The 2019 Screen Music Awards are off and running again, and the 2019 contenders have been announced. There are a lot of musicians who work in the smaller, more voluntary end of the screen world, but only a small cohort who build a career on larger projects.
So the same names go round and round, but their work is exquisite. Practice does make perfect, and the discipline requires a deep understanding of composition, film, storytelling and found sound. And the discipline to realise that less is more.
This year the awards, supported by APRA and AMCOSS, are at the Forum in Melbourne on November 20.
One of the pleasures of the list is the way that it has absolutely no respect for mainstream, and honours challenges. So the feature contenders are
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Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Published by Cas Music Australia obo Copyright Administration Films
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Composed by Dan Luscombe and Antony Partos
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Composed by AJ True
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Composed by François Tétaz
Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Rubber Music Publishing
Caitlin Yeo has a lovely cv and she is also president of the guild. Her work on Danger Close has seven vocalists, two violins, two violas, two cellos, one contrabass and two percussionists. Caitlin Yeo provided the flute, accordian and piano.
In the partnership to musicalise the science fiction film I am Mother, Dan Luscombe has also worked on Jindabyne and Hounds of Love, while Antony Partos has a huge cv which takes him from the sonic world of a Pacific Island community to the Sherpas on Everest.
Jirga is a tiny film, and a quest into the backblocks of Afghanistan which is pretty spiritual. Composer AJ True is known for his work as co-founder and drummer of psychobilly band Zombie Ghost Train. But he has also written for Red Dog, Underbelly, True Blood, Home and Away and Star Wars Burlesque.
Judy and Punch must have been a lovely challenge for François Tétaz since it is quasi-medieval, quasi-theatrical, quasi-European and mostly a fable with outburst of anti-comic violence. Tétaz is mostly involved in the recording industry for which he has a Grammy and an ARIA. In film he has done The Square, Wolf Creek (for which he has a Screen Music Award) and Rogue.
The organisers are always keen to emphasise the new names in the list alongside the veterans which also include Briony Marks, Cezary Skubiszewski, David Bridie, Amanda Brown and Burkhard Dallwitz.
According to the release, ‘The 2019 roll-call also features first time nominees Piers Burbrook de Vere, Brontë Horder, Andrew Sampford, AJ True, Sophia Brous, Mirrah Foulkes, Rory Chenoweth and Luke Altmann.’
Here is the rest of the list:
Best Music for a Documentary
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Composed by Bryony Marks
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
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Composed by David Bridie
Published by Mushroom Music
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Composed by Amanda Brown
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
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Composed by Luke Altmann
Best Music for a Short Film
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Composed by Rory Chenoweth
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Composed by Angela Little
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Composed by Freya Berkhout
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Composed by Burkhard Dallwitz
Best Soundtrack Album
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Composed by Bryony Marks
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
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Composed by Piers Burbrook de Vere
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Composed by Cezary Skubiszewski
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Composed by David Bridie
Published by Mushroom Music
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
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Composed by Justin Shave
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Composed by Brontë Horder
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Composed by Paul Kelly
Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
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Composed by Sophia Brous, François Tétaz* and Mirrah Foulkes
Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Rubber Music Publishing*
Best Music for Children’s Television
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Composed by Michael Lira
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Composed by Joff Bush
Published by Universal Music Publishing obo BBCW Music Publishing
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Composed by Brett Aplin
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Composed by Michael Dooley
Best Television Theme
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Composed by Antony Partos
Published by Sonar Music
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Composed by Michael Yezerski
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Composed by Brett Aplin
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Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
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Composed by Jackson Milas and Antony Partos
Published by Sonar Music
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Composed by David Bridie
Published by Mushroom Music
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Composed by Matteo Zingales
Published by Sonar Music
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Composed by Andrew Sampford
Published by ABC Music Publishing
Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
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Composed by Michael Yezerski
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Composed by Daniel Denholm
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Composed by Bryony Marks
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo LilliPilli IP
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Composed by Burkhard Dallwitz, Brett Aplin and Dmitri Golovko
Best Music for an Advertisement
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Composed by Adrian Sergovich
Published by Song Zu Publishing
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Composed by Dmitri Golovko
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Composed by Gerard Fitzgerald
Published by Song Zu Publishing
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Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia*
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Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas*
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