Category: IFMCA

INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION 2020 AWARDS

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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.

INTERNATION FILM MUSIC CRITICS AWARDS 2019

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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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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.

IFMCA Award Nominations 2019

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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

 

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.

IFMCA 2018 Nominations

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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

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 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, follow us on Twitter @ifmca, or contact us at press@filmmusiccritics.org.

Filmic Radio Show December 2018

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u-g-Q12P4GH0

 

PLAYLIST:

Main Theme/The Flight/Assassin’s Creed legend of the Eagle Bearer
The Sisters Brothers/Alexandre Desplat/The Sisters Brothers
Nice Eye Patch/H. Scott Salinas/A Private War
Brian Song/Andre Jacquemein/Dave Howman/Life Of Brian
Main Title-The Birth Of A Dragon/Roque Banos/The Girl In the Spiders Web
Prologue-Lisbeth’s Childhood/Roque Banos/The Girl In the Spiders Web
Opening Tess/Philippe Sarde/Tess
Lucky Charm/Ian Hulquis/ AXL
A Simple Favor-Title Track/Theodore Shapiro/A Simple Favor
It’s Been Four Days/Theodore Shapiro/A Simple Favor
Easy Dreamer/Piero Piccioni/Colpo Rovente
The Thestral Chase/James Newton Howard/Fantastic Beasts:The Crimes of Grindelwald
Main Title/John Williams/Earthquake
Corey In Jeopardy/John Williams/Earthquake
Miles On Wheels/John Williams/Earthquake
End Of The Tunnel/Garry Schyman/Torn
Long Ago Memories/Garry Schyman Torn
Prison/Bosie -Arrives -Postlude/Gabriel Jared/The Happy Prince
Chim Chim Cher-RE/The Sherman Brothers/Mary Poppins
The Landing/Justin Hurwitz/First Man
Bullitt Main Title/Lalo Schifrin/Bullitt
Clockwork Mice/James Newton Howard/The Nutcracker & the Four Realms
Clara’s New World/James Newton Howard/The Nutcracker & the Four Realms

2017 IFMCA AWARD WINNERS

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ifmca-banner-award-winners-2017

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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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.

The IFMCA 2017 AWARD NOMINATIONS

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INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED; MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS FOR ALEXANDRE DESPLAT, MICHAEL GIACCHINO, DANIEL PEMBERTON, JOHN WILLIAMS

FEBRUARY 8, 2018. The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2017, for the 14th annual IFMCA Awards. In a wide open field, the most nominated composers are Alexandre Desplat and Daniel Pemberton, who both received four nominations, Michael Giacchino, who received five nominations, and John Williams, who received six nominations for new work, plus an additional three for archival re-releases of some of his classic scores.

56-year old Frenchman Alexandre Desplat is nominated for his work on two scores – director Guillermo Del Toro’s critically acclaimed monster movie romance “The Shape of Water,” and director Luc Besson’s epic space fantasy “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” – and is one of the five nominees for Composer of the Year. 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”. Desplat previously received IFMCA Score of the Year honors in 2008 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. His other major scores in 2017 include director George Clooney’s satirical racial drama ‘”Suburbicon,” and the French-language comedy-drama “D”Après Une Histoire Vraie,” directed by Roman Polanski.

Daniel Pemberton, the 40-year-old English composer, impressed IFMCA members particularly with his scores for two films: Ridley Scott’s “All the Money in the World,” about the true-life kidnapping of the grandson of billionaire J. Paul Getty in 1973, and “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” an anarchic re-imagining of the early life of the mythical king growing up in Roman Britain, by director Guy Ritchie. Pemberton, who is also one of the five nominees for Composer of the Year, impressed IFMCA member Alan Rogers specifically, who heralded “King Arthur” as the “overall score of the year” and said that “the score is more rewarding with every listen”. Pemberton’s other significant works in 2017 include the political dramas “Molly’s Game” and “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House,” and an episode of the sci-fi anthology series “Black Mirror” entitled “USS Callister”.

50-year-old New Jersey-born Michael Giacchino is lauded for two scores: Pixar’s lavish animated Mexican-themed fantasy “Coco,” and the third film in the blockbuster Planet of the Apes trilogy, “War for the Planet of the Apes”. IFMCA member Mihnea Manduteanu said that “Coco” had “effervescence and passion” and was “inspirational, emotional and fun at the same time,” while 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”. Giacchino previously received Score of the Year honors in 2004 for “The Incredibles,” and in 2009 for “Up”. He is also one of the five nominees for Composer of the Year this year, having also written the scores for the intimate drama “The Book of Henry,” and the super hero sequel “Spider-Man: Homecoming” in 2017.

Despite now being 86 years of age, John Williams continues to be a force in the world of film music. Both of Williams’s 2017 scores are nominated for Score of the Year: director Steven Spielberg’s “The Post,” a political drama about the Pentagon Papers scandal that rocked Washington in the early 1970s, and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” director Rian Johnson’s blockbuster second installment in the new space fantasy series which has smashed box office records around the world. IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen described “The Post” as “an exercise in Williams minimalism wholly appropriate for the context of the historical drama” with a finale full of “Williams’s typical French horn majesty, denoting the significance of the occasion”. Meanwhile, IFMCA member Jon Broxton said that “the two major new themes [in The Last Jedi] combine perfectly with the older material,” with Williams providing “more than enough variation on those themes for them to still feel fresh and exciting”. He went on to say that “the new action material, especially in the fathiers sequence, and during the final Crait battle, is wonderfully entertaining and musically creative” and that the entire score is “a nostalgia bomb of the highest order”. Williams – the fourth of the five nominees for Composer of the Year – previously received Score of the Year honors for “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005, “War Horse” in 2011, and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015.

The fifth nominee for Score of the Year is Jonny Greeenwood’s music for the controversial and avant-garde romantic 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 fifth composer vying for the title of Composer of the Year is Benjamin Wallfisch, whose astonishing work in 2017 included writing the music for the horror sequel “Annabelle: Creation,” the sweeping historical drama “Bitter Harvest,” the atmospheric thriller “A Cure for Wellness,” the new adaptation of Stephen King’s “It,” and the optimistic and celebratory documentary “Mully,” as well as working with Hans Zimmer on “Blade Runner 2049” and “Dunkirk”. IFMCA member Kaya Savas called “It” “the backbone that makes us emotionally connect to our protagonists”. IFMCA member Ley Bricknell described “A Cure for Wellness” as “totally compelling” with “an overwhelming sense of fear and madness”. IFMCA member Peter Simons said that “Bitter Harvest” was a “rich orchestral score with lush themes … a wonderful pastoral tone to it, and a gorgeous main theme”.

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. American composer Michael Abels wrote the Swahili-inflected score for the racially charged cult horror hit “Get Out”. German composer Anne-Kathrin Dern wrote two vastly different but no less impressive scores – one for the sweeping Chinese drama “The Jade Pendant,” and one for the German children’s film “Hexe Lilli Rettet Weihnachten”. Cypriot composer George Kallis had three enormously impressive scores in 2017, including the children’s fantasy “Albion: The Enchanted Stallion,” the historical drama “The Black Prince,” and the Russian fantasy epic “Posledni Bogatyr/The Last Warrior”. Spanish composer Alejandro Vivas joined the ever-growing list of outstanding Iberian musicians with his score for the WWII drama “El Jugador de Ajedrez/The Chess Player,” while Brit Christopher Willis channeled Prokofiev and Shostakovich in his score for the satirical comedy “The Death of Stalin”.

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 Cyrille Aufort (“Knock,” Comedy), French composer Olivier Derivière (“Get Even,” Game), French composer Pascal Gaigne (“Plan de Fuga,” Action/Adventure/Thriller), Spanish composer David García Díaz (“Rime,” Game), Argentine composer Federico Jusid (“Tiempos de Guerra,” Television), and Japanese composers Yôko Kanno (“Onna Jôshu Naotora,” Television) and Yasunori Mitsuda (“Valkyria: Azure Revolution,” Game).

Also worth noting in 2017 is the larger number of women composers and film music professionals amongst the nominees; in addition to breakthrough composer nominee Anne-Kathrin Dern and television nominee Yôko Kanno, other female nominees include Rachel Portman (“Their Finest,” Comedy) and Debbie Wiseman (“Live at the Barbican,” Compilation), as well as writer Julie Kirgo, Sony Classical album producer Laura Zsank, and graphic designer Kay Marshall.

Several other composers are receiving their first ever IFMCA Award nominations this year, including Andrew Cottee (“The Orville,” Television), David Fleming (“Blue Planet II,” Documentary), Philip Glass (“Jane,” Documentary), and Steve Mazzaro (“The Boss Baby,” Composition).

The International Film Music Critics Association will announce the winners of the 14th IFMCA Awards on February 22, 2018.

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THE 2017 IFMCA AWARD NOMINEES

SCORE OF THE YEAR

  • PHANTOM THREAD, music by Jonny Greenwood
  • THE POST, music by John Williams
  • THE SHAPE OF WATER, music by Alexandre Desplat
  • STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, music by John Williams
  • WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, music by Michael Giacchino

COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
  • MICHAEL GIACCHINO
  • DANIEL PEMBERTON
  • BENJAMIN WALLFISCH
  • JOHN WILLIAMS

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • MICHAEL ABELS
  • ANNE-KATHRIN DERN
  • GEORGE KALLIS
  • ALEJANDRO VIVAS
  • CHRISTOPHER WILLIS

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

  • ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, music by Daniel Pemberton
  • DARKEST HOUR, music by Dario Marianelli
  • MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, music by Patrick Doyle
  • PHANTOM THREAD, music by Jonny Greenwood
  • THE POST, music by John Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

  • THE DEATH OF STALIN, music by Christopher Willis
  • DOWNSIZING, music by Rolfe Kent
  • KNOCK, music by Cyrille Aufort
  • PADDINGTON 2, music by Dario Marianelli
  • THEIR FINEST, music by Rachel Portman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

  • A CURE FOR WELLNESS, music by Benjamin Wallfisch
  • JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, music by Henry Jackman
  • KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD, music by Daniel Pemberton
  • PLAN DE FUGA, music by Pascal Gaigne
  • THE RENDEZVOUS, music by Austin Wintory

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

  • GET OUT, music by Michael Abels
  • THE SHAPE OF WATER, music by Alexandre Desplat
  • STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, music by John Williams
  • VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS, music by Alexandre Desplat
  • 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
  • COCO, music by Michael Giacchino
  • THE EMOJI MOVIE, music by Patrick Doyle
  • FERDINAND, music by John Powell
  • LOVING VINCENT, music by Clint Mansell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

  • BLUE PLANET II, music by Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea, and David Fleming
  • BOSTON, music by Jeff Beal
  • EARTH: ONE AMAZING DAY, music by Alex Heffes
  • JANE, music by Philip Glass
  • MULLY, music by Benjamin Wallfisch

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION

  • ALIAS GRACE, music by Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna
  • GAME OF THRONES, music by Ramin Djawadi
  • ONNA JÔSHU NAOTORA, music by Yôko Kanno
  • THE ORVILLE, music by Bruce Broughton, John Debney, Joel McNeely, and Andrew Cottee
  • TIEMPOS DE GUERRA, music by Federico Jusid

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

  • DEFORMERS, music by Austin Wintory
  • DIVIDE, music by Chris Tilton
  • GET EVEN, music by Olivier Deriviére
  • RIME, music by David García Díaz
  • VALKYRIA: AZURE REVOLUTION, music by Yasunori Mitsuda

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)
  • CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino; liner notes by Mike Matessino; album art direction by Jim Titus (La-La Land)
  • DAMNATION ALLEY, music by Jerry Goldsmith; album produced by Nick Redman and Mike Matessino; liner notes by Julie Kirgo; album art direction by Kay Marshall (Intrada)
  • DUEL IN THE SUN, music by Dimitri Tiomkin; 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 Jim Titus (Tadlow/Prometheus)
  • E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, music by John Williams; album produced by Mike Matessino and Bruce Botnick; liner notes by Mike Matessino; album art direction by Jim Titus (La-La Land)

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)
  • DEBBIE WISEMAN: LIVE AT THE BARBICAN, music by Debbie Wiseman; The Orchestra of the Guildhall School conducted by Debbie Wiseman; album produced by Debbie Wiseman, Reynold Da Silva, David Stoner, and Pete Compton; liner notes by Debbie Wiseman; album art direction by Stuart Ford (Silva Screen)
  • JOHN WILLIAMS AND STEVEN SPIELBERG: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, music by John Williams; album produced by Laura Zsaka and Jamie Richardson; liner notes by Jon Burlingame; album art direction by Amelia Tubb (Sony Classical)
  • THRILLER, 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; album art direction by Matthew Wright and Nic Finch (Tadlow)
  • THE WILD WILD WEST, music by Various Composers; album produced by Jon Burlingame; liner notes by Jon Burlingame; album art direction by Jim Titus (La-La Land)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR

  • CALDERA RECORDS, Stephan Eicke
  • INTRADA RECORDS, Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson
  • LA-LA LAND RECORDS, MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys
  • QUARTET RECORDS, José M. Benitez
  • TADLOW MUSIC, James Fitzpatrick

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

  • “End Credits” from WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, music by Michael Giacchino
  • “Finale” from STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, music by John Williams
  • “Growing Up in Londinium” from KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD, music by Daniel Pemberton
  • “Justice” from MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, music by Patrick Doyle
  • “Love” from THE BOSS BABY, music by Hans Zimmer, Steve Mazzaro, and Conrad Pope

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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, 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 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 www.filmmusiccritics.org, visit our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @ifmca, or contact us at press@filmmusiccritics.org.

SOUNDTRACK COLOGNE 2017

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IFMCA members to take part in Soundtrack Cologne 2017

From IFMCA Chairman Jon Broxton

IFMCA members Eleni Mitsiaki and David Serong will be taking part in the upcoming Soundtrack Cologne, Germany’s most popular conference of music and sound in movies, TV and games, which this year celebrates its 14th Edition.

The event will take place in the city of Cologne, Germany, from August 23rd to August 27th, 2017.

The conference is divided into three different thematic days dedicated to games, film, and television, with numerous workshops, panels and lectures by experienced composers.

Eleni Mitsiaki will lead a session entitled “Film Music Concerts: The Emperor’s new Clothes?” These are interesting times for soundtrack buffs! Ghent, Krakow, Malaga, Tenerife, Vienna, Prague… film and media music events are popping up all around Europe. The biggest ones are based on concerts and claim to gain awareness for media music, develop new concert practices for orchestras, and bring new audiences to the ivory towers of high culture. But didn’t some wise film music critic tell us, that the best film music is the one that merges with the picture? We ask: is this a treat or a threat? how far do concerts change the object of desire?

Mitsiaki amd fellow IFMCA member David Serong will also take part in a session entitled “The International Film Music Critics Association meets the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik,” in which they will talk with film music journalist Jörg Gerle of Filmdienst), and film music/concert composer and mediamusic e.V. board member Gregor Schwellenbach.

Among the guests expected at Soundtrack Cologne 2017 are composers Lesley Barber (Manchester by the Sea),  Volker Bertelmann/Hauschka (Lion), Johnny Klimek (Cloud Atlas, Babylon Berlin), Beckmann (Fack ju Göhte), Tom Stöwer (Wendy), 2017 Soundtrack Cologne Lifetime Achievement Award winner Bruce Broughton (Silverado, Tombstone), Carly Paradis (Line of Duty), Michael Price (Sherlock), Walter Mair (The Same Sky), Halfdan E (Borgen), Gareth Coker (Ori and the Blind Forest, Minecraft, ARK Survival Evolved), Bobby Tahouri (Rise of the Tomb Raider, Medal of Honor: Warfighter) and Petri Alanko. Composer Jeff Rona will give a film and game music masterclass for young composers.

For more information about Soundtrack Cologne 2017 please visit https://shdlr.com/conferences/talk/27262, https://www.soundtrackcologne.de/referenten/biographies/eleni-mitsiaki/, and https://www.soundtrackcologne.de/en/speakers/biographies/david-serong/.

SEPTEMBER 2016 Filmic Playlist

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young-frankenstein_poster

Climatic End/Robert Folk/Arabian Knight
Opar/Rupert Gregson-Williams & Zoe Mthiyane/The Legend of Tarzan
Investiagation/Damian Sanchez/Blues & Bullets
Clash of Loyalties Al-mas Ala Kubra Suite/Ron Goodwin/Clash of Loyalties
Ar First Sight/Alexandre Desplat/The Light Between Oceans
The Aldridge Mansion/Theodore Shapiro/Ghostbusters
Opening Music/The Monks Tale/Post War Jerusalem/Nicholas Britell/A Tale of Love and Darkness
Hitting The Saucer A Little Hard/Michael Giachinno/Star Trek Beyond
Fugue/Stephen Rennick/Viva
Theme From Young Frankstein/John Morris/Young Frankenstein
Shelley Winters Cha Cha/Nelson Riddle/Lolita
The Chosen/Neal Acree/Revelation
Jitterbug/Angelo Badalemnti/Mulholland Drive
Drive In/Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind/Jon Brion
Piney Swamp/Nicholas Britell/Free Sate of Jones
Main Title & The Shangri Llama/John Debney/Ice Age Collision
Love In the Sky/Laurent Del Mar/The Red Turtle
Midnight Cowboy/John Barry/Midnight Cowboy
You can contact me at:

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IFMCA AWARDS 2015

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As a member of the International Film Music Critics Association I am delighted to share with you our Soundtrack Awards for 2015.

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INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2015 IFMCA AWARDS; JOHN WILLIAMS WINS THREE AWARDS FOR STAR WARS

theforceawakensThe International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2015, in the 2015 IFMCA Awards.

The award for Score of the Year goes to composer John Williams for his work on the massively popular and successful epic science fiction fantasy “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” from director J. J. Abrams. IFMCA member James Southall said that “the Force remains strong in John Williams and long may it continue” and called the score “glorious,” while IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen called the score “a powerfully melodic and excitingly complex piece of grand artistry from an era of greatness that only John Williams in top form could deliver.” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is also named Best Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film, and wins the Film Music Composition of the Year award for the film’s conclusive end credits suite, “The Jedi Steps and Finale”. These are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth IFMCA Awards of Williams’s career, and it marks the third time he has been awarded Score of the Year, after “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005, and “War Horse” in 2011.

Composer Michael Giacchino is named Composer of the Year, having written four outstanding works spanning multiple genres in the past year. His work in 2015 includes scoring the emotional Disney/Pixar film “Inside Out,” which is also named Best Score for an Animated Film; the ambitious science fiction adventure “Jupiter Ascending,” which was nominated in multiple genres including Score of the Year; the fantastical adventure “Tomorrowland,” which was nominated for Film Music Composition of the Year; and the massively successful action-adventure “Jurassic World,” which built on John Williams’s score for the first film featuring genetically modified dinosaurs running amok in a lavish theme park. IFMCA member Karol Krok called “Inside Out” “enjoyable and endearing,” while IFMCA member Charlie Brigden said that “Jurassic World” “displays just how much of a command [Giacchino] has over a modern symphony”. These are the thirteenth and fourteenth IFMCA Awards of Giacchino’s career, and it marks the third time he has been named Composer of the Year, following his previous wins in 2004 and 2009.

The IFMCA’s ongoing recognition of emerging talent in the film music world this year spotlights Italian composer Maurizio Malagnini, who is named Breakthrough Composer of the Year. Malagnini has been working primarily in world of British television since he first emerged onto the scene in 2010, writing scores for popular shows such as “Muddle Earth,” “The Body Farm,” “The Paradise,” and “Call the Midwife,” but really impressed IFMCA members this year with his first major film score for a new version of the classic Peter Pan story, “Peter & Wendy”. IFMCA member Jon Broxton called “Peter & Wendy” “undoubtedly one of the best scores of 2015”, while IFMCA member Peter Simons described the score as being “so infectious, so colourful, playful and utterly charming”.

The various other genre awards are won by James Horner for the epic Chinese-language drama “Wolf Totem”; Douglas Pipes for the mischievous and malevolent Christmas comedy “Krampus”; Joe Kraemer for the exciting retro action score for “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation”; and Steven Price for his music for the BBC nature documentary “The Hunt”.

In the non-film categories, Argentine composer Federico Jusid wins the award for Best Original Score for a Television Series for the third year in a row, this time for his astonishing score for the Spanish historical TV drama “Carlos, Rey Emperador,” the sequel to the multi-award winning “Isabel,” while composer Austin Wintory wins the award for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media for his groundbreaking work on “Assassin’s Creed” Syndicate”, a score which not only includes classical dances used as action cues, but also a number of original ‘murder ballads’ penned in collaboration with Australian musical comedy group Tripod.

Oakland, California-based Intrada 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, while film music historian and writer Jon Burlingame wins the Archival Compilation award for the wonderful box set of music from the original 1960s “Mission: Impossible” he produced for La-La Land Records. Interestingly, both the Archival Re-Release and Re-Recording categories are won by different versions of Bernard Herrmann’s 1976 score for the psychological thriller “Obsession” – firstly, the outstanding release of the original score tracks by French label Music Box Records and producers George Litto, Laurent Lafarge, and Cyril Durand-Roger; and secondly, the magnificent re-recording of the entire score by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nic Raine, and produced by James Fitzpatrick for Tadlow Music.

Finally, the IFMCA has decided to bestow a rare Special Award on the late James Horner, for his classical work “Pas de Deux”. The piece is a double concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra, and was commissioned by the Norwegian brother/sister musical duo Mari Samuelsen and Hakon Samuelsen. The work was released through Mercury Classics and Universal Music in May 2015, and represented the first of several anticipated major excursions into pure classical music – what would have been a new and exciting phase in the composer’s musical career, especially since his first, abortive attempts in the late 1970s and early 1980s failed to ignite the public’s imagination. Sadly, with the composer’s tragic death in a plane crash in June, it also represents ‘what might have been,’ and this award is intended to be a tribute in recognition the composer’s life and work, and all the great unheard music that died with him.

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COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens, music by John Williams

COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • Michael Giacchino

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

  • Maurizio Malagnini

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

  • “The Jedi Steps and Finale” from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, music by John Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

  • Wolf Totem, music by James Horner

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

  • Krampus, music by Douglas Pipes

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

  • Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, music by Joe Kraemer

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

  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens, music by John Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE

  • Inside Out, music by Michael Giacchino

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

  • The Hunt, music by Steven Price

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A TELEVISION SERIES

  • Carlos, Rey Emperador, music by Federico Jusid

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, music by Austin Wintory

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – RE-RELEASE OF AN EXISTING SCORE

  • Obsession; music by Bernard Herrmann, album produced by George Litto, Laurent Lafarge, and Cyril Durand-Roger, liner notes by Daniel Schweiger, album art direction by David Marques (Music Box)

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE

  • Obsession; music by Bernard Herrmann, performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Nic Raine, album produced by James Fitzpatrick, liner notes by Christopher Husted, album art direction by Matthew Wright and Damien Doherty (Tadlow)

BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – COMPILATION

  • Mission: Impossible – The Television Scores; music by Various Artists, album produced by Jon Burlingame, liner notes by Jon Burlingame, album art direction by Joe Sikoryak (La-La Land)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR

  • Intrada Records, Douglass Fake, Roger Feigelson

SPECIAL AWARD

  • Pas de Deux, classical work by James Horner, commissioned by violinist Mari Samuelsen and cellist Hakon Samuelsen