Ennio Morricone has received his second Academy Award for his music for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. He previously received an Academy Honorary Award in 2007 for his lifetime achievement and was nominated five times before. The other nominated composers in the Best Original Score category were John Williams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Thomas Newman (Bridge of Spies), Carter Burwell (Carol) and Johann Johannsson (Sicario). All composers except Johannsson were in attendance at the awards ceremony.
Tag: Academy Awards
Academy Award-Nominated Composers & Songwriters Celebrated at SCL Reception
Yesterday afternoon, the Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL) hosted its annual reception honoring the Oscar-nominated composers and songwriters in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song category, which was held for the second time in a row at Cafe La Boheme in West Hollywood. SCL president Ashley Irwin introduced the nominees who briefly addressed the audience. Four of the five nominated composers in the score category were in attendance, including John Williams, who received his 50th Academy Award nomination for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He thanked the Academy music branch and the other nominees and jokingly singled out Ennio Morricone as an “inspiration to us younger composers.” Morricone, who received his sixth Oscar nomination for his score for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, also briefly spoke to the audience.
Harold Wheeler Named Oscar Music Director
Academy Awards producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin today announced that Harold Wheeler was selected as music director for this year’s 88th Oscars. He returns for the third Oscar telecast, his first as music director. Wheeler is best known as an orchestrator, composer, conductor, record producer and arranger and has received numerous Emmy and Tony Award nominations. His television credits include the People’s Choice Awards, the AFI’s 100 Years… series, and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. He also composed music for two Democratic National Conventions and the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Lady Gaga, Sam Smith & The Weeknd to Perform at Academy Awards
Academy Awards producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin announced today the first slate of presenters and performers for the 88th Oscars telecast. The list includes Lady Gaga, Sam Smith and The Weeknd who are expected to perform their Oscar-nominated songs at the ceremony. Lady Gaga is nominated alongside Diane Warren for the song Til it Happens to You from the documentary The Hunting Ground, while Smith received a nomination the song Writing’s On the Wall from the James Bond film Spectre, which he co-wrote with Jimmy Napes. Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) is nominated with Ahmad Balshe, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Stephan Moccio for the track Earned It from Fifty Shades of Grey.
88th Academy Awards Nominations Announced
Best Original Score:
- Bridge of Spies – Thomas Newman
- Carol – Carter Burwell
- The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone
- Sicario – Johann Johannsson
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens– John Williams
Academy Announces 112 Original Scores in Oscar Race
The Academy of Motion Pictures Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the eligible movies in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 88th Academy Awards. The 112 eligible scores along with the composer are listed below in alphabetical order by film title. The nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
“Adult Beginners,” Marcelo Zarvos, composer
“The Age of Adaline,” Rob Simonsen, composer
“Altered Minds,” Edmund Choi, composer
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
“Anomalisa,” Carter Burwell, composer
“Ant-Man,” Christophe Beck, composer
“Beasts of No Nation,” Dan Romer, composer
Academy Announces 74 Original Songs in Oscar Race
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the short list of 74 songs that are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 88th Academy Awards. During the nominations process, all voting members of the Music Branch will receive a Reminder List of works submitted in the category and a DVD copy of the song clips. Members will be asked to watch the clips and then vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in the category. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.
Michael Giacchino Elected to Academy Music Branch Board
Michael Giacchino has been elected to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 2015–16 Board of Governors. He joins Charles Bernstein and Charles Fox who are the other two governors of the branch. It will mark Giacchino’s first term serving on the music branch board. The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. The Board of Governors directs the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission.
Johann Johannsson, Trent Reznor, Jonny Greenwood, Tyler Bates, Christopher Lennertz & More Invited to Join Academy
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 322 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures to join the organization. Among the invited artists this year a number of film composers, including Johann Johannsson (Prisoners, Sicario) who received his first Academy Award nomination earlier this year for his music for The Theory of Everything, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross who received the Oscar in 2011 for their work on David Fincher’s The Social Network and recently reunited with the director on Gone Girl, Tyler Bates whose film scoring credits include last year’s hit film Guardians of the Galaxy, Jonny Greenwood whose film music work include Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, The Master and Inherent Vice and Christopher Lennertz whose recent feature credits include Ride Along, Horrible Bosses 2 and The Wedding Ringer.
Video Highlights from 87th Academy Awards
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and ABC have published some of the music-related highlights of the 87th Academy Awards ceremony online. Check out the acceptance speeches of Alexandre Desplat who won the Oscar for his music for The Grand Budapest Hotel and John Legend & Common who won the award for the song Glory from Selma after the jump. Also embedded is the backstage press room interview with Desplat, as well as the the live performances of the songs Glory by John Legend & Common, Lost Stars by Adam Levine & Maroon 5, Everything is Awesome by Tegan & Sara and The Loney Island (include a guest appearance by The Lego Movie‘s composer Mark Mothersbaugh), I’m Not Gonna Miss You by Tim McGraw and Grateful by Rita Ora.