

A HIDDEN LIFE, music by James Newton Howard
JOKER, music by Hildur Guðnadóttir
LITTLE WOMEN, music by Alexandre Desplat
MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN, music by Daniel Pemberton
THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN, music by Bear McCreary

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

BLANCHE COMME NEIGE/WHITE AS SNOW, music by Bruno Coulais
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, music by Scott Bomar
ELD & LÅGOR/SWOON, music by Nathaniel Méchaly
JOJO RABBIT, music by Michael Giacchino
LE MYSTÈRE HENRI PICK, music by Laurent Perez Del Mar

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

1917, music by Thomas Newman
DUMBO, music by Danny Elfman
THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT, music by Joe Kraemer
MASQUERADE HOTEL, music by Naoki Sato
SORDO: THE SILENT WAR, music by Carlos Martín Jara

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

AVENGERS: ENDGAME, music by Alan Silvestri
GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS, music by Bear McCreary
MIDSOMMAR, music by Bobby Krlic
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, music by John Williams
US, music by Michael Abels

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE

BUÑUEL IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE TURTLES, music by Arturo Cardelús
FROZEN II, music by Christophe Beck
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD, music by John Powell
J’AI PERDU MON CORPS/I LOST MY BODY, music by Dan Levy
MINISCULE: LES MANDIBULES DU BOUT DU MONDE, music by Mathieu Lamboley

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM, music by Jeff Beal
CYBER WORK AND THE AMERICAN DREAM, music by Chad Cannon
FINIS TERRAE, music by Christoph Zirngibl
OUR PLANET, music by Steven Price
UNTAMED ROMANIA, music by Nainita Desai

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION

CHERNOBYL, music by Hildur Guðnadóttir
THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE, music by Daniel Pemberton and Samuel Sim
GOOD OMENS, music by David Arnold
HIS DARK MATERIALS, music by Lorne Balfe
THE ORVILLE, music by John Debney, Joel McNeely, and Andrew Cottee

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

DAYS GONE, music by Nathan Whitehead
ERICA, music by Austin Wintory
A PLAGUE TALE: INNOCENCE, music by Olivier Derivière
REND, music by Neal Acree
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER, music by Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton

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

AIR FORCE ONE, music by Jerry Goldsmith; album produced by Cary E. Mansfield and Bryon Davis; liner notes by Daniel Schweiger; art direction by Mark Shoolery and Bill Pitzonka (Varèse Sarabande)
APOLLO 13, music by James Horner; album produced by Mike Matessino; liner notes by John Takis; art direction by Kay Marshall (Intrada)
THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, music by Franz Waxman; album produced by Mike Matessino; liner notes by Frank K. DeWald and John Waxman; art direction by Dan Goldwasser (La La Land)
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 Douglass Fake; art direction by Kay Marshall (Intrada)
DRACULA/THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, music by James Bernard; The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick; liner notes by David Huckvale; art direction by Nic Finch (Tadlow)

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)
THE DISASTER MOVIE SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION, music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino; liner notes by Jeff Bond and Jon Burlingame; art direction by Jim Titus (La La Land)
MARCO BELTRAMI: MUSIC FOR FILM, music by Marco Beltrami; The Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dirk Brossé; album produced by Film Fest Gent; liner notes by Patrick Duynslaegher and Raf Butstraen; art direction by Stuart Ford (Silva Screen)
NEVADA SMITH: THE PARAMOUNT WESTERNS COLLECTION, music by Various Composers; album produced by John Takis and Frank K. DeWald; liner notes by John Takis and Frank K. DeWald; art direction by Dan Goldwasser (La La Land)
PLANET OF THE APES: THE ORIGINAL FILM SERIES SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION, music by Jerry Goldsmith, Leonard Rosenman, and Tom Scott; album produced by Mike Matessino and Neil S. Bulk; liner notes by Mike Matessino and Jeff Bond; art direction by Dan Goldwasser (La La Land)

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
MUSIC BOX RECORDS, Cyril Durand-Roger and Laurent Lafarge
QUARTET RECORDS, Jose M. Benitez

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

“A Hidden Life” from A HIDDEN LIFE, music by James Newton Howard
“Call Me Joker” from JOKER, music by Hildur Guðnadóttir
“Portals” from AVENGERS: ENDGAME, music by Alan Silvestri
“The Night Window” from 1917, music by Thomas Newman
“The Rise of Skywalker” from STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, music by John Williams

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.

FILMIC SOUNDTRACK AWARDS 2018

February 23, 2019 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ Leave a comment

With the awards season nearing the end it’s time to declare my favourite soundtracks of last year. 2018 was a mixed year of highs and lows, for some reason I didn’t get to listen to a lot of non-UK & USA scores so I’m making this a priority for 2019 as best I can. What was a delight was the return of the synth score [see Best Comedy Score below], a fun throwback to the scores of the ’70s and early ’80s!

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FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR
VICE – Nicholas Britell

BEST DRAMA SCORE
VICE – Nicholas Britell

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BEST COMEDY SCORE
VIDEOMAN – Waveshaper/Robert Parker

Kingof theives

BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER SCORE
KING OF THIEVES – Benjamin Wallfisch

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BEST FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR SCORE
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS – James Newton Howard

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BEST ANIMATION SCORE
MAX AND ME – Mark McKenzie

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BEST DOCUMENTARY SCORE
DYNASTIES – Benji Merrison& Will Slater

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BEST TV SCORE
PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK – Cezary Skubiszewski

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BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE
THE BRIDE WORE BLACK – Bernard Herrmann/Producer Jose M.Benitez

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BEST CUE OF THE YEAR

THE LANDING from first Man – Justin Hurwitz

The International Film Music Critics Association 2018 Awards

February 21, 2019 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ Leave a comment

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2018 IFMCA AWARDS; “SOLO” TAKES SCORE OF THE YEAR, MULTIPLE WINS FOR JOHN POWELL, JAMES NEWTON HOWARD

FEBRUARY 21, 2018 — The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2018, in the 2018 IFMCA Awards.

The award for Score of the Year goes to British composer John Powell for his score for the Star Wars spin-off story “Solo,” which looked at the early life of the legendary rogue and intergalactic smuggler Han Solo. The film was directed by Ron Howard, and starred Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, and Donald Glover. In describing the score, IFMCA members Asier Senarriaga and Óscar Giménez called Solo “a spectacular score that combines the classic ideas of Williams with the talent of Powell,” and proclaimed it “the score of the year,” while IFMCA member Jon Broxton – speaking about the score’s multitude of recurring character themes – said that the way Powell “incorporates all the thematic complexity into his score is masterful, but best of all is the way he allows them to develop organically; this is not just a rigid leitmotif score where mathematics trumps emotion. Instead, Powell engages in sensible and appropriate development, meaning that when the emotional outbursts do come, they pack a real wallop, and satisfy both the heart and the brain in equal measure.”

The score is also named Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film, while John Williams’s contribution to the score, the standalone piece “The Adventures of Han,” is named Film Music Composition of the Year. These are the seventh and eighth IFMCA Award wins of Powell’s career; he previously won the Score of the Year award for “How to Train Your Dragon” in 2010.

James Newton Howard is named Composer of the Year, and takes home the award for Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film for his work on the controversial Jennifer Lawrence Cold War spy thriller “Red Sparrow,” for which he wrote an astonishingly powerful classical overture for the film’s opening ballet sequence, as well as some intense action and suspense music. IFMCA member Mihnea Manduteanu described Red Sparrow as “beautiful and passionate” and “melodic and furious”.

Howard’s other work in 2018 was just as outstanding, and included the second Harry Potter spinoff film “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” and the lavish fantasy “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” which was inspired by Tchaikovsky’s seminal ballet. IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen called Fantastic Beasts an “accomplished and mature fantasy score” which “sits comfortably with Howard’s accomplished genre works and competes favorably for a place amongst 2018’s best scores.” These are the ninth and tenth IFMCA Awards of Howard’s career. He previously received IFMCA Score of the Year honors in 2006 for “The Lady in the Water”.

British composer Amelia Warner is named Breakthrough Composer of the Year for her enormously impressive mainstream debut work scoring the literary drama based on the life of the groundbreaking horror author “Mary Shelley”. IFMCA member Peter Simons said that Mary Shelley was “a wonderful score … mesmerizing … unlike anything I’ve heard in a long time, if ever. The use of synth and vocals over strings and piano is just exquisite. There is always something interesting going on, either melodically or aurally … it’s one of the most exciting scores of the year”.

The various other genre awards are won by Max Richter for his classically-inspired music for the historical drama “Mary Queen of Scots”; Marc Shaiman for his loving, nostalgic homage to Walt Disney and the Sherman Brothers on the comedy musical sequel “Mary Poppins Returns”; Mark McKenzie for his spectacularly beautiful, reverent score for the Mexican animated film “Max and Me”; and Pinar Toprak for her broad, adventurous, expansive orchestral score for the yacht-racing documentary “Tides of Fate”. With this win Toprak is now the only person with more than two IFMCA Award nominations to win every time she has been nominated – her previous wins were for “The Lightkeepers” (Comedy, 2010) and “The Wind Gods” (Documentary, 2011).

In the non-film categories, composer Christopher Lennertz wins the award for Best Original Score for a Television Series for his bold, exciting score for the rebooted version of the classic sci-fi series “Lost in Space,” while composer Bear McCreary wins the award for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media for his thrilling score for the action adventure game “God of War”.

Burbank, California-based La-La Land Records is named Film Music Record Label of the Year in recognition of their ongoing excellence in restoring and releasing the most beloved film scores of the past. Acclaimed album producer Mike Matessino receives both Archival Awards: one for his work restoring and releasing John Williams’s classic score for the 1979 Frank Langella version of “Dracula” on the Varèse Sarabande label, and one for his work in putting together the lavish box set of John Williams’s three Harry Potter scores – “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” – for La-La Land Records. Producer Robert Townson shares the award for Dracula, and album artist Jim Titus worked on both releases.

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COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

SOLO, music by John Powell

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

AMELIA WARNER

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

“The Adventures of Han” from SOLO, written by John Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, music by Max Richter

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

MARY POPPINS RETURNS, music by Marc Shaiman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

RED SPARROW, music by James Newton Howard

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

SOLO, music by John Powell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FILM

MAX AND ME, music by Mark McKenzie

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

TIDES OF FATE, music by Pinar Toprak

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A TELEVISION SERIES

LOST IN SPACE, music by Christopher Lennertz

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

GOD OF WAR, music by Bear McCreary

BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE – NEW RELEASE OR NEW RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE

DRACULA, music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino and Robert Townson; liner notes by Mike Matessino; art direction by Jim Titus (Varèse Sarabande)

BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE – COMPILATION

HARRY POTTER: THE JOHN WILLIAMS SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION; music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino; liner notes by Mike Matessino; art direction by Jim Titus (La-La Land)

FILM MUSIC LABEL OF THE YEAR

LA-LA LAND, MV Gerhard, Matt Verboys

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Previous IFMCA Score of the Year Awards have been awarded to 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.

IFMCA 2018 Nominations

February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ Leave a comment

The votes are in. Below are the 2018 nominations for Best Scores. The International Film Music Critics Association will announce the winners of the 15th IFMCA Awards on February 21, 2019.

Shortly after this date, I will be publishing FILMIC TRACKS “Best of 2018”.

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED; JAMES NEWTON HOWARD LEADS THE FIELD WITH FOUR NOMINATIONS

FEBRUARY 7, 2019. The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2018, for the 15th annual IFMCA Awards. In one of the most open fields in IFMCA history, composer James Newton Howard received the most nominations with four, closely followed by Nicholas Britell, Alexandre Desplat, Ludwig Göransson, Justin Hurwitz, and John Powell, who each received three.

67-year-old American composer James Newton Howard is nominated for his work on two scores – “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” the second film in the Harry Potter spinoff series, and the controversial Jennifer Lawrence Cold War spy thriller “Red Sparrow” – and is one of the five nominees for Composer of the Year. IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen called Fantastic Beasts an “accomplished and mature fantasy score” which “sits comfortably with Howard’s accomplished genre works and competes favorably for a place amongst 2018’s best scores,” while IFMCA member Mihnea Manduteanu described Red Sparrow as “beautiful and passionate” and “melodic and furious”. Howard previously received IFMCA Score of the Year honors in 2006 for “The Lady in the Water”. His other major score in 2018 was for the lavish fantasy “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” which was inspired by Tchaikovsky’s seminal ballet.

39-year-old New York-born composer Nicholas Britell is nominated for Composer of the Year, and received two nods in the Drama Score category for two very different works – the sensitive 1970s drama “If Beale Street Could Talk” based on the novel by James Baldwin, and the bitingly satirical political drama “Vice,” which looks at the life and career of former US Vice President Dick Cheney. IFMCA member Kaya Savas said that Beale Street was “a gorgeous and deeply moving experience” which “explores the depths of love in all its shapes and forms”, while IFMCA member Jon Broxton said that Vice “keyed the audience in to the [satirical] joke while not overselling it to the point of obviousness,” and that Britell “made his score genuinely interesting and appealing from a musical point of view – something that many composers fail to do”.

57-year-old French composer Alexandre Desplat, who won the IFMCA Score of the Year award in 2008 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” is nominated in the genre categories for three of his uniquely varied scores: the quirky comedy western “The Sisters Brothers,” the historical thriller “Operation Finale” which looks at Jewish secret agents tracking down Nazis after the end of World War II, and director Wes Anderson’s typically idiosyncratic animated film “Isle of Dogs”. IFMCA member Olivier Desbrosses described Isle of Dogs as “a score rich in oriental percussions, original and ambitious”.

Ludwig Göransson, the 34-year-old Swedish composer, enjoyed a truly tremendous year in 2018 and is nominated for Score of the Year, Composer of the Year, and Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror Score for his groundbreaking work on the enormously successful Marvel super hero film “Black Panther”. IFMCA member James Southall called Black Panther a “very distinctive sounding score” which contains “expansive arrangements of the main themes” and “complex, multi-layered percussion”. Göransson’s other work in 2018 included a second massively popular super-hero film, “Venom,” the remake of the classic revenge thriller “Death Wish,” and the boxing drama “Creed II,” the eighth film in the long-lasting Rocky series.

34-year-old American composer Justin Hurwitz is nominated for three awards – Score of the Year, Drama Score, and Film Music Composition of the Year – all for his work on director Damian Chazelle’s “First Man,” which looks at the impact of the Apollo 11 moon landings on the families of men involved. Similarly, 55-year-old British composer John Powell is nominated for three awards – Score of the Year, Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror Score, and Film Music Composition of the Year – all for his outstanding work on “Solo”, the Star Wars spin-off movie looking at the early life of the smuggler and rogue Han Solo. Powell previously won the IFMCA Score of the Year Award in 2010 for “How to Train Your Dragon”. IFMCA members Asier Senarriaga and Óscar Giménez called Solo “a spectacular score that combines the classic ideas of Williams with the talent of Powell,” and proclaimed it “the score of the year”.

The other two nominees for Score of the Year are American composer Marc Shaiman, who is nominated for his work on “Mary Poppins Returns,” the lovingly-crafted sequel to the classic Disney musical; and American composer Mark McKenzie, who received his nomination for his stunningly beautiful score for the Mexico-produced animated film “Max and Me,” which looks at the life of the Polish saint Maximilian Kolbe, who was executed in Auschwitz.

The other two nominees for Composer of the Year are American composer Alan Silvestri, whose work in 2018 included popular and successful films such as “Ready Player One,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Welcome to Marwen”; and Spanish composer Roque Baños, who showed an impressive amount of versatility and range in scoring films as diverse as the thrillers “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” and “The Commuter,” the sporting drama “The Miracle Season,” director Terry Gilliam’s literary fantasy “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” and three Spanish-language comedies: “Sin Rodeos,” “Miamor Perdido,” and “Yucatán”.

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 and exciting group. Three of the five composers nominated are already famous in their own right for other artistic endeavors, but are being recognized here specifically for their first ever work scoring feature films; all three are British. Thomas Adès is renowned as one of the world’s leading contemporary classical and concert hall composers, but only wrote his first film score this year with his contribution to the historical literary drama “Colette”. Amelia Warner is an established actress and solo recording artist, but impressed the IFMCA membership with her debut score for the film about the life of the groundbreaking horror author “Mary Shelley”. Meanwhile, Thom Yorke is best known as the Grammy Award-winning lead singer of the alternative rock band Radiohead, and has now followed in the footsteps of his band-made Jonny Greenwood by writing his first score, for director Luca Guadagnino’s remake of the classic horror film “Suspiria”.

The final two composers nominated for Breakthrough Composer are exciting young talents from Spain. Iván Palomares is recognized for his sensitive score for the fantastical yet intimate father-son drama “En las Estrellas,” while Manuel Riveiro is nominated for his outstanding score for the period thriller “La Sombra de la Ley,” in which a dogged cop travels to Barcelona in the 1920s to take on an organized crime gang.

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 South African composer Mark Chait (“Frontier of Love,” Television), Argentine composer Federico Jusid (“Watership Down,” Animation, and “La Catedral del Mar,” Television), Dutch composer Matthijs Kieboom (“Wild,” Documentary), Sweden-based composers Robert Parker and Waveshaper (“Videoman,” Comedy), and Turkish composer Pinar Toprak (“Tides of Fate,” Documentary).

Several other composers are receiving their first ever IFMCA Award nominations this year, including the aforementioned Kieboom, Parker, and Waveshaper, plus Benji Merrison (“Dynasties,” Documentary), Michael Nyman (“McQueen,” Documentary), and Will Slater (“Dynasties,” Documentary).

The International Film Music Critics Association will announce the winners of the 15th IFMCA Awards on February 21, 2019.

The list of nominees is as follows:

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

BLACK PANTHER, music by Ludwig Göransson
FIRST MAN, music by Justin Hurwitz
MARY POPPINS RETURNS, music by Marc Shaiman
MAX AND ME, music by Mark McKenzie
SOLO, music by John Powell

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

ROQUE BAÑOS
NICHOLAS BRITELL
LUDWIG GÖRANSSON
JAMES NEWTON HOWARD
ALAN SILVESTRI

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

THOMAS ADÈS
IVÁN PALOMARES
MANUEL RIVEIRO
AMELIA WARNER
THOM YORKE

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

EN LAS ESTRELLAS/UP AMONG THE STARS, music by Iván Palomares
FIRST MAN, music by Justin Hurwitz
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, music by Nicholas Britell
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, music by Max Richter
VICE, music by Nicholas Britell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

CHRISTOPHER ROBIN, music by Geoff Zanelli and Jon Brion
CRAZY RICH ASIANS, music by Brian Tyler
MARY POPPINS RETURNS, music by Marc Shaiman
THE SISTERS BROTHERS, music by Alexandre Desplat
VIDEOMANNEN/VIDEOMAN, music by Robert Parker and Waveshaper

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

KING OF THIEVES, music by Benjamin Wallfisch
LA SOMBRA DE LA LEY/GUN CITY, music by Manuel Riveiro and Xavier Font
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT, music by Lorne Balfe
OPERATION FINALE, music by Alexandre Desplat
RED SPARROW, music by James Newton Howard

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

BLACK PANTHER, music by Ludwig Göransson
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, music by James Newton Howard
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM, music by Michael Giacchino
READY PLAYER ONE, music by Alan Silvestri
SOLO, music by John Powell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FILM

INCREDIBLES 2, music by Michael Giacchino
ISLE OF DOGS, music by Alexandre Desplat
MAX AND ME, music by Mark McKenzie
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, music by Daniel Pemberton
WATERSHIP DOWN, music by Federico Jusid

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

DYNASTIES, music by Benji Merrison and Will Slater
FREE SOLO, music by Marco Beltrami
McQUEEN, music by Michael Nyman
TIDES OF FATE, music by Pinar Toprak
WILD, music by Matthijs Kieboom

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A TELEVISION SERIES

AIQING DE BIANJIANG/FRONTIER OF LOVE, music by Mark Chait
LA CATEDRAL DEL MAR, music by Federico Jusid
LOST IN SPACE, music by Christopher Lennertz
WESTWORLD, music by Ramin Djawadi
YELLOWSTONE, music by Brian Tyler

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

11:11 MEMORIES RETOLD, music by Olivier Derivière
GOD OF WAR, music by Bear McCreary
NI NO KUNI II: REVENANT KINGDOM, music by Joe Hisaishi
SPIDER-MAN, music by John Paesano
TORN, music by Garry Schyman

BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE – NEW RELEASE OR NEW RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE

BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, music by Wojciech Kilar; album produced by Dan Goldwasser; liner notes by Tim Greiving; art direction by Dan Goldwasser (La-La Land)
THE BRIDE WORE BLACK, music by Bernard Herrmann; The Basque National Orchestra conducted by Fernando Velázquez; album produced by Jose M. Benitez and Edouard Dubois; liner notes by Frank K. DeWald; art direction by Nacho B. Govantes (Quartet)
DRACULA, music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino and Robert Townson; liner notes by Mike Matessino; art direction by Jim Titus (Varèse Sarabande)
EL HOMBRE Y LA TIERRA, music by Antón García Abril; album produced by Jose M. Benitez and Miguel A. Órdóñez; liner notes by Miguel A. Órdóñez; art direction by Nacho B. Govantes (Quartet)
THE VIKINGS, music by Mario Nascimbene; The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick; liner notes by Frank K. DeWald; art direction by Jim Titus (Prometheus/Tadlow)

BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE – COMPILATION

CARTER BURWELL: MUSIC FOR FILM, music by Carter Burwell; The Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dirk Brossé; album produced by Marijke Vandebuerie and Valerie Dobbelaere; liner notes by Patrick Duynslaegher and Raf Butstraen; art direction by Stuart Ford (Silva Screen)
THE COMPLETE LONDON SESSIONS, music by Georges Delerue; album produced by Robert Townson; liner notes by Robert Townson; art direction by Robert Townson, Bill Pitzonka, and Bob Peak (Varèse Sarabande)
HARRY POTTER: THE JOHN WILLIAMS SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION; music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino; liner notes by Mike Matessino; art direction by Jim Titus (La-La Land)
THRILLER 2, music by Jerry Goldsmith; The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick and Leigh Phillips; liner notes by Jon Burlingame; art direction by Nic Finch (Tadlow)
A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL KAMEN, music by Michael Kamen; The Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Pablo Urbina; album produced by José M. Benítez and Chris Malone; art direction by Nacho B. Govantes (Quartet)

FILM MUSIC LABEL OF THE YEAR

INTRADA RECORDS, Douglass Fake, Roger Feigelson
LA-LA LAND RECORDS, MV Gerhard, Matt Verboys
QUARTET RECORDS, Jose M. Benitez
TADLOW MUSIC, James Fitzpatrick
VARÉSE SARABANDE, Robert Townson

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

“The Landing” from FIRST MAN, written by Justin Hurwitz
“Finale” from MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, written by Max Richter
“Overture” from RED SPARROW, written by James Newton Howard
“Mine Mission” from SOLO, written by John Powell
“The Adventures of Han” from SOLO, written by John Williams

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

2017 IFMCA AWARD WINNERS

February 23, 2018 ~ Filmic Tracks ~ Leave a comment

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2017 IFMCA AWARDS; “PHANTOM THREAD” TAKES SCORE OF THE YEAR, MULTIPLE WINS FOR MICHAEL GIACCHINO, BENJAMIN WALLFISCH

FEBRUARY 22, 2018 — The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2017, in the 2017 IFMCA Awards.

The award for Score of the Year goes to British composer Jonny Greenwood for his score for critically acclaimed period drama “Phantom Thread,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. In describing the score, IFMCA member Jon Broxton wrote that it was a “quite masterful score from Greenwood, one which gets deeply under the skin of the damaged, potentially dangerous, but nevertheless mutually fulfilling relationship at the center of the story. The abstract, impressionistic, modernistic textures perfectly capture the torment that both characters at times feel, as well as their willful and often unpleasant personalities. Then, when he opens up his orchestra and performs the Phantom Thread theme with glorious melodrama, or when he writes elegant romantic music for what should be the dreadful finale, the whole thing simply soars”. The score was also named Best Original Score for Drama Film; these are the first IFMCA Award wins of Greenwood’s career, him having previously been nominated for Breakthrough Film Composer of the Year in 2007 and Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film for “Inherent Vice” in 2014.

Composer Alexandre Desplat is named Composer of the Year, him having written at least four outstanding works spanning multiple genres in the past year. His work in 2017 included director Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed monster movie romance “The Shape of Water,” director Luc Besson’s epic space fantasy “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” director George Clooney’s satirical racial drama ‘”Suburbicon,” and the French-language comedy-drama “D”Après Une Histoire Vraie,” directed by Roman Polanski. IFMCA member James Southall said that The Shape of Water was “yet another from the top drawer of Desplat,” and went on to describe him as “one of the most consistently impressive film composers of the last couple of decades,” who has “managed to be so successful without having to water down his highly-distinctive musical voice at all”. IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen called Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets a “sonic marvel of extremely intelligent rendering” and an “unparalleled execution of orchestral textures” featuring “composition of demanding complexity.” Desplat received IFMCA Score of the Year honors in 2008 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. This marks the third time Desplat has been named Composer of the Year, following his previous wins in 2017 and 2014.

Composer Michael Giacchino wins two awards – Film Music Composition of the Year and Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film – both for his work on the third film in the blockbuster Planet of the Apes trilogy, “War for the Planet of the Apes”. IFMCA member James Southall said that War for the Planet of the Apes was “not just the best film music [Giacchino has] ever written” but that “the manner of the score, the construction of the dramatic narrative, [and] the very deliberate emotional prods … make it stand out as a special achievement”.

Composer Benjamin Wallfisch also wins two awards – Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film and Best Original Score for a Documentary – for two very different works. Director Gore Verbinski’s “A Cure for Wellness” is a Gothic thriller which draws on European classical traditions to generate its creepy atmosphere, while “Mully” is an inspirational documentary about the life of Charles Mully, a Kenyan business tycoon who gave away his fortune to start the Mully Children’s Family, the largest children’s rescue, rehabilitation and development organization in Africa. Wallfisch’s score blends rich, beautiful orchestral themes with influences from traditional East African music. IFMCA member Ley Bricknell described “A Cure for Wellness” as “totally compelling” with “an overwhelming sense of fear and madness”.

Cypriot composer George Kallis is named Breakthrough Composer of the Year for his stellar work writing three enormously impressive scores in 2017: the children’s fantasy “Albion: The Enchanted Stallion,” the historical drama “The Black Prince,” and the Russian fantasy epic “Posledni Bogatyr/The Last Warrior,” all of which impressed members of the IFMCA with their scope and creativity. The various other genre awards are won by Christopher Willis his Russian-inspired music for the satirical comedy “The Death of Stalin”; and Theodore Shapiro for his anarchic but wonderfully sincere score for the animated super hero parody “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Adventure”.

In the non-film categories, composers Bruce Broughton, John Debney, Joel McNeely, and Andrew Cottee jointly win the award for Best Original Score for a Television Series for their magnificent work on the Fox sci-fi series “The Orville,” while Spanish composer David García Díaz wins the award for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media for his moving score for the adventure–puzzle video game “Rime,” in which players are compelled to solve environmental puzzles across five large levels that represent the five stages of grief.

Burbank, California-based La-La Land Records is named Film Music Record Label of the Year in recognition of their ongoing excellence in restoring and releasing the most beloved film scores of the past. British label Tadlow Records and producer James Fitzpatrick are honored with the award for Best New Release, Re-Release or Re-Recording of an Existing Score for their lavish new recording of Miklós Rózsa’s classic 1959 score “Ben-Hur,” which IFMCA member Craig Lysy described as “the most thematically complex and melodically rich film score ever penned by the hand of man” … “a superb recording and the crowning glory of the Golden Age”. Finally, Oakland, California-based Intrada Records and producer Douglass Fake wins the award for Best Film Music Compilation Album for their superb release “Captains Courageous: The Franz Waxman Collection”, a compilation of outstanding themes by the great German composer of the 1940s and 50s.

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COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS

SCORE OF THE YEAR

PHANTOM THREAD, music by Jonny Greenwood

COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

GEORGE KALLIS

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

“End Credits” from WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, music by Michael Giacchino

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

PHANTOM THREAD, music by Jonny Greenwood

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

THE DEATH OF STALIN, music by Christopher Willis

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

A CURE FOR WELLNESS, music by Benjamin Wallfisch

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

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, music by Michael Giacchino

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FILM

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE, music by Theodore Shapiro

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

MULLY, music by Benjamin Wallfisch

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION

THE ORVILLE, music by Bruce Broughton, John Debney, Joel McNeely, and Andrew Cottee

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

RIME, music by David García Díaz

BEST NEW RELEASE, RE-RELEASE OR RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE

BEN-HUR, music by Miklós Rózsa; The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick; liner notes by Frank K. De Wald; album art direction by James Fitzpatrick, Gareth Bevan, and Nic Finch (Tadlow)

BEST FILM MUSIC COMPILATION ALBUM

CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS: THE FRANZ WAXMAN COLLECTION, music by Franz Waxman; album produced by Douglass Fake; liner notes by Frank K. De Wald; album art direction by Kay Marshall and Joe Sikoryak (Intrada)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR

LA-LA LAND RECORDS, MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys

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