Film Music Reporter

This past Tuesday night, John Debney was honored at Education Through Music-Los Angeles’ (ETM-LA) 8th Annual Benefit Gala at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Director Tom Shadyac who worked with Debney on such films as Liar Liar, Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty and Dragonfly presented the award to the Academy Award-nominated composer. He also presented a video, which featured many of Debney’s friends and collaborators, including Jon Favreau (Iron Man 2, Elf, Zathura) and Rob Cohen (Alex Cross, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor), congratulating the composer on his honor. The music students of the ETM-LA program and David Starr Jordan Middle School performed Debney’s theme from the holiday comedy Elf, which director Jon Favreau singled out as his favorite score from any film he directed. In addition, vocalist Lisbeth Scott performed the composer’s Oscar-nominated music from Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Actor Ed Helms hosted the evening and also performed a number of songs with the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band and Monica Mancini performed the classic song Moon River composed by her father Henry. Other composer who were in attendance at the event included Michael Giacchino (Star Trek, Lost, Up), Christopher Lennertz (Identity Thief, Revolution), Christophe Beck (Frozen, The Hangover), Trevor Morris (The Tudors, The Borgias) and Joseph Trapanese (Oblivion).