If you forget the current Oscar race for a minute, and cast your mind all the way back to the start of this year, you may recall that Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias nabbed what rather surprisingly turned out to be the only below-the-line nomination for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”
He inevitably lost to Ludovic Bource for “The Artist,” but I wasn’t the only one who thought his moody, jazz-infused score for the British spy thriller deserved the win — and not only because his tonally contrasting, predictably unnominated work on Pedro Almodovar’s “The Skin I Live In” was equally strong.
Months later, Iglesias has received his due, winning Composer of the Year for both films (plus French thriller “The Monk”) at the World Soundtrack Awards, presented this weekend at the Ghent International Film Festival in Belgium.
Additionally, Iglesias took the individual Original Score of the Year prize for “Tinker Tailor” — beating two of his fellow 2011 nominees, John Williams for “The Adventures of Tintin” and Howard Shore for “Hugo.” Rather surprisingly, “The Artist” wasn’t even nominated, while the World Soundtrack Academy scored some hipster points by shortlisting the Oscar-disqualified “Drive” instead.
Also a double winner was Irish composer Brian Byrne: the relative newcomer took the Discovery of the Year award for his work on “Albert Nobbs,” and also shared the Best Original Song prize for that film’s theme “Lay Your Head Down.” That Sinead O’Connor-sung ballad wasn’t nominated even nominated by the Academy; here, it beat Oscar winner “Man or Muppet” to the punch. (Meanwhile, the song’s co-writer, Glenn Close, has finally claimed an actual award for her dreary passion project.)
The Public Choice Award went to Abel Korzeniowski for “W.E.” — a film I didn’t realize any members of the public had actually seen, while lifetime achievement honors went to Pino Donaggio, best known for his longstanding collaboration with Brian DePalma.
As you’ve surely gathered, the timing of this awards ceremony means it tends to be dominated by films from the previous year, so it’s worth noting the few 2012 films to crack the nominee list. “Rust and Bone” and “Moonrise Kingdom” were folded into Alexandre Desplat’s Composer of the Year bid; ditto “Cosmopolis” and Howard Shore. Meanwhile, “Snow White and the Huntsman” nabbed a Best Original Song nod for Florence and the Machine’s “Breath of Life”; Greg Ellwood was recently wondering if the song could be Oscar-bound.
Finally, looking at the awards from the Ghent fest itself, I’m thrilled to see that Miguel Gomes’s “Tabu” — pretty much a lock for a medal in my year-end list — won their top prize. Back on the soundtrack side of things, Olivier Assayas’s “Something in the Air” won their second-highest honor for Best Music and Sound Design.
The full list of World Soundtrack Award honorees:
Best Original Score of the Year
John Williams, “The Adventures of Tintin”
Cliff Martinez, “Drive”
Howard Shore, “Hugo”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Ides of March”
Alberto Iglesias, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (winner)
Composer of the Year
Alexandre Desplat, “The Ides of March,” “Rust and Bone,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “Extreme Loud and Incredibly Close,” “A Better Life,” “Carnage”
Alberto Iglesias, “Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy,” “The Skin I Live In,” “The Monk” (winner)
Cliff Martinez, “Drive,” “Contagion”
Howard Shore, “Hugo,” “Cosmopolis,” “A Dangerous Method”
John Williams, “The Adventures of Tintin,” “War Horse”
Best Original Song
“Lay Your Head Down” from “Albert Nobbs” (Brian Byrne, Glenn Close, Sinead O’Connor) (winner)
“The Living Proof” from “The Help” (Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Damon Thomas, Harvey Mason, Jr.)
“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” (Bret McKenzie, Jason Segel, Peter Linz)
“Breath of Life” from “Snow White and the Huntsman” (Florence Welch, Isabella Summers)
“Masterpiece” from “W.E.” (Julie Frost, James Harry, Madonna)
Discovery of the Year
Brian Byrne, “Albert Nobbs” (winner)
Fall On Your Sword, “Lola Versus,” “Nobody Walks”
Trevor Morris, “Immortals”
Lucas Vidal, “The Cold Light of Day,” “The Raven,” “Sleep Tight”
David Wingo, “Take Shelter”
Public Choice Award
Abel Korzeniowski, “W.E.”
Sabam Award for Best Young European Composer
Valentin Hadjadj
Lifetime Achievement Award
Pino Donaggio