Film Music Reporter

Nicholas Britell was named Film Composer of the Year at the 19th World Soundtrack Awards, tonight’s closing event of the 46th Ghent Film Festival. The composer’s film scoring work over the last year includes Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk (for which he also earned an Academy Award nomination) and Adam McKay’s Vice. Hildur Guðnadóttir received her first World Soundtrack Award in the TV Composer of the Year category for her score for HBO’s Chernobyl, for which she recently also won her first Emmy Award. Michael Abels (Us) was honored in the Discovery of the Year category. The Public Choice Award went to composer John Powell for his score for DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. In addition, Shallow from A Star Is Born (music & lyrics by Lady Gaga, Andrew Wyatt, Anthony Rossomando and Mark Ronson) was named Best Original Song. The SABAM Award for Best Young Composer went to Pierre Charles and Frédéric Vercheval won the award for Best Original Score for a Belgian Production for Duelles. As previously announced, Krzysztof Penderecki received the lifetime achievement award.