Pete Townshend, composer David Newman and composer Mike Post were among those who received high honors and awards at the annual BMI Film & Television Awards, held tonight (May 20) at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. The event was co-hosted by BMI president/CEO Del Bryant and film/TV relations VP Doreen Ringer Ross.
Townsend (PRS) was given awards for his work on television programs “CSI,” “CSI Miami” and “CSI New York.” Post, the composer behind many classic television themes, was honored for his involvement in the BMI Foundation’s Pete Carpenter Fellowship. He was given the Classic Contribution award. And Newman, who composes music for many Danny DeVito-directed films, received the Richard Kirk Award, which is given annually to composers who have made significant contributions to film and television music.
Other composers who received awards include: Aaron Zigman (“Sex and the City,” “Madea Goes to Jail”); Theodore Shapiro (“Marley & Me,” “Tropic Thunder”); Harry Gregson-Williams (“Eleventh Hour,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”); Danny Elfman (“Wanted,” “Desperate Housewives”); Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Bedtime Stories,” “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”); Tyler Bates (“Californication,” “Watchmen”); and Graeme Revell (“Pineapple Express,” “Eleventh Hour”).
Winning composers for top-grossing films included John Williams (“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”), Alexandre Desplat (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Thomas Newman (“Wall-E”), Alex Wurman (“Four Christmases”), Randy Edelman (“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”), Cliff Eidelman (“He’s Just Not That Into You”), and John Ottman (“Valkyrie”).
Award-winning composers of featured music for hit television and cable series included Steve Jablonsky (“Desperate Housewives”); Jace Everett and Nathan Barr (“True Blood”); Tony Asher, Anton Sanko, and Brian Wilson (“Big Love”); and Rolfe Kent and Daniel Licht (“Dexter”). Ferdinand Jay Smith was also honored for his composition of HBO’s main theme.
A complete list of winners at tonight’s BMI Film & Television Awards can be found at bmi.com.
