Australian screen music and film luminaries have gathered for the annual Screen Music Awards to celebrate the composers that made an impact in the previous year. The event, staged jointly by APRA AMCOS and the AGSC (Australian Guild of Screen Composers) was held at the City Recital Hall in Sydney and paid tribute to screen composers across 12 categories who impressed an independent panel of judges with their work across TV, online, film and advertising.
Screen composer Caitlin Yeo has taken out the Feature Film Score of the Year for her original score for The Butterfly Tree, a movie about an ex-burlesque queen (Evelyn) who puts a curse on single dad Al and his son Fin. The film’s soundtrack has earned Yeo a second Screen Music Award for 2018, in the category of Best Soundtrack Album. She has previously won Feature Film Score of the Year for The Rocket in 2013. It was a special evening for Yeo, who also attended in her capacity as President of the AGSC.
Matteo Zingales has also received two Screen Music Awards - the first for Harrow, in the category of Best Television Theme. The second is for his collaboration with fellow screen composer Antony Partos. Together they have scored the award for Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie for the acclaimed ABC television series Mystery Road.
Celebrated film and television screen composer Nerida Tyson-Chew has won a gong in the category of Best Music for Children’s Television for her work on children’s animated television series The Deep (for the episode The Missing). Father and son composers Cezary and Jan Skubiszewski, who teamed up to create the driving music for the Picnic at Hanging Rock reboot (and published by BMG Rights Management obo Fremantle Media), have taken out the award for Best Music for a Television Series or Serial. This is the second time the duo has won an award in this category, winning in 2014 for Serangoon Road.
Tonight’s festivities introduced a new guard of composers with four first-time winners. The Best Music for a Documentary honour has gone to Perth-based musician and composer Sean Tinnion, who dazzled judges with his score for the ABC’s A Stargazer’s Guide to the Cosmos, delivering him his first win. Also scoring his first Screen Music Award win is Adrian Sergovich, whose formidable score for Screen Australia’s Lost and Found has generated praise around the globe. It has now landed him the award for Best Music for a Short Film.
First-time nominee Oscar Joe Gross (published by ABC Music Publishing) became a first-time winner with Now I Know from ABC drama Pulse, receiving the award for Best Original Song Composed for the Screen. Fellow debut nominee also collecting his first Screen Awards trophy is composer Jackson Milas, who has won the award for Best Music for an Advertisement for his music for the catchy Forty Winks campaign.
Long-time collaborators Dinesh Wicks and Adam Gock were named Most Performed Screen Composers – Australia; while 13 was certainly not an unlucky number for composer Neil Sutherland who is the Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas for the 11th consecutive year, taking his overall tally of Screen Music Awards to 13. The world over hears Neil’s signature work in the long-running MythBusters series.
Producer and Director Robert Connolly, this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Services to Australian Screen Award, was presented with his honour by composer Nigel Westlake who composed the original score for Paper Planes. “You would be hard pressed to find another individual who has given voice to the artistry of so many Australian composers, a man who has nurtured our community and provided the resources for our local talent to shine and realise their craft so thoroughly and with absolute integrity. The opportunity to work with Rob on Paper Planes was a highlight of my career. He is a filmmaker of the utmost integrity, a storyteller of immense facility, and has always believed in the power of cinema as a force for good,” said Westlake.
Westlake was joined by co-composer Lior (with special guest Jonathan Zwartz on double bass) to perform Ma Wadani Ahadun (Until the End of Time) from Ali's Wedding. Performing a musical tribute to Connolly was Jared Underwood (drums), Musical Director Jessica Wells on piano, Damian de Boos-Smith (guitar), Julian Langdon (keyboard) and Jonathan Zwartz for their rendition of The Boys II and Fife & Drum composed by The Necks from Connolly’s landmark film The Boys.
Singer/songwriter Ajak Kwai closed proceedings with Majokdit and Tita from the SBS television series Sunshine. And Musical Director Wells led an orchestra that provided beautiful renditions of the nominated Feature Film Score of the Year works throughout the ceremony.
The Awards were hosted by dynamo Denise Scott, who was joined by presenters Gillian Armstrong, Marcus Graham, The Hon. Don Harwin MLC, Minister for Resources, Energy & Utilities and the Arts, Lynette Curran, Clayton Jacobson, and Kim Gyngell.
Congratulations to all nominees and winners!
WINNERS 2018 SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS
Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award*
Robert Connolly
Feature Film Score of the Year
Title The Butterfly Tree
Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Best Television Theme
Title Harrow
Composed by Matteo Zingales
Published by Sonar Music
Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
Title Picnic at Hanging Rock
Composed by Cezary Skubiszewski and Jan Skubiszewski
Published by BMG Rights Management obo Fremantle Media
Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
Title Mystery Road
Composed by Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales
Published by Sonar Music
Best Music for a Documentary
Title A Stargazer's Guide to the Cosmos
Composed by Sean Tinnion
Best Music for a Short Film
Title Lost and Found
Composed by Adrian Sergovich
Best Soundtrack Album
Title The Butterfly Tree
Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
Title Now I Know from Pulse
Composed by Oscar Joe Gross
Published by ABC Music Publishing
Best Music for Children’s Television
Title The Deep: The Missing
Composed by Nerida Tyson-Chew
Best Music for an Advertisement
Title Forty Winks
Composed by Jackson Milas
Published by Sonar Music
Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia**
Composers: Dinesh Wicks and Adam Gock
Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas**
Composer: Neil Sutherland
*Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award (as determined by APRA Board of Directors)
**Determined by statistical analysis
More information: http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2018/november/2018-screen-music-awards-winners-announced/
