Last night, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) held its annual Film, TV & Visual Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. John Williams was honored with the John Williams Award for his incomparable status as one of the greatest film and television composers of our time. The composer who was previously honored with BMI’s Kirk Award in 1999 and who also received two more BMI Awards this year for his scores for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Post was presented the award by the evening’s host, BMI Vice President, Film/TV Relations, Doreen Ringer-Ross and BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill. Composers including James Newton Howard, Alan Silvestri, Thomas Newman, David Newman, Brian Tyler, Mike Post and William Ross (all of which also attended the event), as well as directors Steven Spielberg, George Lucas & J.J. Abrams congratulated Williams via a tribute video.
Lolita Ritmanis, Miriam Cutler & Laura Karpman accepting BMI Champion Award
Earlier in the evening, composers Laura Karpman, Miriam Cutler and Lolita Ritmanis received the BMI Champion Award for their commitment to supporting fellow women media composers through The Alliance of Women Film Composers, which they founded in 2014. Composer Rick Baitz was also presented with BMI’s Classic Contribution Award in appreciation for creating and leading BMI’s successful “Composing for the Screen” workshop for the past ten years. Check back on this page for video highlights from the event.
Throughout the evening, composers of music featured in the past year’s top-grossing films, top-rated primetime network television series, and highest-ranking cable and streamed media programs were also celebrated. Among the composers who accepted their awards in person were Ludwig Goransson (Black Panther), Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Infinity War, Ready Player One), Brian Tyler (The Mummy, Hawaii Five-O, Scorpion), Tyler Bates (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Atomic Blonde), Mark Mothersbaugh (Thor: Ragnarok, The LEGO Ninjago Movie), David Newman (Girls Trip), Dominic Lewis (Peter Rabbit, The Man in the High Castle), Christopher Lennertz (A Bad Moms Christmas, Baywatch, Pitch Perfect 3), Michael Andrews (Daddy’s Home 2), Atli Orvarsson (The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med), Theodore Shapiro (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie), Andrew Lockington (Rampage), Cliff Martinez (Game Night), James Newton Howard (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Regina Spektor (Orange Is the New Black) Mac Quayle (American Horror Story, 9-1-1), Trevor Morris (Iron Fist), Chris Bacon (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Gwendolyn Sanford (Orange Is the New Black), Sean Callery & Robert Lydecker (Designated Survivor), Mike Post (Law & Order: SVU), Blake Neely (The Flash), Paul Haslinger (Wisdom of the Crowd), Rob Simonsen (Blue Bloods, Life in Pieces), Nathan Barr (Sneaky Pete), Tony Morales (Scorpion), Atticus Ross (Fear the Walking Dead, Animal Kingdom), Nick Urata (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Ben Decter (Shut Eye) Charlie Clouser & César Dávila-Irizarry (American Horror Story), Jacob Shea (Alaskan Bush People), Tony Morales (Scorpion), Fil Eisler (Empire), Jim Beanz (Empire), Barry De Vorzon (S.W.A.T.), Jeremiah Zimmerman (Goliath), Mike Fratantuno & Terence Yoshiaki (Madam Secretary), Tree Adams (NCIS: New Orleans), Rob Cairns (The Bachlor), Alexis Marsh & Samuel Jones (Animal Kingdom) Patrick A. Rose (Seal Team), Steve Burns (Young Sheldon), Ryan Elder (Rick & Morty), Ronit Kirchman (The Sinner) and John E. Low (The Guest Book). Click here for the full list of winners. Also in attendance at the event were previous BMI honorees George S. Clinton, Christopher Young and Lalo Schifrin.
