Award winning “Chernobyl” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir will be the guest of honour at the upcoming World Soundtrack Awards held during the Ghent Film Festival on October 10, 2026.
Guðnadóttir has emerged as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary film scoring, reshaping the emotional language of cinema through sound. Born in Reykjavík, Iceland, into a musical family, she began studying cello at five before pursuing composition and new media in Iceland and Berlin, where she is now based.
HBO’s Chernobyl
Her international breakthrough came with HBO’s Chernobyl (2019), a score built from industrial textures and environmental recordings that redefined sonic storytelling. The work earned her an Emmy, a Grammy, and the World Soundtrack Award for Television Composer of the Year—making her the first solo female composer to win the Grammy in this category.
Guðnadóttir cemented her place in film history with Joker (2020), crafting a visceral, cello-driven score that became integral to the film’s psychological intensity. Her work earned a Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice Award, and another Grammy, marking a record-breaking awards season for a female composer.
Wide-ranging body of soundtracks
Her versatility is evident across a wide-ranging body of work spanning film, television, and video games. Her credits include Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Mary Magdalene, TÁR, Women Talking, and A Haunting in Venice. She also co-composed the score for Battlefield 2042, which won a Society of Composers & Lyricists Award.
Recent projects continue to showcase her evolving voice, including Hedda, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride (2026). In 2025, she received a Career Achievement Award at the Zurich Film Festival.
Alongside her screen work, Guðnadóttir maintains an active recording career, with five solo albums that reflect her experimental roots. Across mediums, her work consistently challenges conventions—placing texture, atmosphere, and emotional resonance at the forefront of modern composition.
Practical
This year, the WSA Film Music Days will take place from 8 to 10 October 2026 in the Belgian town of Ghent. The World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert will be held on 10 October 2026 at Muziekcentrum de Bijloke. Tickets for the event are now available.
Discover Guðnadóttir on Spotify
(Michael Leahy. Photo: Jeroen Willems)