With his scores for Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness, Jerskin Fendrix achieved something unprecedented: winning both the Discovery Award and Film Composer of the Year Award. In the Television Composer of the Year category, Natalie Holt won the prestigious award for her score for Loki S02, following two previous nominations. After their win in 2022, Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish took home the award for Best Original Song with their Barbie hit “What Was I Made For?”
Joining them on stage was up-and-coming composer Brandon Boone, whose score for Slay the Princess won the second-ever WSA Game Music Award, and Italian composer Umberto Scipione, whose score for La Guerra dei Nonni earned him his first WSA nomination and an instant win. The Best Original Score for a Belgian Production Award went to the post-metal band Amenra, and the Sabam Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer was awarded to Florian van der Reijden. American veteran composer Elliot Goldenthal received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Film Composer of the Year
Jerskin Fendrix’s first-ever film score for Poor Things brought him immediate success. His music for Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-winning film, along with his score for the director’s recent Kinds of Kindness, earned him the Film Composer of the Year Award. Besides these collaborations with the Greek director, Fendrix is also known for his work as a singer-songwriter and his critically acclaimed debut album Winterreise. His score for Poor Things received nominations for Best Original Score from the Oscars, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes and won the Georges Delerue Award for Best Soundtrack / Sound Design at the 50th anniversary of Film Fest Gent.
Television Composer of the Year
After two previous nominations and a Discovery Award nomination, Natalie Holt won the Television Composer of the Year Award for her score for Loki S02. She previously collaborated with fellow nominee Martin Phipps on The Honourable Woman and Victoria, earning a BAFTA and an Emmy nomination, respectively. Her score for Loki’s first season impressed both fans and critics, leading to a BAFTA nomination and a first WSA nomination in this category.
Best Original Song
The odds were high that Barbie would deliver the winning song in this category, with three nominated songs from the movie. Facing competition from “Dance The Night,” “I’m Just Ken,” and four other songs, Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish won the award for their intimate “What Was I Made For?” The musical duo, known for their Grammy-winning hits, has impressed the WSAcademy once again. Their song “No Time to Die” from the James Bond film won Best Original Song in 2022.
Discovery of the Year
For the first time in World Soundtrack Awards history, the winner of the Discovery of the Year Award was also crowned Film Composer of the Year. British composer Jerskin Fendrix received this honor for his debut score for Poor Things, earning him two of the WSA’s most coveted awards.
Public Choice Award
As in previous years, film music fans voted for the score that moved them the most. Italian composer Umberto Scipione, already renowned in his home country with four David di Donatello nominations, won the Public Choice Award for his joyful score for La Guerra dei Nonni. This was his first-ever WSA nomination, resulting in an immediate win.
WSA Game Music Award
In only its second year, the WSA Game Music Award was presented to Brandon Boone for his score for Slay the Princess. The American composer has worked across various sectors of the music industry, scoring short films, podcasts like The NoSleep Podcast, and video games such as Scarlet Hollow and the award-winning Slay the Princess. He has been the resident composer at Black Tabby Games since 2020.
Sabam Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer
Florian van der Reijden received the Sabam Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer after winning the yearly WSA Composition Contest. He impressed the jury with his score for an excerpt of Nicolas Roeg’s The Witches (1990), originally scored by Stanley Myers.
Best Original Score for a Belgian Production
The Belgium-based, internationally recognized post-metal band Amenra won Best Original Score for a Belgian Production for their music in the compelling and thought-provoking film Skunk. This was their first feature film score, leaving high expectations for future work.
Lifetime Achievement Award
In recognition of his rich oeuvre and daring musical choices, the WSAcademy awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to Elliot Goldenthal. Since the 1980s, the American composer has scored over forty films, receiving acclaim for his work on Batman Forever, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Michael Collins, Public Enemies, and Heat. He has frequently collaborated with directors such as Michael Mann and Julie Taymor, his artistic and life partner. Goldenthal’s score for Taymor’s Frida won him an Academy Award for Best Original Score, along with nominations for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and two World Soundtrack Awards. This year, Film Fest Gent’s annual film music album is dedicated to Goldenthal, featuring a selection of his most famous scores.
WSA Industry Award
The WSA Industry Award was presented to film music supervisor and producer Maggie Rodford during the WSA Nominees Celebration Dinner on October 15. Rodford was honored for her outstanding contributions to the film music industry. As the managing director of the Air-Edel Group, one of the world’s leading music agencies, she works with composers and music teams, negotiating contracts, producing, supervising, and coordinating music recordings. She has worked on high-profile films such as Pride & Prejudice, The King’s Speech, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, solidifying her status as a pivotal figure in the industry.
Overview of the winners:
- Film Composer of the Year: Jerskin Fendrix for Kinds of Kindness and Poor Things
- Television Composer of the Year: Natalie Holt for Loki S02
- Best Original Song: “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, written by Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish, performed by Billie Eilish
- Discovery of the Year: Jerskin Fendrix for Poor Things
- Public Choice Award: Umberto Scipione for La Guerra dei Nonni
- WSA Game Music Award: Brandon Boone for Slay the Princess
- Sabam Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer: Florian van der Reijden
- Best Original Score for a Belgian Production: Amenra for Skunk
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Elliot Goldenthal
- WSA Industry Award: Maggie Rodford