Jed Kurzel secured his third Feature Film Score of Year prize at last night’s Screen Music Awards, recognised for his work on Dev Patel’s Monkey Man.
Having previously won for Snowtown (2011) and Slow West (2015), Kurzel beat out Sean Peter, Stefan Gregory, and Michael Lira to claim this year’s award.
Patel wrote, directed, and starred in the action thriller, which follows a story of spirituality and violence as a young man seeks vengeance against his city’s elites who wronged him.
Other big winners at the ceremony included Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks, who were named Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas for their scores spanning 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 Screen Music Awards are presented by APRA AMCOS in conjunction with the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC).
The 2024 ceremony was held at Forum Melbourne and hosted by Susie Youssef with guest presenters Elaine Crombie and Heather Mitchell
The complete list of winners is as follows:
Feature Film Score of the Year
Monkey Man
Composed by Jed Kurzel
Published by Universal/MCA Music Publishing
Emerging Composer of the Year
Alex Olijnyk
Best Music for Children’s Programming
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
War Tails
Composed by Piotr Nowotnik
Best Music for a Short Film
Blame the Rabbit
Composed by Michael Darren
Best Music for a Television Comedy
While the Men Are Away: Furrowing the Fuhrer’s Brow!
Composed by Michael Yezerski
Best Music for a Television Drama
High Country: Season 1
Composed by Cezary Skubiszewski & Jan Skubiszewski
Best Music for Unscripted & Reality Television Series
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
Solium Infernum
Composed by Michael Allen
Best Opening Title Television Theme
Night Bloomers
Composed by Darren Lim
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
Carry You from RFDS
Composed by Amanda Brown, Damien Lane & David Lehā
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP*
Best Soundtrack Album
The Rooster
Composed by Stefan Gregory
Best Music for an Advertisement
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
Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas
Composers Adam Gock & Dinesh Wicks
For MasterChef Australia, Stars on Mars, Lego Masters Australia