First nominees for 14th World Soundtrack Awards released
Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat and Pharrell Williams are the most familiar names among the first nominees that were released by the World Soundtrack Academy. Besides Film Composer of the Year, the World Soundtrack Academy also published the nominees in the categories for Best Original Film Score of the Year and Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film. The WSAwards, one of the most prestigious events in the world of film music, is the closing event of Film Fest Gent and will take place on 25 October at Kuipke in Ghent.
World Soundtrack Academy
Launched in 2001 by Film Fest Gent, the World Soundtrack Academy aims at supporting the art of film music & sound design and its worldwide promotion. In fourteen years time the membership of the WSA grew into a group of more than 370 international professionals (composers, talent agents, publicists, directors and music producers) who decide on the annual WSAwards through several rounds of voting.
Film Composer of the Year
Marco Beltrami A Good Day to Die Hard, Carrie, The Homesman, Snowpiercer, Warm Bodies, The Wolverine, World War Z
Alexandre Desplat The Grand Budapest Hotel, Godzilla, The Monuments Men, Venus in Fur, Philomena, Zulu, Marius
Steven Price Gravity, The World’s End
Gabriel Yared A Promise, In Secret, Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, Tom à la Ferme
Hans Zimmer 12 Years A Slave, Man Of Steel, Rush, The Lone Ranger
Best Original Film Score of the Year
All is Lost by Alexander Ebert
Gravity by Steven Price
Her by Arcade Fire
The Grand Budapest Hotel by Alexandre Desplat
12 Years a Slave by Hans Zimmer
Best Original Song written directly for a Film
Amen - from 'All is Lost'
Music & Lyrics by Alexander Ebert, performed by Alexander Ebert
Happy - from 'Despicable Me 2'
Music, lyrics & performed by Pharell Williams
Let It Go - from 'Frozen'
Music & lyrics by Christophe Beck, Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, performed by Idina Menzel
Ordinary Love - from 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' Music & lyrics by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., Brian Burton, performed by U2
The Moon Song - from 'Her'
Music & lyrics by Karen O. & Spike Jonze, performed by Scarlett Johansson & Joaquin Phoenix
Cliff Martinez and Dan Romer in concert
This year’s central guest is Cliff Martinez, American film music composer and former drummer of the 'Red Hot Chili Peppers'. The WSA concert will mainly focus on his long-time collaboration with Steven Soderbergh, for whom he composed several soundtracks (Traffic, Contagion and Solaris). His cult score for 'Only God Forgives' will also be on the programme. In line with tradition, the WSA also welcomes Dan Romer, who was crowned Discovery of 2013. The former frontman and acoustic guitar player of indie rock band 'Fire Flies' earned this title for his score of the feature 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'.
Francis Lai and Flemish composer Jef Neve
Following the 41st Film Fest Gent’s focus on France, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to French composer Francis Lai at the 14th World Soundtrack Awards. In addition to the oeuvre of Lai, Jef Neve’s captivating music for the prestigious Flemish drama series 'In Flanders Fields' will also be getting some well-deserved attention.
Brussels Philharmonic will be performing the music from and with the composers, conducted by Dirk Brossé and accompanied by film fragments on screen.
Discovery & Spotify Public Choice Award
The Academy Board will select the five nominees for the Discovery of the Year 2014 by the end of August. In addition to the Awards presented by the Academy, the public can also vote for the Spotify Public Choice Award on the WSA website until 15 September. Voters can win an annual subscription for Spotify. You can listen to the WSA playlist and much more on the Spotify account of Film Fest Gent.
The 14th World Soundtrack Awards & Concert will take place on 25 October 2014 at Kuipke in Ghent. Tickets are available online from €30 on and €20 for students. All info can be found on the website www.worldsoundtrackawards.com.
