Caitlin Yeo leads the nominees for this year’s Screen Music Awards, having been recognised across five categories, while Brett Alpin and Piers Burbrook de Vere have each received three nominations.
Presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, the awards return in-person this year for the first time since 2019. Prizes span 12 categories including documentary, short film, children’s programming, advertising, soundtrack albums and feature films.
Yeo has two chances of winning Best Television Theme, nominated for both The PM’s Daughter (along with co-composer Basil Hogios) and SBS mini-series New Gold Mountain. The latter also sees her up for Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie and Best Soundtrack Album. Further, she’s up Best Music for a Documentary along with co-composer Andrew Scott for Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb.
Alpin is recognised for his work on The Bureau of Magical Things, which is up for Best Music for Children’s Programming, and for Stan original No Mercy, No Response, up for both Best Music for a Documentary and Best Soundtrack Album.
Piers Burbrook de Vere has two chances at winning Best Soundtrack Album: for comedy-drama Wolf Like Me and River with co-composers William Barton and Richard Tognetti. The musical partnership of Tognetti, Barton and Burbrook de Vere is acknowledged again in Best Original Song Composed for the Screen for Spirit Voice of the Enchanted Waters from River, created in collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Feature Film Score of the Year is this year contest between Angela Little for A Stitch in Time; Brian Cachia for Bosch and Rockit; Michael Lira for Interceptor and Salliana Seven Campbell for The Drover’s Wife the Legend of Molly Johnson.
The award ceremony will feature interpretations of the four scores, performed live by the Screen Awards orchestra and led by the event’s musical director, Jessica Wells.
The Screen Music Awards will be held November 15 at the Forum Melbourne, co-hosted by Akina Edmonds and Anne Edmonds.
The full list of nominees:
Feature Film Score of the Year
Title A Stitch in Time
Composed by Angela Little
Published by Peer Music
Title Bosch and Rockit
Composed by Brian Cachia
Title Interceptor
Composed by Michael Lira
Published by Universal Music Publishing obo Ambience Entertainment
Title The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson
Composed by Salliana Seven Campbell
Best Music for a Documentary
Title A Fire Inside
Composed by Matteo Zingales
Published by Sonar Music
Title Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb
Composed by Andrew Scott & Caitlin Yeo
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
Title No Mercy, No Remorse
Composed by Brett Aplin
Title Puff: Wonders of the Reef
Composed by Hylton Mowday
Published by We Love Jam Studios
Best Music for a Short Film
Title Bellysaurus
Composed by Dmitri Golovko
Title Finding X
Composed by Cassie To
Title Still Life
Composed by Wil Hughes
Title Tarneit
Composed by Nerida Tyson-Chew
Best Soundtrack Album
Title New Gold Mountain
Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
Title No Mercy, No Remorse
Composed by Brett Aplin
Title River
Composed by Richard Tognetti with William Barton* & Piers Burbrook de Vere
Published by G Schirmer*
Title Wolf Like Me
Composed by Piers Burbrook de Vere
Published by Universal/MCA Music Publishing
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
Title I Am My Own Panther Now from Preppers
Composed by Kate Miller-Heidke & Keir Nuttall
Published by Sony Music Publishing
Title Silver Linings from MumLife
Composed by Sophia Christopher
Title Spirit Voice of the Enchanted Waters from River
Composed by William Barton*, Piers Burbrook de Vere & Richard Tognetti
Published by G Schirmer*
Title: Bloody Game from Total Control
Composed by Missy Higgins
Published by Mushroom Music
Best Music for Children’s Programming
Title Destroy the Invisibility Jacket
Composed by Joseph Twist
Title Space Nova: Dark Ice
Composed by Russell Thornton
Title The Bureau of Magical Things
Composed by Brett Aplin
Title The Deep
Composed by Nerida Tyson-Chew
Published by A Stark Production
Best Television Theme
Title Books That Made Us
Composed by Jackson Milas
Published by Sonar Music
Title New Gold Mountain
Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
Title The PM’s Daughter
Composed by Basil Hogios & Caitlin Yeo*
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP*
Title Troppo
Composed by Josh Pyke
Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
Title Total Control
Composed by Antony Partos & Matteo Zingales
Published by Sonar Music
Title Blind Spotting
Composed by Michael Yezerski & Ambrose Akinmusire
Published by Snoot Music
Title The Newsreader
Composed by Cornel Wilczek
Title RFDS
Composed by Amanda Brown
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
Title Books That Made Us
Composed by Jackson Milas
Published by Sonar Music
Title New Gold Mountain
Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
Title The Twelve
Composed by Rafael May
Published by Cooking Vinyl Publishing
Title Underbelly Vanishing Act
Composed by Amanda Brown
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
Best Music for an Advertisement
Title Ausfilm: The Australian Job
Composed by Angela Little
Title Destination NSW: Feel New
Composed by Lance Gurisik
Title Ostelin Strong Women
Composed by Ack Kinmonth
Title Samsung MFF: Walk the Night
Composed by Nicholas Routledge, Joshua Pearson & Jono Ma
Published by Sonar Music
Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia
Composers: Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks
For: MasterChef, Anh’s Brush with Fame, Beauty and the Geek Australia
Composer: Damian de Boos-Smith
For: Better Homes and Gardens, Lego Masters, The Block
Composer: Jay Stewart
For: The Block, Better Homes and Gardens, House Rules
Composer: Mitch Stewart
For: MasterChef, Travel Guides, Love on the Spectrum
Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas
Composers: Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks
For: MasterChef, Legomasters Australia
Composer: Alastair Ford
For: McLeod’s Daughters
Composer: Joff Bush
For: Bluey
Composer: Neil Sutherland
For: Border Security, MythBusters, Bondi Vet