Screen Music Awards return to Melbourne with new format & host

This year’s Screen Music Awards return to Melbourne on November 20 at the Forum, with a new format and new host.

The night will begin with a theatre-style sit-down dinner before the main event.

Hosting the event is children’s entertainment TV host and author Justine Clarke.

The Play School legend was a nominee at last year’s awards and took out best children’s album at the 2018 ARIAs.

In November, Clarke releases her fifth illustrated children’s book, A Banana Is A Banana, based on the award-winning song from The Justine Clarke Show! and her first best of’ collection Everybody Roar!

“I’m thrilled to be hosting the 2019 Screen Music Awards to honour our Australian screen composers, the unsung stars of film and TV production,” Clarke says.

“Sprinkling their magic fairy dust on our work, their extraordinary music is what brings a story or performance to life and connects us with our audience.”

The Screen Music Awards, created 17 years ago, are co-presented by APRA AMCOS and the AGSC (Australian Guild of Screen Composers).

They acknowledge the best music in the past 12 months for advertising, children’s television, documentary, mini-series/telemovie, short film or TV series or serial.

Other categories include best television theme, original song for a screen, soundtrack album, and feature film score of the year.

The most performed screen composer in Australia and overseas will be recognised, while the APRA board decides who is honoured for distinguished services to the Australian screen.

Jessica Wells returns as music director, conducting an orchestra as it takes on a series of screen numbers.

Wells has orchestrated over 70 films, and wrote the theme to ABC-TV’s Q&A program. She was a 2017 finalist at the Art Music Awards and is the current vice president of the Music Arrangers’ Guild of Australia.