nicholas brittel among winners at World Soundtrack Awards

For the 19th year in a row, the World Soundtrack Awards were announced during Film Fest Gent on October 18, 2019. The World Soundtrack Awards are one of the most important film music awards. They focus on special contributors to the world of film music. This year’s winners are Nicholas BritellHildur GuðnadóttirLady GagaFrédéric VerchevalMichael AbelsJohn PowellFrédéric Devreese and Krzysztof Penderecki were both honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The American jazz pianist and composer Pierre Charles was awarded the Sabam Award for the Most Original Composition by a Young International Composer. Charles was received the award from Sabam CEO Carine Libert for the music he wrote for Nicolas Roeg’s dark thriller ‘Don’t Look Now’.

Other winners include “Shallow” from A Star is Born, written by songwriters Lady Gaga, Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson, along with Anthony Rossomando. Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir took home the trophy for Best Television Composer of the Year highlighting her outstanding work on Chernobyl

Charles had already made a name for himself playing with jazz greats such as Rodney Whitaker, Michael Dease, Sean Dobbins, Diego Rivera, Randy Napoleon as Brian Lynch, Louis Hayes. In 2016, Charles discovered a new vocation as a composer of film mus. In the space of two years he wrote the music for four short films. At the same time, he took the time to release the experimental music album ‘Better’. A record that immediately found its way into the top 50 iTunes Jazz Charts.

For more about this year’s World Soundtrack Awards.

Last minute: video game workshop in Brussels

Games industry body to talk creativity and employment

On November 12 a workshop about the European video game industry will take place at an unusual location: the European Parliament in Brussels. This workshop, organised by Creativity Works,  is a chance to get a glimpse at how Europe’s football and video game industries work and what they need to keep creating jobs throughout Europe and remain engines of innovation.

The meeting will bring together:

Stefan Brost, Head of EU Office, Bundesliga (Germany)
Mathieu Moreuil, Head of European Public Policy, Premier League
Richard Glynn, CEO of Studio Powwow
David Sweeney, Senior Counsel, ISFE
Continue reading Last minute: video game workshop in Brussels

RIP: James Horner

Titanic composer dies in plane crash


Sad news from Southern California: the Oscar-winning composer James Horner died in a plane crash on June 22, 2015.  Horner was the composer of several major movies, notably “A Beautiful Mind”, “Troy”, “Avatar” and “Apollo 13”.  Horner’s soundtrack to the James Cameron movie “Titanic” earned him two Oscars, for the soundtrack and for best song. It also earned him two Grammys and two Golden Globes.

The 61 year-old was flying one of his light planes when it crashed in the early morning. There were no other casualties.  His assistant Sylvia Patrycja commented: “We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent.”

Horner was working on the score to the two sequels that have been planned to Avatar. His next film to be released will be “Southpaw”, a boxing drama starring Jake Gyllenhall and Rachel McAdams. Other projects include “The 33”, a film based on the 2010 Chilean mining disaster, that will be in released in November.


The rise and fall of French soundtrack composers

French soundtrack composers are feeling a double pinch in cinema

Soundtrack composer Philippe Sarde
Soundtrack composer Philippe Sarde

There was a time when writing for cinema had a certain prestige. There was also a time when writing for cinema usually involved being paid to do the work. Increasingly, however, composers are finding themselves totally squeezed on both fronts. Continue reading The rise and fall of French soundtrack composers

Ghent Film festival to showcase British music

British film composers set to attend festival and seminars

Composer Michael Nyman
British composer Michael Nyman

For its 42nd edition, Belgium’s Film Fest Gent is to showcase British cinema. A notable part of this will be the GREAT BRITISH FILM MUSIC concert. This will provide an anthology of the work of both classical and contemporary film composers that have made a notable contribution to British cinema. Continue reading Ghent Film festival to showcase British music