John Williams to Receive the 44th AFI Life Achievement Award!

John-Williams-and-Steven-Spielberg

The American Film Institute announced that Steven Spielberg will present his friend and longtime collaborator John Williams with the 44th AFI Life Achievement Award next month. This is the first time, a composer is being honored by the Film Institute. Impressive and very well deserved.

 

From Deadline:

It [the award] will be handed out during a private Gala Tribute on June 9 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. TNT will air a special, AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Williams, at 10 PM June 15.

Williams and Spielberg — who won the AFI career award in 1995 — have collaborated on more than two dozen films, including The BFG, which will premiere at Cannes. Williams won Oscars for the scores to Spielberg’s Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler’s List in addition to the adaptation and original song score to 1971’s Fiddler on the Roof. Three of Williams’ works landed on AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores, with Star Wars topping that list. He has been nominated for an Academy Award in four of the past five years, and his next Oscar nom would be his 50th.

 

Recently during an event in Philadelphia, Williams joked with the audience about his involvement with Episode VIII (via the JWFanNetwork):

When he took the stage, and before he started conducting the Scherzo, he said “I told the producers I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do the next one, but told them I didn’t want anyone else doing it either.”  It was certainly meant as a joke, and got a great laugh.

Kathleen-Kennedy1

 

We have no doubts that Mr. Williams will score the Episode VIII music. At least that was the initial plan. Back in 2013 during Celebration Europe in Germany, Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that John Williams will score all three Sequel Trilogy movies.

 

John Williams started conducting the music for The Force Awakens more than a year before the movie was released (in October 2014). So we’re probably at least 6 months away from the start of the scoring.

 

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

12 thoughts on “John Williams to Receive the 44th AFI Life Achievement Award!

  • May 11, 2016 at 9:05 pm
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    How many William’s melodies we can remember with eyes closed, just right now?

    I think we will never see again someone like Williams, with such amazing and charismatic works.

    I will enjoy his melodies forever.

    • May 12, 2016 at 2:36 am
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      And a wonderful human being.

    • May 12, 2016 at 6:32 am
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      Maybe once he dies he can be reincarnated, Avatar-style.

  • May 11, 2016 at 9:58 pm
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    No one is more deserving. And I bet he has a few good years left in him to add to his already magnificent opus. 🙂

  • May 11, 2016 at 10:21 pm
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    I’ve been listening a lot lately to the Maestro’s score for Close Encounters and have to say it’s right up there with the very best of his work, but seems to hardly merit a mention in his canon these days.. Do yourself a favour if don’t already own this soundtrack and rediscover a classic.

    • May 11, 2016 at 10:41 pm
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      And the crazy thing i he made Close Encounter’s score in the same year as ANH’s score…

      • May 12, 2016 at 12:49 am
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        And both were nominated for the Oscars that year…Crazy…

  • May 11, 2016 at 11:12 pm
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    Absolutely well deserved. But mostly for the Imperial March :p

  • May 11, 2016 at 11:19 pm
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    Can Mr. Williams please get a movie cameo?

  • May 11, 2016 at 11:28 pm
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    John Williams, the soundtrack of my childhood.

  • May 12, 2016 at 1:35 am
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    Childhood heroes for sure But when I first glanced at this photo, I pictured them looking like…..two rabbits . lol.

  • May 12, 2016 at 6:54 pm
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    He won 5 Oscars but was robbed of so many more. None for the Indy scores, none for Empire, Phantom, Force Awakens – all deserved.

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