Rock musos to classical composers: nominees for Screen Music Awards

Musicians who emerged with rock music backgrounds are among those nominated for the 2013 Screen Music Awards.

Custard’s David McCormack, Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance, Gotye’s producer Francois Tetaz, David Hirschfelder, Josh Abrahams, Ric Formosa, Michael Lira (who started in a Sydney punk band aged 14) and one time The Mess Hall co-leader Jed Kurzel all feature heavily in the nominations.

Also nominated are high profile film and TV composers, including Burkhard Dallwitz, Guy Gross, Cezary Skubiszewski, Stephen Rae, Richard Tognetti, Michael Yezerski and Christopher Elves.

Kurzel is nominated for his work on Dead Europe in Feature Film Score of the Year, a category which he won in 2011. Gerrard, who took it in 2012, is up for her collaboration on Samsara with Marcello De Francisci and Michael Stearns. Composer and orchestrator Ricky Edwards is acknowledged for his work on sci-fi comedy The 25th Reich, while and Caitlin Yeo is nominated for her work on The Rocket.

McCormack and regular collaborator Antony Partos, already up for a win in the Best Television Theme for their Redfern Now, notch up two mentions in Best Music for a Television Series or Serial for Redfern Now – Episode 4: Stand Up and, with Michael Lira, for Rake – Season 2 Episode 8: Greene.

The other categories include Best Music for a Documentary, Best Music for a Short Film, Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie, Best Soundtrack Album, Best Original Song Composed for the Screen, Best Music for Children’s Television and Best Music for an Advertisement.

Young guns Adam Gock, Dinesh Wicks and Neil Sutherland are nominated in both the Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas categories.

Organised by APRA AMCOS and the AGSC (Australian Guild of Screen Composers), the awards are held on Monday December 9, at the Sydney State Theatre.