ASCAP honored our tremendously talented composers of TV, film and video game music at the Screen Music Awards on Tuesday, May 16. A who’s who of scoring for screens small, silver and everything in between flocked to LA’s historic Wiltern Theatre for a night of dazzling performances, tender tributes and appreciation for the musical masterminds behind America’s favorite screen entertainment.
The ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards, voted on exclusively by ASCAP members, were a dramatic highlight of the evening. Prolific scoremaster Michael Giacchino walked away with the Film Score of the Year title for Zootopia. Didier Lean Rachou won TV Composer of the Year, and the Video Game Score of the Year came out a tie: Tom Salta (Atlas Plug) and Klayton (Celldweller) for Killer Instinct: Season 3 and C. Paul Johnson, Skye Lewin and Michael Salvatori for Destiny: Rise of Iron both came out on top.
The night’s performances proved to be another special highlight. We heard Benj Pasek & Justin Paul’s songs from La La Land, excerpts from Ben Wallfisch’s Hidden Figures score, and cues from Henry Jackman’s music for Captain America: Civil War. Television music was well represented by cues from 11.22.63 (by Alex Heffes) and Bosch (by Jesse Voccia); the video game music world came out to play with an otherworldly performance of Austin Wintory’s score from Abzu.
But the night belonged to ASCAP legend Stephen Schwartz. The composer/lyricist of musical theatre classics Pippin, Godspell and Wicked and film musicals Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt and Enchanted accepted the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award, following tributes from a star-studded cast of Schwartz’s mentees, admirers and collaborators. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles closed out the night in grand style with a medley of timeless songs from Schwartz’s catalog.
