APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers crowned a slew of first-time winners at Tuesday’s Screen Music Awards, including Salliana Seven Campbell, who took home Feature Film Score of the Year for her work on The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson.
The multi-instrumentalist and arranger, who was also a first-time nominee, used fiddles, banjos, mandolins, piano, and electric guitars to create the soundtrack.
A wide array of sounds also went into constructing the music of fellow winner New Gold Mountain, for which composer Caitlin Yeo received Best Television Theme and Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie. Her contribution to the revisionist western series featured a blend of strings, traditional Chinese instruments, a mixture of percussion, and even a gold pan as a percussive instrument.
Joining Yeo in triumphing across multiple categories were first-time winners William Barton and Richard Tognetti, who along with Piers Burbrook de Vere received Best Soundtrack Album for motion picture River and Best Original Song Composed for the Screen with ‘Spirit Voice of the Enchanted Waters’, also from River.
Elsewhere, the musical partnership of Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales had the Best Music for a Television Series or Serial for their collaboration on Total Control, Hylton Mowday won Best Music for a Documentary for Puff: Wonders of the Reef, and Nerida Tyson-Chew topped Best Music for Children’s Programming for The Deep, an animated children’s series which has been screened in over 200 countries.
Other newly minted recipients included Wil Hughes, who took out Best Music for a Short Film for Still Life, and Lance Gurisik who composed the Best Music for an Advertisement for Destination.
In the Most Performed categories, the collaborations of Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks across MasterChef, Anh’s Brush with Fame, and Beauty and the Geek Australia led them to be named Most Performed Screen Composer in Australia for the ninth time, while Neil Sutherland took the title of Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas now for a 15th consecutive year for his work on Border Security, MythBusters, and Bondi Vet.
Director Robert Connolly was on hand to present composer Nigel Westlake with the Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award, recognising his contribution across film and television.
This year’s ceremony was co-hosted Akina Edmonds, Anne Edmonds, and Aaron Pedersen and featured musical performances of the Feature Film Score of the Year nominated pieces led by Musical Director Jessica Wells.
At the conclusion of the event, Fred Leone and gospel vocal ensemble Gospo (accompanied by Barton on didgeridoo and the Screen Awards Orchestra) paid tribute to the late Uncle Jack Charles and Uncle Archie Roach with a rendition of Song to Sing, composed by Archie Roach.
Feature Film Score of the Year
Title The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson
Composed by Salliana Seven Campbell
Best Music for a Documentary
Title Puff: Wonders of the Reef
Composed by Hylton Mowday
Published by We Love Jam Studios
Best Music for a Short Film
Title Still Life
Composed by Wil Hughes
Best Soundtrack Album
Title River
Composed by Richard Tognetti with William Barton* & Piers Burbrook de Vere
Published by G Schirmer*
Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
Title Spirit Voice of the Enchanted Waters from River
Composed by William Barton*, Piers Burbrook de Vere & Richard Tognetti
Published by G Schirmer*
Best Music for Children’s Programming
Title The Deep
Composed by Nerida Tyson-Chew
Published by A Stark Production
Best Television Theme
Title New Gold Mountain
Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
Best Music for a Television Series or Serial
Title Total Control
Composed by Antony Partos & Matteo Zingales
Published by Sonar Music
Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie
Title New Gold Mountain
Composed by Caitlin Yeo
Published by Kobalt Music Publishing obo Lillipilli IP
Best Music for an Advertisement
Title Destination NSW: Feel New
Composed by Lance Gurisik
Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia
Composers: Adam Gock and Dinesh Wicks
For: MasterChef, Anh’s Brush with Fame, Beauty and the Geek Australia
Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas
Composer: Neil Sutherland
For: Border Security, MythBusters, Bondi Vet