Cave, Ellis, Abrahams, Kurzel, up for Screen Music Awards

Rock names as the Nick Cave & Warren Ellis collaboration team, singer songwriters Archie Roach and Shane Howard, The Mess Hall’s Jed Kurzel, dance producers Josh Abrahams and Georgi Kay, one time Monsieur Camembert member Michael Lira, guitarist Nathan Cavaleri and the former keyboard players for The Models and Scandal are among the nominees for this year’s Screen Music Awards.

They join renowned screen composers including Burkhard Dallwitz, Cezary Skubiszewski, David Hirschfelder (a former music director for John Farnham) and Antony Partos.

The list was announced this morning in Sydney. The Screen Music Awards are held at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Thursday November 12. They are organised by APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC).

The list also includes several first time nominees including Jonathan Bush, Elizabeth Drummond, Hannah Field, Annie Hamilton, Michael Dooley, Aaron Kenny, Keith Moore, Lindsay Jehan, Gerard Fitzgerald, Daniel Sullivan and composer Damien Lane who is nominated twice in his first Screen Music Awards outing.

Commenting on the field of nominees AGSC Sydney-based President Guy Gross today said, "Wow, what a wonderful collection of new names amongst the veterans for this year’s nominations. Can’t wait to pat some younger backs for jobs well done down in Melbourne this year.”

The Feature Film Score of the Year category sees Cave and Ellis’ Loin des Hommes (Far from Men) and Kurzel’s Slow West up against Lira’s Good ‘Ol Boy and Hirschfelder’s The Water Diviner.

Cave & Ellis and Hirschfelder are up against each other for Best Soundtrack Album. They’re contenders against Bryony Marks’ Felony and Cezary Skubiszewski’s Women He’s Undressed.

The Best Original Song Composed For The Screen category has a number of rock names. The winner will be chosen from Shane Howard and Archie Roach’s A Secret River from The Secret River, David Hirschfelder and Jimmy McGovern’s Ballymullen Hill from Banished, Georgi Kay and James Earp‘s Head Full of Lies from Residue and Elizabeth Drummond, Hannah Field and Annie Hamilton’s Flying Giggle Ship from Giggle & Hoot.

Two former rock keyboard players David Hirschfelder and Roger Mason (of The Models) vie against each other in Best Music For A Television Series or Serial for, respectively, Banished and The Code. Mason’s The Code was also nominated for Best Television Theme.

Among the contenders for Best Music for an Advertisement are Nathan Cavaleri’s Men Like Us used by Bundaberg Rum, and Josh Abrahams and Davide Carbone for Tahiti Tourism.

One time Sydney guitarist Dinesh Wicks and his music partner Adam Gock (son of Hush guitarist Les Gock) whose company The DA’s Office has offices in Los Angeles and London are up for Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas.

The latter category also includes Chris Harriott, one time keyboard player and songwriter for ‘70s band Scandal.