by FilmInk Staff
Host Susie Youssef and Musical Director Erkki Veltheim return
Australia’s premier event on the film and music industry calendars, the Screen Music Awards, will return to the Forum Melbourne, Naarm on Tuesday 29 October to shine a spotlight on the unseen champions of music composition in film, television and games/interactive media.
The awards, held by music rights organisation APRA AMCOS, and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), feature 16 categories including compositions for documentaries, short films, advertising, children’s programming and feature film scores.
For the first time this year, there are three brand new categories to reflect the growing screen music genre.
The category of Best Music for a Video Game or Other Interactive Media is an exciting addition that recognises the artistic excellence, impact and commercial success of game composers. The brand-new Emerging Screen Composer of the Year award is the perfect counterbalance to the Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen honour, designed to discover, support and accelerate the careers of promising screen music creators.
Accommodating the unique musical requirements of unscripted reality TV, factual entertainment programs and lifestyle programs, Best Music for Unscripted & Reality Television will also be included within the suite of award categories.
Additionally, the Best Music for a Television Series category has been expanded into two distinct awards to better represent their unique differences: Best Music for a Television Comedy and Best Music for a Television Drama.
Dale Cornelius, President of AGSC, said: “These new award categories are a vital addition to the Screen Music Awards, acknowledging our industry’s full spectrum of talent by shining a well-deserved spotlight on the diverse range of work by composers contributing to Australia’s vibrant screen landscape.”
The APRA Board of Directors will determine the recipient of the Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award, an honour that recognises an outstanding contribution to the film and television industry including, but not limited to, producers/directors, philanthropists, educators, music supervisors and event producers that provide promotion, opportunities and education for Australian screen composers. Previous recipients of the award include Martin Armiger, Nerida Tyson-Chew, Robert Connolly and Nigel Westlake.
Returning to host the Screen Music Awards this year is comedian, actor, writer and improviser, Susie Youssef. A regular co-host and correspondent on Channel Ten’s The Project and The Sunday Project, Youseff has written, performed and produced comedy for stage, radio and television in Australia and around the world.
Back on board as Musical Director is Erkki Veltheim, who will lead a live orchestra, bringing selections of works from the screen to life. This year’s musical performances promise to be a highlight, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity of our screen composers.
Nominees in the following categories for the 2024 Screen Music Awards will be announced late September
- Best Music for an Advertisement
- Best Music for Children’s Programming
- Best Music for a Documentary
- Best Music for a Short Film
- Best Music for a Television Comedy
- Best Music for a Television Drama
- Best Music for Unscripted & Reality Television Series
- Best Music for a Video Game or Other Interactive Media
- Best Opening Title Television Theme
- Best Original Song Composed for the Screen
- Best Soundtrack Album
- Feature Film Score of the Year
- Emerging Screen Composer of the Year*
- Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen*
- Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia^
- Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas^
*As determined by the APRA Board of Directors in conjunction with a specialist judging panel
^Determined by statistical analysis of performance activity reflected by royalty earnings.
2024 SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS
Tuesday 29 October 2024
Forum Melbourne, Naarm
Hosted by Susie Youssef
Musical Director Erkki Veltheim