World Soundtrack Academy
The World Soundtrack Academy (WSA, or World Soundtrack Awards), launched in 2001 by the Film Fest Gent, is aimed at organizing and overseeing the educational, cultural and professional aspects of the art of film music, including the preservation of the history of the soundtrack and its worldwide promotion. The event takes place yearly in Ghent, Belgium with the ceremony usually at the Bijloke Concert Hall. Usually, the Brussels Philharmonic performs the awarded music at the ceremony.
Main Awards
The three main categories are:
- Soundtrack Composer of the Year
- Best Original Score of the Year
- Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film
Other awards
- Discovery of the Year
- Public Choice Award (2001–2002, 2004–)
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Best Young Belgian Composer
- Major Contribution to the Art of Film Music and Sound (handed out occasionally)
- Most Creative Use of Existing Material on a Soundtrack (2001)
- Best Original Score of the Year Not Released on an Album (2001)
Background
Brussels Philharmonic conducted by maestro Dirk Brossé performs fragments from several scores during the awards ceremony at the Kuipke in Ghent. Usually, the winner of the WSAward of Composer of the Year is invited to the ceremony's next edition to perform a concert with his music.
Seminars for and with film music professionals, colloquia and concerts are also being organized next to the gala evening. There are also CD releases (with live concerts by Hans Zimmer, George Fenton and Georges Delerue) and the book Moving Music (by Lannoo - Tielt) that was published in 2005, in response to 20 years of film music at the film festival. In 2007, the CD series For the Record was launched, to shed light on the works of composers who had already performed at the festival. Hitherto, this series is made up of CDs by Craig Armstrong (2007), Mychael Danna (2008), Angelo Badalamenti (2009), Shigeru Umebayashi (2010), Gabriel Yared (2011) and Cliff Martinez (2014).
The festival is praised as one of the first cultural organizations to turn the spotlight on film music, which gave it the status of a pioneer. It has built up a strong reputation by organizing concerts, such as the very first concert of music by Hans Zimmer.
Honors
2015
- Film Composer of the Year: Michael Giacchino
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Birdman (Antonio Sánchez)
- Best Original Song Written for a Film: "The Apology Song" from The Book of Life (Music by Gustavo Santaolalla, lyrics by Paul Williams, performed by Diego Luna)
- Discovery of the Year: Antonio Sánchez for Birdman
- Public Choice Award: The Maze Runner (John Paesano)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Patrick Doyle
- SABAM Award For Best Young International Composer: Peer Kleinschmidt
2014
- Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Alexandre Desplat)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Happy" from Despicable Me 2 (Pharrell Williams)
- Discovery of the Year: Daniel Pemberton
- Public Choice Award: Marina (Michelino Bisceglia)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Francis Lai
- SABAM Award For Best Young International Composer: Cyril Molesti
2013
- Film Composer of the Year: Mychael Danna
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Life of Pi (Mychael Danna)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Skyfall" from Skyfall (Adele)
- Discovery of the Year: Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin
- Public Choice Award: The Butterfly's Dream (Rahman Altin)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Riz Ortolani
- SABAM Award For Best Young International Composer: Gilles Alonzo
2012
- Film Composer of the Year: Alberto Iglesias
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Alberto Iglesias)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Lay Your Head Down" uit Albert Nobbs (Brian Byrne)
- Discovery of the Year: Brian Byrne
- Public Choice Award: W.E. (Abel Korzeniowski)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Pino Donaggio
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Valentin Hadjadj
2011
- Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Inception (Hans Zimmer)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "We Belong Together" uit Toy Story 3 (Randy Newman)
- Discovery of the Year: Alex Heffes
- Public Choice Award: 127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Giorgio Moroder
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Gabriel Heinrich
2010
- Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Fantastic Mr. Fox (Alexandre Desplat)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "The Weary Kind" uit Crazy Heart (Ryan Bingham en T-Bone Burnett)
- Discovery of the Year: Abel Korzeniowski
- Public Choice Award: A Single Man (Abel Korzeniowski)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: John Barry
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Karzan Mahmood
2009
- Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Alexandre Desplat)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Jai Ho" uit Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman)
- Discovery of the Year: Nico Muhly
- Public Choice Award: Twilight (Carter Burwell)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Marvin Hamlisch
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Christopher Slaski
2008
- Film Composer of the Year: James Newton Howard
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Atonement (Dario Marianelli)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Down to Earth" uit WALL•E (Thomas Newman en Peter Gabriel)
- Discovery of the Year: Marc Streitenfeld
- Public Choice Award: Aanrijding in Moscow (Tuur Florizoone)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Angelo Badalamenti
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Cedric Murrath
2007
- Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Fountain (Clint Mansell)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "You Know My Name" uit Casino Royale (Chris Cornell en David Arnold)
- Discovery of the Year: Daniel Tarrab and Andres Goldstein
- Public Choice Award: The Fountain (Clint Mansell)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Mikis Theodorakis
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Werner Viaene
2006
- Film Composer of the Year: Alberto Iglesias
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Constant Gardener (Alberto Iglesias)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Old Habits Die Hard" uit Alfie (Dave Stewart en Mick Jagger)
- Discovery of the Year: Michael Giacchino
- Public Choice Award: Brokeback Mountain (Gustavo Santaolalla)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Peer Raben
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Alexis Koustoulidis
2005
- Film Composer of the Year: Angelo Badalamenti
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: War of the Worlds (John Williams)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Our Town" uit Cars (Randy Newman)
- Discovery of the Year: Evanthia Reboutsika
- Public Choice Award: Alexander (Vangelis)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Jerry Leiber en Mike Stoller
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Hannes De Maeyer
2004
- Film Composer of the Year: Gabriel Yared
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Cold Mountain (Gabriel Yared)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "You will be my Ain True Love" uit Cold Mountain (Sting)
- Discovery of the Year: Gustavo Santaolalla
- Public Choice Award: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (John Williams)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Alan Bergman en Marilyn Bergman
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Steven Prengels
2003
- Film Composer of the Year: Elliot Goldenthal
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Frida (Elliot Goldenthal)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "The Hands that Built America" uit Gangs of New York (U2)
- Discovery of the Year: Antonio Pinto
- Public Choice Award: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Howard Shore)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Maurice Jarre
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Michael Vancraeynest
2002
- Film Composer of the Year: Patrick Doyle
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Howard Shore)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "If I Didn't Have You" uit Monsters, Inc. (Randy Newman)
- Discovery of the Year: Klaus Badelt
- Public Choice Award: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Howard Shore)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: George Martin
- Award For Best Young International Composer: Alex Otterlei
2001
- Film Composer of the Year: John Williams
- Best Original Film Score of the Year: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Yann Tiersen)
- Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Come What May" uit Moulin Rouge! (David Baerwald)
- Discovery of the Year: Craig Armstrong
- Public Choice Award: Artificial Intelligence: A.I. (John Williams)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Elmer Bernstein
Film music concerts in Ghent
- 2015 WSA (Alan Silvestri, Daniel Pemberton), Great British Film Music
- 2014 WSA (Cliff Martinez, Dan Romer, Francis Lai, Jef Neve), Chaplin's The Circus, Concert Nino Rota
- 2013: WSA (Alexandre Desplat, Riz Ortolanoi), Scoring for Scorsese, The 7th Heaven Live by Kevin Toma, 40 Years of Film Fest Gent
- 2012: WSA (James Newton Howard, Pino Donaggio), 007 in Concert, The B-Movie Orchestra, Ennio Morricone Concerto
- 2011: WSA (Hans Zimmer, Elliot Goldenthal, Howard Shore, Giorgio Moroder), Maestros of Suspense (Bernard Herrman, Franz Waxman)
- 2010: WSA (Angelo Badalamenti, Howard Shore, Gustavo Santaolalla, Stephen Warbeck, Craig Armstrong, Elliot Goldenthal), John Barry Tribute Concert, Koyaanisqatsi in Concert
- 2009: WSA (Alexandre Desplat, Marvin Hamlish, Marc Streitenfeld), Shigeru Umebayashi, Divine Féminin: Alexandre Desplat en het Traffic Quintet, Jef Neve
- 2008: WSA (Dario Marianelli, Angelo Badalamenti, Tuur Florizoone), John Williams Tribute Concert, Folk Music in Film (Kadril), Clint Mansell in Concert, Gabriel Yared - A Tribute to Anthony Minghella
- 2007: WSA (Mychael Danna, Evanthia Reboutsika, Harry Gregson-Williams), Alberto Iglesias in concert, Gustavo Santaolalla
- 2006: WSA (John Powell, Michael Giacchino, Peer Raben), Craig Armstrong Film Works, Harry Potter Meets Wim Mertens (John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Wim Mertens)
- 2005: WSA (Rachel Portman, Jerry Leiber en Mike Stoller, Gustavo Santaolalla), Polish Composers in Concert (Zbigniew Preisner, Wojciech Kilar, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Bronislau Kaper, Christopher Komeda e.a.)
- 2004: WSA (Elmer Bernstein, David Raksin, Michael Kamen, Wim Mertens), Jerry Goldsmith Tribute Concert, The Lord of the Rings Symphony in Six Movements (Howard Shore)
- 2003: WSA (Patrick Doyle en Hooverphonic), Raymond van het Groenewoud
- 2002: WSA (Fenton-Delerue: A Film Music Celebration), As Time Goes By: Roby Lakatos, Jizo And Other Concert Works By Film Composers, Yann Tiersen in Concert
- 2001: WSA (Gabriel Yared en Elmer Bernstein), Falling: The Concert featuring Praga Khan
- 2000: Hans Zimmer Live in Concert, Ennio Morricone Live in Ghent
- 1999: Film Music at the Opera (Stephen Warbeck, Jean-Claude Petit, Elliot Goldenthal en Frédéric Devreese)
- 1998: The Birth of a Score II (Michael Kamen, Edward Shearmur, Loek Dikker, Dirk Brossé en Elmer Bernstein)
- 1997: The Birth of a Score I (Dirk Brossé, Frédéric Devreese, Leonard Rosenman en Jean-Claude Petit)
- 1995: Pietro Mascagni in Concert
- 1994: A Tribute to Georges Delerue, Classical Music in Film II
- 1993: A Tribute to Bernard Hermann, Classical Music in Film I
- 1992: Music from Films by Derek Jarman (Simon Fisher Turner)
- 1991: Michael Nyman in Concert
- 1989: Film Music in Europe (Frédéric Devreese, Dirk Brossé, Nicola Piovani, Peer Raben, Stanley Myers en Lukas Karitinos)
- 1988: A Night of Great Film Music (Frédéric Devreese, Georges Delerue, Bruce Broughton, David Newman en Jean-Claude Petit), Toots Thielemans Film Music Concert
- 1987: A Night to Remember: Ennio Morricone
- 1985: A Tribute to Nino Rota
References
- cdinsight.com
- stuff.co.nz
- (Dutch) standaard.be