John Williams Wins Three IFMCA Awards for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

ifmca

The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA), professional association for online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing about original film and television music, has announced the list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2015.

 

John Williams was awarded Score of the Year for his work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams. The movie is also named Best Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film. The film’s conclusive end credits suite, “The Jedi Steps and Finale”, won the Film Music Composition of the Year award.

 

 

This is what some of the IFMCA members had to say about Williams’s work on the movie.

IFMCA member James Southall said that “the Force remains strong in John Williams and long may it continue” and called the score “glorious,” while IFMCA member Christian Clemmensen called the score “a powerfully melodic and excitingly complex piece of grand artistry from an era of greatness that only John Williams in top form could deliver.”

You can see the complete list of winners here.

 

In the absence of a guild for composers, these awards are seen by many as a precursor to the Academy Awards. As you know, John Williams is nominated for Original Score. The winners of 88th Academy Awards will be known on February 28th, 2016.

 

 

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Staff member, comic and book reviewer. Cheers for the Light Side, but would drink with Grand Admirals.

Jelena Bidin (LadyMusashi)

Staff member, comic and book reviewer. Cheers for the Light Side, but would drink with Grand Admirals.

19 thoughts on “John Williams Wins Three IFMCA Awards for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

  • February 19, 2016 at 1:39 am
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    The score has become easily one of my favorite parts of the Force Awakens… On my first viewing, it didn’t quite stick with me, mainly because I was pretty overwhelmed by so many different parts of the film, as well as the score itself having a more nuanced tone to it. But after getting the soundtrack and listening to it multiple times, as well as seeing the movie 6 times, I feel like this music is perfect, and I respect John Williams decision to create new themes with a sprinkling of the old scores in select places. The prequel trilogies score was very different from the original trilogy, and like wise, this should be an evolution from the original trilogy, which I feel this score succeeds in.

    Congratulations to John Williams and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the Oscars!

    • February 19, 2016 at 2:44 am
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      I want him to win the Oscar, but there is a good chance he won’t due to Academy politics and thought processes. I mean, his score Raiders of the Lost Ark lost to Chariots of Fire back in the day.

      • February 19, 2016 at 3:26 am
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        There is a reason Vangelis won.

      • February 19, 2016 at 8:46 am
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        At least people know the Chariots score today. The Empire score lost to Fame. Freaking Fame. Who today knows any of the music from that?

        • February 19, 2016 at 10:52 am
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          Thats one of the many reasons I dont give any credit to the soundtrack oscars. When Inception lost to Social Network that was where I drew the line.

          • February 19, 2016 at 6:35 pm
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            “Ugh, I don’t get it, something about dreams or whatever. PASS. What’s next… Ooo, a movie about Facebook! I like Facebook! VOTED”

    • February 20, 2016 at 6:57 pm
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      I still and will stand by that this score was some of williams weaker endeavors . It is serviceable and anyone that thinks it couldnt have been better just arent creative enough to see what it could have been. It was a good score, not bad nor great. But when you are standing amoung the other great scores done for both the prequels and originals i believe it doesnt hold up. I am saying this as i think he shouldnt win the oscar for it.

  • February 19, 2016 at 4:00 am
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    I think John Williams did a bang-up job of keeping the OT-music reprises to a minimum. Like, Binary Sunset was only brought back for the Luke scene, elsewhere, it was only the subtlest references.
    Same goes for Imperial March.
    Like, maybe the music isn’t quite as instantly classic as the OT music, but considering the constraints of not-repeating previous SW films or the other killbillion scores John Williams did for other movies, I think he met up to the challenge perfectly.

    • February 19, 2016 at 6:28 pm
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      I loved Rey’s theme. Every time I see the movie I’m humming it on my way out of the theatre.

      • February 22, 2016 at 2:51 am
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        I love The Scavenger and Jedi Steps and the Finale.

  • February 19, 2016 at 10:59 am
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    He deserves the oscar but wont win sadly. They will give it to Ennio Morricone for his previous works (definitely not for the Hateful Eight, that movie barely had any music).

    • February 19, 2016 at 11:23 am
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      Morricone has a lot of previous great work, but so has Williams. Not sure that would favor Morricone to be honest.

      • February 19, 2016 at 11:26 am
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        It will, because Morricone has no oscar yet, only a honorary one.

    • February 19, 2016 at 2:24 pm
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      yeah but hell, the music in hateful eight is not his usual level. Every single other music he did was better. He himself didn’t even attend at the golden globe ceremony and by a phone interview they did they day after on italian tv he found it quite unexpected to win. If Morricone wins over Williams for THAT particular score, hell, I’ll ignore oscars forever

    • February 19, 2016 at 7:19 pm
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      Both are worthy scores, but I’m fairly certain Williams will (quite deservedly) win. He hasn’t taken home an Oscar in over 20 years, despite having produced some brilliant work (A.I., Harry Potter, Catch Me if You Can, to name a few). And Hollywood is notorious for favoring it’s own “insiders.”

      • February 19, 2016 at 9:05 pm
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        Thats ture, but as I said in another comment Morricone has no oscar yet (only a honorary one), and he will be 88 this year. I think the academy will give it to him respecting his previous works.

    • February 20, 2016 at 12:31 am
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      I’m a huge John Williams fan and not overly big fan of Ennio. But, have to admit that The Hateful Eight score was pretty amazing. As much as I love the episode 7 score, I feel Ennio deserves it.

  • February 19, 2016 at 2:18 pm
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    “The Jedi Steps and Finale” it’s just a brilliant piece of art. An amazing combination of what SW means and TFA in particular, the first steps, the adventure, the menace, the space, the hope. Tooks the best parts of the film with epicness, as other six soundtracks, but in a more “spiritual” way, in my opinion. Just perfect.

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