Michael Giacchino has been named Film Composer of the Year 2015 at the 15th World Soundtrack Awards, tonight’s closing event of the 42nd Ghent Film Festival. The composer’s output over the last year includes such titles as Inside Out, Tomorrowland, Jupiter Ascending and this year’s highest grossing film, Jurassic World. Giacchino previously received a World Soundtrack Award in the Discovery of a Year category back in 2006. In the Best Original Film Score of the Year category, Antonio Sanchez was honored for his score to this year’s Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards, Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). The jazz drummer/composer also received the award in 2015’s Discovery of the Year category.
Category: Film Music News
Weekly Film Music Roundup (October 23, 2015)
In addition to the nationwide expansion of Steve Jobs, four new movies are opening wide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is the fantasy adventure The Last Witch Hunter directed by Breck Eisner and starring Vin Diesel, Elijah Wood, Rose Leslie, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Julie Engelbrecht and Michael Caine. The film’s original music is composed by Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, Ender’s Game, The Island, Desperate Housewives). Milan Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details, to check out a couple of tracks from the album and to learn more about the Lionsgate release.
Also opening wide is the comedy Rock the Kasbah directed by Barry Levinson and starring Bill Murray, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride, Scott Caan, Bruce Willis and Leem Lubany. Marcelo Zarvos (The Affair, The Good Shepherd, Enough Said, What Just Happened) has composed the film’s original score. Varese Sarabande has released a soundtrack album featuring two tracks from the composer’s music, as well as the songs from the film by artists including Bob Dylan, Isa Machine & LP and Harry Nilsson. Check out our previous article for the full album details and for more information about the Open Road Films release.
2015 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations Announced
The nominations for the 6th Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) in the Visual Media categories were announced today. Check out the nominees in the major categories below after the jump and visit the official HMMA website to buy tickets and for the full list of nominations to be added soon. The awards show will be held at The Fonda Theater in Hollywood on Wednesday, November 11, 2015. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Education Through Music – Los Angeles (ETMLA). Past HMMA honorees include Smokey Robinson, Glen Campbell, Dave Mason, Christopher Young and John Debney.
‘Concussion’ to Feature Original Song by Leon Bridges
Singer/songwriter Leon Bridges has recorded an original song for the upcoming dramatic thriller Concussion. The track, entitled So Long, is written by Bridges, Joshua Block, Austin Jenkins and Chris Vivion of Niles City Sound and will play over the movie’s end credits sequence. A sample from the song can be checked out on Bridges’ Instagram page. James Newton Howard has composed the film’s original score earlier this year. Concussion is written and directed by Peter Landesman and stars Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard, Paul Reiser, Luke Wilson and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (October 16, 2015)
Four new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is the horror comedy Goosebumps directed by Rob Letterman and starring Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Amy Ryan, Jillian Bell, Ryan Lee and Ken Marino. The film’s original music is composed by Danny Elfman (Spider-Man, Batman, Alice in Wonderland, Avengers: Age of Ultron). Sony Classical and Madison Gate Records have released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to learn more about the Sony Pictures release.
Also opening wide is the spy thriller Bridge of Spies directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Scott Shepherd, Amy Ryan, Sebastian Koch and Alan Alda. Thomas Newman (American Beauty, The Shawshank Redemption, Finding Nemo, Skyfall) has composed the film’s original music. Hollywood Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the Academy Award-nominated composer today. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and for more information about the DreamWorks Pictures production.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (October 9, 2015)
Opening nationwide this weekend is the fantasy adventure Pan directed by Joe Wright and starring Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Adeel Akhtar and Levi Miller. The film’s original music is composed by John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon, The Bourne Identity, Bolt, Shrek, Chicken Run). WaterTower Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, as well as the songs from the movie performed by the cast, and two songs by Lily Allen. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and to learn more about the Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Opening in New York and Los Angeles before expanding nationwide on October 23 is the biographical drama Steve Jobs directed by Danny Boyle, written by Aaron Sorkin and starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg. Daniel Pemberton (The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Counselor) has composed the film’s original music. Back Lot Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, as well as the songs featured in the movie by The Libertines, Bob Dylan and The Maccabees. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details.
John Williams to Receive AFI Lifetime Achievement Award
The American Film Institute Board of Trustees announced today that John Williams will be honored with the 44th AFI Life Achievement Award, America’s highest honor for a career in film. For the first time in AFI history, the award will be bestowed upon a composer. Williams will receive the award at a gala Tribute on June 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, CA. The composer of such films as Star Wars, E.T., Jaws, Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park has received five Academy Awards, as well as 49 nominations and holds the record for the most Oscar nominations of any living person. The AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute special will air on TNT in late June 2016, followed by an encore presentation on its sister network, Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
Weekly Film Music Roundup (October 2, 2015)
Expected to top the weekend box office is the sci-fi action adventure The Martian directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Kristen Wiig, Mackenzie Davis and Donald Glover. The film’s original music is composed by Harry Gregson-Williams (Kingdom of Heaven, The Chronicles of Narnia). Columbia Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score. Click here for the full album details. The label has also released a soundtrack featuring the songs from the movie and will release a deluxe 2-CD soundtrack featuring both songs and score in November. Visit our previous article for more information. Also check out interviews with Gregson-Williams about his work on the project on Soundworks Collection, Film Music Magazine, Den of Geek, HeyUGuys and GoSeeTalk.
Opening in around 350 IMAX theaters before expanding nationwide on October 9 is the drama The Walk directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon and James Badge Dale. Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, The Avengers, Cast Away, Captain America: The First Avenger) has composed the film’s original music. Sony Classical has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to learn more about the Sony Pictures release.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 25, 2015)
Three new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is the animated sequel Hotel Transylvania 2 directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and featuring the voices of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key and Mel Brooks. The film’s original music is composed by Mark Mothersbaugh (The Lego Movie, 21/22 Jump Street, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Royal Tenenbaums) who previously scored 2012’s first part in the series. No soundtrack album has been announced. To learn more about the Sony Pictures release, visit the official movie website.
Also opening wide is the comedy The Intern written and directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Anders Holm, Andrew Rannells, Adam DeVine, Celia Weston, Nat Wolff, Linda Lavin and Zack Pearlman. Theodore Shapiro (The Devil Wears Prada, Tropic Thunder, St. Vincent, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) has composed the film’s original music. WaterTower Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music, as well as the songs from the film. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and to learn more about the Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Sam Smith’s ‘Spectre’ Song ‘Writing’s on the Wall’ Released
The title song for the 24th Bond movie Spectre was released today. The song entitled Writing’s on the Wall is performed by Sam Smith and is now available to download as a single on iTunes. Listen to the full track after the jump. The Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter co-wrote the song with Jimmy Napes. Spectre directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, David Bautista and Andrew Scott will be released nationwide on November 6 by Sony Pictures.