APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) last night revealed winners for the 2024 Screen Music Awards. The annual event celebrates excellence in composition across the small and large screen.
Host Susie Youssef was joined at the Forum podium by co-presenters Elaine Crombie and Heather Mitchell.
Taking out Feature Film Score of the Year for the third time was Jed Kurzel with his composition from Monkey Man. He is a multi-award winner, with his score for Snowtown named Feature Film Score of the Year in 2011. He received his second win for Slow West in 2015.
The Best Music for Children’s Programming goes to composers Joff Bush, Jazz D’Arcy, Daniel O’Brien and Joe Twist for Bluey: The Sign. With the music for Bluey often described as the voice of the show itself, this season finale episode saw Bluey, Bingo and Chilli coming to terms with leaving their beloved family home and made headlines around the globe.
The new Emerging Screen Composer of the Year award was presented to Alex Olijnyk. With a background in contemporary classical and chamber music, Olijnyk specialises in multimedia/sensory works and blends orchestral elements with electronic textures, strong melodies and improvisation.
Composers Cezary Skubiszewski and Jan Skubiszewski have created the Best Music for a Television Drama for mystery drama series High Country. The award for Best Music for a Television Comedy went to Michael Yezerski for the series that is an irreverent reimagining of 1940s Australia, While the Men Are Away.
“Carry You” from RFDS is the Best Original Song Composed for the Screen, written by composers Amanda Brown, Damien Lane and David Lehā (Radical Son). First-time winner Stefan Gregory has created the original music for feature film The Rooster, which has taken out the Best Soundtrack Album.
Composer Piotr Nowotnik has received his first Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Documentary for War Tails, the extraordinary documentary that follows an intrepid animal rescue team amidst the Russia-Ukraine war, capturing the stark realities faced by volunteers rescuing animals on the front lines of conflict.
The successful music partnership of Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks saw them receive three Screen Music Awards this year. Together they have been named Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas for their scores spanning across television juggernauts Married at First Sight, MasterChef Australia, Stars on Mars and Travel Guides. Along with co-writers Anthony Ammar, David Bruggemann, Brontë Horder, David Huxtable, Richard LaBrooy, Adam Sofo, Mitch Stewart and Cassie To, Gock and Wicks have also won the inaugural award for Best Music for Unscripted & Reality Television Series for LEGO Masters.
The award for Best Music for an Advertisement was presented to Jeremy Richmond for Carlton Dry: Drylandia. Richmond’s music can be heard regularly on television and radio including work for Uber Eats, ANZ, NAB, Kit Kat, McDonald’s, Tourism Australia and NRMA.
The Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award went to writer, director and producer, Rachel Perkins, for her extraordinary contribution to film and television. The Award was presented by Missy Higgins, who, with the Screen Music Awards Orchestra, performed “Edge of Something” from Total Control (composed by Missy Higgins, Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales) in tribute to Perkins.
The Awards opened with a special musical tribute to the 2003 film, Japanese Story, with music composed by Elizabeth Drake. Erkki Veltheim led the Screen Music Awards Orchestra and the Consort of Melbourne to perform the four Feature Film Score of the Year nominated pieces, and the closing performance of the 2024 Screen Music Awards was “Carry You” from RFDS, performed by Radical Son.
Screen Music Awards complete list of winners
Feature Film Score of the Year
Title: Monkey Man
Composed by: Jed Kurzel
Published by: Universal/MCA Music Publishing
Emerging Composer of the Year
Alex Olijnyk
The team behind the music on Bluey: Joe, Joff, Jazz and Daniel
Best Music for Children’s Programming
Title: Bluey: The Sign
Composed by: Joff Bush, Jazz D’Arcy, Daniel O’Brien & Joe Twist
Published by: Universal Music Publishing
Best Music for a Documentary
Title: War Tails
Composed by: Piotr Nowotnik
Best Music for a Short Film
Title: Blame the Rabbit
Composed by: Michael Darren
Best Music for a Television Comedy
Title: While the Men Are Away: Furrowing the Fuhrer’s Brow!
Composed by: Michael Yezerski
Best Music for a Television Drama
Title: High Country: Season 1
Composed by: Cezary Skubiszewski & Jan Skubiszewski
Best Music for Unscripted & Reality Television Series
Title: LEGO Masters
Composed by: Adam Gock, Dinesh Wicks, Anthony Ammar, David Bruggemann, Brontë Horder, David Huxtable, Richard LaBrooy, Adam Sofo, Mitch Stewart, Cassie To
Published by: Universal Music Publishing obo Endomol Australia
Best Music for a Video Game or Other Interactive Media
Title: Solium Infernum
Composed by: Michael Allen
Best Opening Title Television Theme
Title: Night Bloomers
Composed by: Darren Lim
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
Title: “Carry You” from RFDS
Composed by: Amanda Brown*, Damien Lane* & David Lehā
Published by: Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP*
Best Soundtrack Album
Title: The Rooster
Composed by: Stefan Gregory
Best Music for an Advertisement
Title: Carlton Dry: Drylandia
Composed by: Jeremy Richmond
Published by: Rumble Studios
Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia
Composers: Adam Gock & Dinesh Wicks
For: MasterChef Australia, Travel Guides, Married at First Sight