AFTRS alumni have been recognised with 14 nominations across eight categories at the Screen Music Awards presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC). The annual awards acknowledge excellence and innovation in screen composition, and, this year, have highlighted 46 nominees across 12 categories, with 36 projects recognised across feature, documentary and short films, television, advertising, and soundtracks.
Leading the nominees in 2020 is alumnus and newly appointed AGSC director Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film and Television) Sound, 1990), who has earned four nods for his work. His original composition for Peter Duncan’s (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Scriptwriting, 1993) Operation Buffalo, has him in the running for Best Television Theme and Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie. Partos is also in contention for Best Music for Documentary for Maralinga Tjarutja and Best Original Song Composed for the Screen for Total Control’s ‘Edge of Something’, with co-writers Missy Higgins and fellow alumnus Matteo Zingales.
Zingales is also recognised in the Best Music for a Documentary category for Machine, competing against alumni Damien Lane (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2011) and Amanda Brown (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition, 1999) for Quilty: Painting the Shadows. Recognised for her work on series The Secrets She Keeps, directed by alumnae Jennifer Leacey (Graduate Diploma: Directing (Fiction & Non-Fiction, 2010) and Catherine Millar (Diploma Directing, 1979), Amanda Brown received a second nomination in the Best Music for a Television Series or Serial category.
Earlier this year, Antonio Gambale’s original score for hit Netflix series Unorthodox earned him two Emmy Award nominations for Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) and Original Main Title Theme Music. His work on the series continues to garner acclaim, now in contention for Best Television Theme and Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie.
Also receiving two nods is Michael Yezerski (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition Sound, 2000), who is up for Feature Film Score of the Year for The Vigil and Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas, a category determined by APRA AMCOS’ statistical analysis of performance activity and earnings.
Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002) is nominated for Best Music for a Short Film for her work on Karen Pearlman’s (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Editing – 2000) I Want To Make A Film About Women, while a nomination for Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie has gone to Tom Rouch (Graduate Certificate Screen: Music, 2009) alongside composers Cornel Wilczek and Pascal Babare for Stateless.
This year’s Screen Music Awards ceremony will be presented virtually on Monday 1 December, streaming on YouTube at 7 pm AEDT. In addition to the presentation of awards, the ceremony will feature musical interpretations of the four pieces nominated for Feature Film Score of the Year performed by the Screen Awards orchestra and led by Musical Director and alumna Jessica Wells (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Screen Composition, 2004).
See the full list of nominees and RSVP to watch here.
NOMINEES
Feature Film Score of the Year
The Vigil – Michael Yezerski (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition Sound, 2000)
Best Music for a Documentary
Machine – Matteo Zingales (Graduate Diploma (Television and Film) Screen Composition, 2003)
Maralinga Tjarutja – Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film and Television) Sound, 1990)
Quilty: Painting the Shadows – Damien Lane (Graduate Diploma in Screen Music, 2011), Amanda Brown (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition, 1999)
Best Music for a Short Film
I Want To Make A Film About Women – Caitlin Yeo (Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition, 2002)
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
‘Bear’s Theme’ from Bear: Koala Hero – Adam Gock, Brontë Horder (Graduate Certificate Screen: Music, 2018), Mitch Stewart, Dinesh Wicks
‘Edge of Something’ from Total Control – Missy Higgins, Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film and Television) Sound, 1990), Matteo Zingales (Graduate Diploma (Television and Film) Screen Composition, 2003)
Best Television Theme
Operation Buffalo – Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film and Television) Sound, 1990)
Unorthodox – Antonio Gambale (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition, 1999)
Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
The Secrets She Keeps – Amanda Brown (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition, 1999)
Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
Operation Buffalo – Antony Partos (Bachelor of Arts (Film and Television) Sound, 1990)
Stateless – Cornel Wilczek, Tom Rouch (Graduate Certificate Screen: Music, 2009), Pascal Babare
Unorthodox – Antonio Gambale Antonio Gambale (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition, 1999)
Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas
Composer: Michael Yezerski (Graduate Certificate in Screen Composition Sound, 2000)
