COMPOSERS JAMES NEWTON HOWARD AND ALEXANDRE DESPLAT DOMINATE

FEBRUARY 5, 2015 — The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of nominees for excellence in musical scoring in 2014, for the 11th annual IFMCA Awards. The most nominated composers are American James Newton Howard and Frenchman Alexandre Desplat.

Howard received seven nominations, including nods for Score of the Year, Composer of the Year, Best Action/Adventure/Thriller score, and Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror score, all of which were split between his two main works of 2014: the action adventure sequel “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I,” and Disney’s reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty story, “Maleficent”. Howard also received an unprecedented three nominations in the Film Music Composition of the Year category, including one for the song “The Hanging Tree,” which he co-wrote with Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers, and Hunger Games book series author Suzanne Collins, and which was performed by the film’s lead actress, Jennifer Lawrence. Howard has previously been nominated for a total of 23 IFMCA Awards, winning six of them, including Score of the Year in 2006 for “Lady in the Water”.

Desplat received six nominations: for Score of the Year, two for Best Drama score, Best Comedy score, Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror score, and overall Composer of the Year. Desplat’s work in 2014 comprised several outstanding works, notably the blockbuster monster movie “Godzilla,” director Wes Anderson’s quirky comedy “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” the critically acclaimed biopic of British code breaker Alan Turing “The Imitation Game,” and the George Clooney-directed WWII drama “The Monuments Men”. Desplat has previously been nominated for a total of 35 IFMCA Awards, winning nine of them. He won the Best Score award in 2008 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and was named Composer of the Year in 2006, 2007, and 2010.

Other composers with multiple nominations include John Powell, who picked up four nominations, all for his work on the animated sequel “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” and Hans Zimmer, who picked up three nominations, all for his work on the Christopher Nolan-directed epic science fiction odyssey “Interstellar”. The other top award nomination went to composer Christopher Young for his score for the epic Chinese action-adventure film “The Monkey King [Xi You Ji: Da Nao Tian Gong],” based on the ancient classical novel Journey to the West.

In addition to Desplat, Howard, Powell and Zimmer, the other composer vying for the title of Composer of the Year is Marco Beltrami, who wrote a number of outstanding scores in 2014, including the Danish TV mini-series “1864,” the mafia drama “The Drop,” the futuristic adventure “The Giver,” the spy thriller “The November Man,” and the fantasy action film “The Seventh Son”. Beltrami received an individual nomination for Best Drama score for his work on director-star Tommy Lee Jones’s bleak and powerful Western “The Homesman”.

Each year the IFMCA goes out of its way to recognize emerging talent in the film music world, and this year is no exception. The nominees in the Breakthrough Composer of the Year category include German composer Alexander Cimini, for his work on the surrealist post-apocalyptic drama “Red Krokodil”; Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel, the erstwhile conductor-in-residence of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, who made his film music debut in 2014 scoring the epic drama “The Liberator [Liberador]”; experimental British singer/songwriter/composer Mica Levi, who impressed with her debut score for the art-house science fiction drama “Under the Skin”; and American composers Matthew Llewellyn and John Paesano, who both wrote impressive scores for a pair of films: Llewellyn with “Deep in the Darkness” and “Wishin’ and Hopin’,” and Paesano with “The Maze Runner” and “When the Game Stands Tall”.

As it has in previous years, the IFMCA takes pride in honoring composers from across the film music world; this year’s international nominees include Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson for his score for the critically acclaimed Stephen Hawking biopic ‘The Theory of Everything,” Spanish composer Roque Baños for his work on the biopic of Mexican comedian and actor “Cantinflas,” Portuguese composer Nuno Malo for his superb music accompanying the 1920s thriller “No God No Master,” Spanish composer Zacarías M. de la Riva for his astonishing contribution to the sci-fi thriller “Autómata,” Frenchman Philippe Rombi for his first ever animation score “Asterix: The Land of the Gods [Astérix: Le Domaine des Dieux],” Norwegian composer Henrik Skram for the feature documentary “Ballet Boys,” and two composers whose superb work on international television series really captured the attention of the voting membership: Japanese composer Yūgo Kanno for the 53rd NHK Taiga drama “Gunshi Kanbei,” and Argentinean composer Federico Jusid for “Isabel”.

Several other composers are receiving their first ever IFMCA Award nominations this year, including Ben Foster (“Hidden Kingdoms,” Documentary), David Newman (“Tarzan,” Animation), Jeff Russo (“Fargo,” Television), and Sarah Schachner (“Assassin’s Creed: Unity,” Video Game).

The International Film Music Critics Association will announce the winners of the 11th IFMCA Awards on February 19, 2015.

COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR

• The Grand Budapest Hotel, music by Alexandre Desplat
• How to Train Your Dragon 2, music by John Powell
• Interstellar, music by Hans Zimmer
• Maleficent, music by James Newton Howard
• The Monkey King [Xi You Ji: Da Nao Tian Gong], music by Christopher Young

COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

• Marco Beltrami
• Alexandre Desplat
• James Newton Howard
• John Powell
• Hans Zimmer

BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

• Alexander Cimini
• Gustavo Dudamel
• Mica Levi
• Matthew Llewellyn
• John Paesano

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM

• The Homesman, music by Marco Beltrami
• The Imitation Game, music by Alexandre Desplat
• The Liberator [Libertador], music by Gustavo Dudamel
• The Monuments Men, music by Alexandre Desplat
• The Theory of Everything, music by Jóhann Jóhannsson

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM

• Cantinflas, music by Roque Baños
• The Grand Budapest Hotel, music by Alexandre Desplat
• A Million Ways to Die in the West, music by Joel McNeely
• Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, music by Alan Silvestri
• Wishin’ and Hopin’, music by Matthew Llewellyn

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM

• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I, music by James Newton Howard
• Inherent Vice, music by Jonny Greenwood
• The Maze Runner, music by John Paesano
• The Monkey King [Xi You Ji: Da Nao Tian Gong], music by Christopher Young
• No God No Master, music by Nuno Malo

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FILM

• Autómata, music by Zacarías M. de la Riva
• Godzilla, music by Alexandre Desplat
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, music by Howard Shore
• Interstellar, music by Hans Zimmer
• Maleficent, music by James Newton Howard

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE

• Asterix: The Land of the Gods [Astérix: Le Domaine des Dieux], music by Philippe Rombi
• The Boxtrolls, music by Dario Marianelli
• How to Train Your Dragon 2, music by John Powell
• Son of Batman, music by Frederik Wiedmann
• Tarzan, music by David Newman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY

• Ballet Boys, music by Henrik Skram
• Bears, music by George Fenton
• Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, music by Alan Silvestri
• Hidden Kingdoms, music by Ben Foster
• The Unknown Known, music by Danny Elfman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A TELEVISION SERIES

• Fargo, music by Jeff Russo
• Gunshi Kanbei, music by Yūgo Kanno
• Isabel, music by Federico Jusid
• The Leftovers, music by Max Richter
• Penny Dreadful, music by Abel Korzeniowski

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA

• Assassin’s Creed: Unity, music by Chris Tilton and Sarah Schachner
• The Banner Saga, music by Austin Wintory
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, music by Óscar Araujo
• Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, music by Geoff Knorr, Griffin Cohen, Michael Curran and Grant Kirkhope
• World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, music by Russell Brower, Neal Acree, Clint Bajakian, Sam Cardon, Craig Stuart Garfinkle, Edo Guidotti and Eímear Noone

BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE OF AN EXISTING SCORE – RE-RELEASE OR RE-RECORDING

• The Abyss; music by Alan Silvestri, album produced by Nick Redman and Robert Townson, liner notes by Julie Kirgo, album art direction by Robert Townson and Bill Pitzonka (Varèse Sarabande)
• Empire of the Sun; music by John Williams, album produced by Mike Matessino, liner notes by Mike Matessino, album art direction by Jim Titus (La-La Land)
• Lair; music by John Debney, additional music by Kevin Kaska, album produced by Dan Goldwasser and John Debney, liner notes by Jeff Bond, album art direction by Dan Goldwasser (La-La Land)
• The Lion King; score by Hans Zimmer, songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, album produced by Randy Thornton, liner notes by Hans Zimmer and Don Hahn, album art direction by Lorelay Bové (Disney)
• On the Waterfront; music by Leonard Bernstein, album produced by Douglass Fake, liner notes by Frank K. DeWald, album art direction by Joe Sikoryak (Intrada)

BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE OF AN EXISTING SCORE – COMPILATION

• The Ava Collection; music by Elmer Bernstein, album produced by Douglass Fake, liner notes by Douglass Fake, album art direction by Joe Sikoryak (Intrada)
• Batman: The Animated Series Volume 3; music by Shirley Walker, Carlos Rodriguez, Peter Tomashek, Todd Hayen, Harvey R. Cohen, Michael McCuistion, Lars Clutterham, Stuart Balcomb, Mark Koval, Lolita Ritmanis, Richard Bronskill, Tamara Kline, Carl Johnson, Steve Chesne and James Stemple, album produced by John Takis and Neil S. Bulk, liner notes by John Takis, album art direction by Dan Goldwasser (La-La Land)
• Elmer Bernstein: The Wild Side; music by Elmer Bernstein, performed by Big Band de Canarias feat. Esther Ovejero, Kike Perdomo and Sara Andon, album produced by Robert Townson and Kike Perdomo, liner notes by Robert Townson, album art direction by Robert Townson and Bill Pitzonka (Varèse Sarabande)
• Henry Mancini: The Classic Soundtrack Collection; music by Henry Mancini, album produced by Didier C. Deutsch and Mark G. Wilder, liner notes by Didier C. Deutsch, album art direction by Chris Mancini and Edward O’Dowd (Legacy/Sony)
• The Naked Gun Trilogy; music by Ira Newborn, album produced by Dan Goldwasser and Neil S. Bulk, liner notes by Daniel Schweiger, album art direction by Dan Goldwasser (La-La Land)

FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR 

• Intrada Records, Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson
• La-La Land Records, MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys
• Moviescore Media, Mikael Carlsson
• Quartet Records, Jose M. Benitez
• Varèse Sarabande, Robert Townson

FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

• “Flying With Mother” from How to Train Your Dragon 2, music by John Powell
• “The Hanging Tree” from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I, music by Jeremiah Fraites, Wesley Schultz and James Newton Howard, lyrics by Suzanne Collins
• “Maleficent Flies” from Maleficent, music by James Newton Howard
• “Maleficent Suite” from Maleficent, music by James Newton Howard
• “Tsunami” from Exodus: Gods and Kings, music by Harry Gregson-Williams

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) is an association of online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing and broadcasting about original film, television and game music.

 Since its inception the IFMCA has grown to comprise over 60 members from countries such as Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

 Previous IFMCA Score of the Year Awards have been awarded to Abel Korzeniowski’s “Romeo & Juliet” in 2013, Mychael Danna’s “Life of Pi” in 2012, John Williams’s “War Horse” in 2011, John Powell’s “How to Train Your Dragon” in 2010, Michael Giacchino’s “Up” in 2009, Alexandre Desplat’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” in 2008, Dario Marianelli’s “Atonement” in 2007, James Newton Howard’s “Lady in the Water” in 2006, John Williams’s “Memoirs of a Geisha” in 2005 and Michael Giacchino’s “The Incredibles” in 2004.

For more information about the International Film Music Critics Association go to www.filmmusiccritics.org , visit our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @ifmca, or contact us at press@filmmusiccritics.org.