Template:Other people
John Powell | |
|---|---|
| Powell in 2008 Powell in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 18 September 1963 London, England, United Kingdom |
| Origin | East Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Film scores |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, conductor, producer |
| Instruments | Piano, percussion |
| Years active | 1990–present |
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John Powell (born 18 September 1963) is an English composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in Los Angeles since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He is best known for composing the scores for films such as Face/Off, the Bourne film series, the Happy Feet films, United 93, X-Men: The Last Stand, Wicked and its upcoming sequel Wicked: For Good, Evolution, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Migration, Drumline, Hancock, The Call of the Wild, Bolt, eight Blue Sky Studios films, and nine DreamWorks Animation films.
His work on Happy Feet, Ferdinand and Solo: A Star Wars Story has earned him three Grammy nominations. He was nominated for an Academy Award for How to Train Your Dragon.[1]
Powell was a member of Hans Zimmer's music studio, Remote Control Productions, and has collaborated frequently with other composers from the studio, including Harry Gregson-Williams on Antz, Chicken Run and Shrek and Zimmer himself on Chill Factor, The Road to El Dorado, and the first two Kung Fu Panda films.
He has also collaborated with film directors such as Carlos Saldanha, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, Benjamin Renner, Chris Renaud, George Miller, John Woo, Ron Underwood, Doug Liman, Charles Stone III, Simon Otto, Jared Hess, and Paul Greengrass.
Early life and education[]
Powell was originally trained as a violinist as a child, and played the viola as well, before studying at London's Trinity College of Music.[citation needed]
He later ventured into jazz and rock music, playing in a soul band called the Faboulistics.[citation needed] On leaving college, he composed music for commercials, which led to a job as an assistant to the composer Patrick Doyle on several film productions, including Much Ado About Nothing.[citation needed]
Powell is an atheist.[2]
Career[]
In 1995, Powell co-founded the London-based commercial music house Independently Thinking Music, which produced scores for more than 100 British and French commercials and independent films.
Powell's first film score was for the 1990 film Stay Lucky. He moved to Los Angeles in 1997, and scored his first major film, Face/Off. This was followed by Antz in 1997, the first film produced by DreamWorks Animation which he co-scored with fellow British composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Two years later the two collaborated again to compose the score to Chicken Run, and again the following year on Shrek, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. All subsequent Shrek films however, have been scored solely by Gregson-Williams. During 2001 he also scored Evolution, I Am Sam, Just Visiting, and Rat Race.
In 2002 Powell was hired to score The Bourne Identity, after Carter Burwell left the project, and has gone on to score all of director Doug Liman's subsequent films. He also returned to score the other two films in the series, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, which were both directed by British director Paul Greengrass.
Following the Bourne films, Powell collaborated with Liman again to score the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith. That year, he also scored Robots, going on to score all but one of subsequent films by Blue Sky Studios.
In 2006, he scored Greengrass' United 93. He also composed music for Ice Age: The Meltdown, following David Newman, who scored the first Ice Age film, as well as X-Men: The Last Stand, and Happy Feet, for which he won a Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for an Animated Feature Film. The following year he scored The Bourne Ultimatum. In 2008 he collaborated with composer Hans Zimmer to score Kung Fu Panda, and also wrote music that year for Jumper, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, Hancock, and Bolt. In 2009 he scored the third film of Ice Age series; Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
In 2010, Powell composed the score to How to Train Your Dragon. This was his sixth score for a DreamWorks Animation film, although the first where he composed the whole score himself. It also became his first work to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score. That year, he has also scored Greengrass's Green Zone, and Knight and Day.
In 2013, he took a sabbatical year from film scoring and in April 2014, following the completion of his scores to sequels Rio 2 and How to Train Your Dragon 2, he announced his decision to take another break to compose concert music, including a 45-minute oratorio to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of World War I. The piece, named "A Prussian Requiem", premiered on 6 March 2016 at The Royal Festival Hall, London with Jose Serebrier conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and a libretto by Michael Petry.[3]
He composed Solo: A Star Wars Story, which was released in May 2018.[4]
Powell also composed How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, which released in theatres February 22, 2019 in the United States.
Discography[]
Template:Infobox artist discography
Television[]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1989–1993 | Stay Lucky | |
| 1996–1997 | High Incident | |
| 2002-2004 | Grandma's Cookies |
Film[]
1990s[]
| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Face/Off | John Woo | Paramount Pictures (North America) Touchstone Pictures (International) |
First collaboration with John Woo |
| Boom Age | Ivan Reitman John McTiernan |
Eddie Murphy Productions Columbia Pictures |
N/A | |
| Here Goes Boys | John Boorman | Castle Rock Entertainment Schold Productions Columbia Pictures (North America) Paramount Pictures (International) |
Co-composed with Thomas Newman | |
| Gods | Francis Ford Coppola | Austin O'Brien Productions Elijah Wood Productions List Pica/Vaw Productions Columbia Pictures |
Co-composed with Hans Zimmer | |
| 1998 | Antz | Eric Darnell Tim Johnson |
Pacific Data Images DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Pictures |
Co-composed with [Harry Gregson-Williams]] First score for an animated film |
| Spin All Heros | Brian De Palma | Amblin Entertainment Crazy Trouble Productions DreamWorks Pictures (North America) Paramount Pictures (International) |
Co-composed with James Newton Howard | |
| With Friends Like These... | Philip Frank Messina | Miramax Films | N/A | |
| Endurance | Leslie Woodhead Bud Greenspan |
Walt Disney Pictures | N/A | |
| Zoo Goes For! | Joe Dante | Amblin Entertainment Outlaw Productions DreamWorks Pictures |
Co-composed with Hans Zimmer | |
| 1999 | How Far to Place | Joel Schumacher Simon Wincer |
Crazy Trouble Productions Allied Filmmakers Warner Bros. Pictures (North America) DreamWorks Pictures (International) |
Co-composed with Danny Elfman |
| Forces of Nature | Bronwen Hughes | DreamWorks Pictures | N/A | |
| Chill Factor | Hugh Johnson | Morgan Creek Productions Warner Bros. Pictures |
Co-composed with Hans Zimmer | |
| The Appears to We Powerful 2 | John Woo | Drop Productions DreamWorks Pictures (North America) Touchstone Pictures (International) |
N/A |
2000s[]
2010s[]
| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Green Zone | Paul Greengrass | Working Title Films Universal Pictures |
Fourth collaboration with Paul Greengrass Additional Music by Paul Mounsey |
| How to Train Your Dragon | Chris Sanders Dean DeBlois |
Paramount Pictures DreamWorks Animation |
First collaboration with Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois Nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Score Additional Music by Paul Mounsey | |
| Fair Game | Doug Liman | River Road Entertainment Summit Entertainment |
Fourth collaboration with Doug Liman Additional Music by Paul Mounsey | |
| Knight and Day | James Mangold | Media Rights Capital Dune Entertainment Regency Enterprises 20th Century Fox |
Additional Music by Paul Mounsey | |
| 2011 | Mars Needs Moms | Simon Wells | Walt Disney Pictures ImageMovers Digital |
Additional Music by Paul Mounsey |
| Rio | Carlos Saldanha | 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Animation Blue Sky Studios |
Third collaboration with Carlos Saldanha Additional Music by Paul Mounsey | |
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | Paramount Pictures DreamWorks Animation |
Co-composed with Hans Zimmer Additional Music by Paul Mounsey | |
| Horton second Who | 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Animation Blue Sky Studios Warner Bros. Pictures Universal Pictures Illumination Entertainment |
Collaborated by Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Pictures | ||
| Happy Feet Two | George Miller | Village Roadshow Pictures Kennedy Miller Mitchell Warner Bros. Pictures |
Second collaboration with George Miller Additional Music by Paul Mounsey | |
| Bolt: Furry of Fast and Paw | Chris Williams Byron Howard |
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Animation Studios |
Fan and Faning film | |
| 2012 | Dr. Seuss' The Lorax | Chris Renaud | Universal Pictures Illumination Entertainment |
Composed songs with lyrics by Cinco Paul Additional Music by Paul Mounsey |
| Ice Age: Continental Drift | Steve Martino Mike Thurmeier |
20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Animation Blue Sky Studios |
Additional Music by Paul Mounsey | |
| 2013 | Tom and Jerry | Matt Braly Tim Hill |
Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Animation (CGI-studio) |
|
| 2014 | Rio 2 | Carlos Saldanha | 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Animation Blue Sky Studios |
Fourth collaboration with Carlos Saldanha Additional Music by Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey |
| How to Train Your Dragon 2[5] | Dean DeBlois | 20th Century Fox DreamWorks Animation |
Second collaboration with Dean DeBlois Additional Music by Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey | |
| The Cat in the Hat | Matt Braly | Universal Pictures Illumination Entertainment |
Fan, Fanmade and Faning film; Co-composer with Heitor Pereira | |
| 2015 | The Loraxistates | Chris Renaud | Universal Pictures Illumination Entertainment Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Animation (CGI-studio) |
Collaborated by Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Pictures Composed songs with lyrics by Cinco Paul, Composed collaboration songs with lyrics by Glenn Slater and Tim Rice |
| Pan | Joe Wright | RatPac-Dune Entertainment Warner Bros. Pictures |
Additional Music by Anthony Willis, Batu Sener & Paul Mounsey | |
| 2016 | Jason Bourne | Paul Greengrass | Perfect World Pictures Captivate Entertainment Pearl Street Films The Kennedy/Marshall Company Universal Pictures |
Fifth collaboration with Paul Greengrass Co-composed with David Buckley Additional Music by Batu Sener |
| Titled superhero comedy film | ||||
| 2017 | Robots 2 | Mike Mitchell | 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Animation Blue Sky Studios Davis Entertainment |
|
| Titled fantasy comedy film | ||||
| Ferdinand | Carlos Saldanha | 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Animation Blue Sky Studios Davis Entertainment |
Nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella" Fifth collaboration with Carlos Saldanha Additional Music by Batu Sener, Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey | |
| 2018 | Solo: A Star Wars Story[6] | Ron Howard | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Lucasfilm Ltd. |
Nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Instrumental Composition" Han Solo Theme & Original Star Wars Music by John Williams. Additional Music by Batu Sener, Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey. |
| Titled science fantasy comedy film | ||||
| 2019 | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World[7] | Dean DeBlois | Universal Pictures DreamWorks Animation |
Third collaboration with Dean DeBlois Additional Music by Batu Sener, Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey |
| Titled action comedy film |
2020s[]
| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Call of the Wild[8] | Chris Sanders | 20th Century Studios 3 Arts Entertainment |
Second collaboration with Chris Sanders Additional Music by Batu Sener & Paul Mounsey |
| Titled science fiction action-adventure comedy film | ||||
| 2021 | Locked Down[9] | Doug Liman | AGC Studios Storyteller Productions Warner Bros. Pictures HBO Max |
Fifth collaboration with Doug Liman Additional Music by Batu Sener |
| Spirits of Disguise | ||||
| Titled action-adventure comedy film | ||||
| 2022 | Titled space opera comedy-adventure film | |||
| Don't Worry Darling[10] | Olivia Wilde | Warner Bros. Pictures New Line Cinema Vertigo Entertainment |
Additional Music by Batu Sener | |
| Titled science fiction-fantasy adventure comedy film | ||||
| 2023
|
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie[11] | Davis Guggenheim | Apple TV+ | Documentary |
| Migration[12] | Benjamin Renner | Universal Pictures Illumination |
Animated film
Additional Music by Batu Sener & Peter Davison[13] | |
| 2024 | Thelma the Unicorn[14] | Jared Hess Lynn Wang |
Netflix Netflix Animation Scholastic Entertainment |
Animated film
Additional Music by Batu Sener[15] |
| Wicked[16] | Jon M. Chu | Universal Pictures Marc Platt Productions |
Incidental score co-composed with Stephen Schwartz.
Also choir conductor. | |
| That Christmas[17][18] | Simon Otto | Locksmith Animation DNEG Animation |
Additional music by Batu Sener, Anthony Willis, Ed Sheeran, John McDaid and Markus Siegel[19] | |
| 2025 | How to Train Your Dragon[20] | Dean DeBlois | Universal Pictures DreamWorks Animation Marc Platt Productions |
Live-action reboot |
| Smurfs | Chris Miller | Paramount Pictures Paramount Animation Nickelodeon Movies Marcy Media Films LAFIG Belgium Peyo Company |
Songs by Rihanna and Stargate Additional music by Batu Sener | |
| Wicked: For Good[16] | Jon M. Chu | Universal Pictures Marc Platt Productions |
Incidental score co-composed with Stephen Schwartz.
Also choir conductor. | |
| 2026 | Toyland | Chris Wedge | 20th Century Studios Spotlight Animation Studios |
Themes by Randy Newman Additional music by Batu Sener |
| 2027 | Larrikins | Chris Miller | Songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Additional music by Batu Sener |
Studio Albums[]
| Year | Title | Notes | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Hubris: Choral Works by John Powell | Classical Music, Concert Music | 5 Cat Studios |
Awards and nominations[]
Awards[]
- 1998 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Antz (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 1998 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Face/Off
- 2001 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Chicken Run (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2001 Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music Score an Animated Feature Production – Shrek (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2002 Ivor Novello for Best Original Film Score – Shrek (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2002 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Shrek (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2003 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – The Bourne Identity
- 2004 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – The Italian Job
- 2005 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – The Bourne Supremacy
- 2006 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- 2006 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Robots
- 2007 Ivor Novello for Best Original Film Score – Ice Age: The Meltdown
- 2009 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production – Kung Fu Panda (with Hans Zimmer)
- 2009 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Television Production or Short Form – Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (with Henry Jackman and Hans Zimmer)
- 2010 Ivor Novello for Best Original Film Score – Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
- 2011 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production – How To Train Your Dragon
- 2011 Ivor Novello for Best Original Film Score – How To Train Your Dragon
- 2011 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for an Animated Feature – How To Train Your Dragon
- 2011 IFMCA Award for Film Score of the Year – How To Train Your Dragon
- 2015 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production – How To Train Your Dragon 2
- 2015 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for an Animated Feature – How To Train Your Dragon 2
- 2015 IFMCA Award for Film Music Composition of the Year – for "Flying With Mother" from How to Train Your Dragon 2
- 2016 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Jason Bourne
- 2017 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Ferdinand
- 2018 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films – Solo: A Star Wars Story
- 2018 IFMCA Award for Film Score of the Year – Solo: A Star Wars Story
- 2018 ASCAP Award for Film Score of the Year – Solo: A Star Wars Story
- 2018 ASCAP Award – Henry Mancini Award
- 2018 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film – Solo: A Star Wars Story
Nominations[]
- 1998 Saturn Award for Best Music – Face/Off
- 1999 Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production – Antz (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2000 Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production – The Road to El Dorado (with Hans Zimmer, Elton John and Tim Rice)
- 2001 Ivor Novello for Best Original Film Score – Chicken Run (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2001 Saturn Award for Best Music – The Road to El Dorado (with Hans Zimmer)
- 2001 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for Best Original Score – Chicken Run (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2002 BAFTA Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music – Shrek (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2002 Saturn Award for Best Music – Shrek (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
- 2005 Golden Satellite Award for Best Original Score – Alfie (with David A. Stewart and Mick Jagger)
- 2005 World Soundtrack Awards for Best Film Composer of the Year – The Bourne Supremacy
- 2005 World Soundtrack Awards for Best Original Film Score of the Year – The Bourne Supremacy
- 2006 World Soundtrack Awards for Best Film Composer of the Year – Ice Age: The Meltdown
- 2007 Saturn Award for Best Music – X-Men: The Last Stand
- 2007 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production – Ice Age: The Meltdown
- 2007 BAFTA Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music – Happy Feet
- 2007 World Soundtrack Awards for Best Film Composer of the Year – Happy Feet
- 2008 Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media – Happy Feet
- 2008 World Soundtrack Awards for Best Film Composer of the Year – The Bourne Ultimatum
- 2008 Satellite Award for Best Original Score – Horton Hears a Who!
- 2008 Saturn Award for Best Music – The Bourne Ultimatum
- 2009 Saturn Award for Best Music – Jumper
- 2009 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production – Horton Hears a Who!
- 2010 Annie Award for Music in a Feature Production – Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
- 2010 World Soundtrack Awards for Best Film Composer of the Year – How To Train Your Dragon, Green Zone, Knight & Day, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
- 2011 Saturn Award for Best Music – How To Train Your Dragon
- 2011 BAFTA Award for Best Original Music – How To Train Your Dragon
- 2011 World Soundtrack Awards for Best Film Composer of the Year – Mars Needs Moms, Rio, Kung Fu Panda 2 (with Hans Zimmer)
- 2011 Academy Award for Best Original Score – How To Train Your Dragon
- 2014 Saturn Award for Best Music – How to Train Your Dragon 2
- 2015 IFMCA Award for Composer of the Year – How to Train Your Dragon 2
- 2016 Ivor Novello for Best Original Film Score – Pan
- 2017 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for an Animated Feature – Ferdinand
- 2018 Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition – "Mine Mission" from Solo: A Star Wars Story (with John Williams)
- 2018 Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella – "Madrid Finale" from Ferdinand
- 2019 World Soundtrack Awards for Best Film Composer of the Year – How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
References[]
- ↑ From Gigli to Oscar: Composer John Powell Reacts to His Nomination. Movieline (25 January 2011).
- ↑ John Powell - Exclusive Q & A. Spitfire Audio. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved on September 3, 2015.
- ↑ John Powell's 'A Prussian Requiem' to be performed live in London. SoundtracksAndTrailerMusic.com (5 November 2015). Retrieved on January 8, 2016.
- ↑ John Powell to Score Untitled Han Solo Movie. Lucasfilm (26 July 2017). Retrieved on July 26, 2017.
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.V., Erin (2 April 2012). "Interview: Dean DeBlois, director of 'How To Train Your Dragon'". One Movie, Five Views. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ↑ John Powell to Score Untitled Han Solo Movie. Lucasfilm (26 July 2017).
- ↑ How to Train Your Dragon 3 Pushed Back to 2017. ComingSoon.net.
- ↑ Soundtrack.net.
- ↑ John Powell Scoring Doug Liman's 'Locked Down' | Film Music Reporter (en-US).
- ↑ John Powell Scoring Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. Film Music Reporter (January 6, 2022).
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."John Powell Scoring Davis Guggenheim's 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie'". Film Music Reporter. Film Music Reporter. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ↑ John Powell Scoring Illumination Entertainment's 'Migration' | Film Music Reporter.
- ↑ IMDb Full Music Credits. IMDb.
- ↑ John Powell Scoring Lynn Wang's & Jared Hess' Thelma the Unicorn (5 December 2023).
- ↑ IMDb Full Music Department Credits. IMDb.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 John Powell Scoring Jon M. Chu's 'Wicked' (3 July 2024).
- ↑ Powell, John (30 November 2023). Scoring my 25th animated film and my first Xmas movie at Abbey Road Studios this week 🎶 Coming next winter! ❄️ #JohnPowell #soundtrack….
- ↑ John Powell Scoring Locksmith Animation's 'That Christmas' (en-US).
- ↑ IMDb Full Music Department Credits. IMDb.
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."John Powell to Score Dean DeBlois' 'How to Train Your Dragon' Live-Action Film Adaptation". Film Music Reporter. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Hubris: Choral Works by John Powell (192kHz / 24-bit) « John Powell". John Powell. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
External links[]
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