IFMCA winners

The International Film Music Critics Association has unveiled their winners for 2013. If you assume they're the sort of group that always attempts to align themselves with the Academy's tastes, then you may be surprised by their selections. But if you are more familiar with this organization's modus operandi, then you'll find them expectedly bemusing. Not a single one of their winners was recognized by AMPAS' music branch this year, not even Oscar favourite Steven Price who had reaped four nominations for his Gravity score. Instead, the big winner was Abel Korzeniowski, who took home three honours including Film Score of the Year for Romeo and Juliet, a film which has otherwise been completely off the awards radar.

Peruse the film category winners after the cut.

IFMCA nominees

A few days ago the International Film Music Critics Association very quietly announced their nominees for 2013 (I don't know if they even issued a press release, as I haven't seen the news published anywhere but their official website). Since composers don't have a guild or trade society of their own, this is the closest we get to a precursor award just for movie music, but it doesn't always align with the Academy's taste.

This year, for instance, the top category of 'Film Score of the Year' is a real head-scratcher, featuring only one of the five Oscar nominees (probable winner Stephen Price for Gravity). Rounding it out is Howard Shore's swollen Hobbit score and three other soundtracks that I doubt were on anyone's award radar!

It looks like this might be Price's to lose, but he isn't the composer with the most nominations from this group. That distinction goes to Abel Korzeniowski, who has multiple scores recognized.

Check out the eclectic group of nominees after the cut.

IFMCA nominees

Composers in Hollywood don't have a guild or trade group to give us hints as to Oscar potential like other craft sectors, but each year we get to see what the International Film Music Critics Association thinks represents the best of the year, and it's always a treat! The organization drops their nominees well after Oscar nominations, and with a plethora of categories, they often spotlight artists that the Academy's insular branch overlooks, like TRON Legacy's Daft Punk two years ago or Drive's Cliff Martinez last year.

This year's nominees include wonderful but sadly Oscar-snubbed scores like Cloud Atlas, Rise of the Guardians, The Dark Knight Rises, and others. The biggest presence on this slate is enjoyed by Alexandre Desplat, with four nominations including Composer of the Year (he's gotta win that one, right?).

Film Score of the Year
Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Howard Shore)
The Impossible (Fernando Velázquez)
Life of Pi (Mychael Danna)
Lincoln (John Williams)

I'm guessing this comes down to the two Oscar nominees, Lincoln and Life of Pi. They gave it to Williams last year, and it looks like Mychael Danna is on route to Oscar, so it might be his to lose.

IFMCA fall big time for Williams

My two favourite musical scores of the year, War Horse and Tintin by the immortal John Williams, aren't likely to wrestle the Best Original Score Oscar away from The Artist on Sunday, but they did manage to win four awards from the International Film Music Critics, while the man himself additionally won Composer of the Year. It's a nice group of winners all around, which includes Cliff Martinez's Academy-DQed score for Drive.

FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR
War Horse, John Williams

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
John Williams

IFMC Awards nominations

The International Film Music Critics always feel a bit late out of the gate with their yearly awards, but I'm usually glad to see them. Their compartmentalization of various genres helps shine a light on the many composers who don't crack the lineup of the Academy's insular music branch. I'm pleased, for instance, to see Cliff Martinez and The Chemical Brothers each pop up here, even though it's not in the Film Score of the Year category.

Film Score of the Year
The Adventures of Tintin (John Williams)
The Artist (Ludovic Bource) Will win
The Greatest Miracle (Mark McKenzie)
Hugo (Howard Shore)
War Horse (John Williams) Should win

IFMA winners!

Film Score of the Year: John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon
Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
Best Score for an Animated Film: John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon
Best Score for a Drama Film: Alexandre Desplat, The King's Speech
Best Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: Alexandre Desplat, The Ghost Writer
Best Score for a Comedy Film: Pinar Toprak, The Lightkeepers.
Best Score to a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film: Daft Punk, TRON: Legacy
Best Score for a Documentary Film: Bruno Coulais, Oceans
Best Individual Composition: Danny Elfman, “Alice Theme” from Alice in Wonderland
Breakout Composer of the Year: Nuno Malo, Amalia

I have to say I like these winners. For the most part that is. I am a wee bit baffled as to how Danny Elfman's derivative "Alice" can be seen (or heard) as a more accomplished composition than John Powell's beautiful "Forbidden Friendship", but at least Powell took home the big prize for Best Film Score of the Year, a fitting consolation given that he stands little chance of winning the Oscar.

I'm thrilled to see Daft Punk get some due recognition for what is some of the year's most awesome music in TRON Legacy, and to see Alexandre Desplat actually win for his atmospheric Ghost Writer score, to go along with his expected win for King's Speech. It's looking like his year.

International Film Music Critics Awards nominees

I was wondering when these would come out. I always like perusing their choices, and there were some good ones this year. Save for the omission of The Social Network, this is a damn fine group of nominees.

Alexandre Desplat leads with seven nominations. Close behind is John Powell with five.

Film Score of the Year
“The Ghost Writer” (Alexandre Desplat)
“How to Train Your Dragon” (John Powell)
“Inception” (Hans Zimmer)
“The King’s Speech” (Alexandre Desplat)
“TRON Legacy” (Daft Punk)