17th World Soundtrack Awards announces second wave of nominees

For the second year in a row, the award for Best Original Score for a Belgian Production will be given to one of the three nominees who recently scored a Belgian film. The WSAcadamy has nominated Jef Nevefor his score for 'Speechless', American musician Johnny Jewel for 'Home' and Jean-Luc Fafchamps for Film Fest Gent's opening film this year, 'Insyriated’.

With the Discovery of the Year Award, the WSAwards wants to reward and stimulate young international talented composers. Next to receiving a prize, the winner is also invited to perform at the 2018 WSAwards ceremony. Three other young composers will also have the opportunity of winning the SABAM Award for Most Original Composition by a Young International Composer, worth 2.500 Euro. The candidates were assigned to compose a score for a selected scene from Bernardo Bertolucci's 'Il Conformista', within the context of Film Fest Gent's Italian focus of this year. The jury consisted out of Film Fest Gent's Music Director Dirk Brossé, Artistic Director Patrick Duynslaegher, composers Hans Helewaut and Michel Herr, Stefan Rycken and director Cecilia Verheyden.

During the 17th award ceremony, the winner of the Public Choice Award will also be announced. One of the five nominees will receive the prize of the public on 18 October at Capitole, Ghent.

As previously announced, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to David Shire (‘The Conversation’, ‘All the President’s Men’). After the award ceremony, Brussels Philharmonic together with a few jazz solists, will perform selected work by Terence Blanchard, who served as a composer for many Spike Lee films ('Mo’ Better Blues', 'Malcolm X', '25th Hour'). The annual Film Fest album will be available from then on, this year with Blanchard's work. Discovery of 2016 Joe Kraemer ('The Way of the Gun', 'Jack Reacher', 'Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation') will also perform that evening.

SECOND WAVE OF NOMINEES:

Best Original Score for a Belgian Production
Jean-Luc Fafchamps: ‘Insyriated’ by Philppe van Leeuw
Johnny Jewel: ‘Home’ by Fien Troch
Jef Neve: ‘Speechless’ by Hilde Van Mieghem

Discovery of the Year 2017
Michael Abels: ‘Get Out’
Nicholas Britell: ‘Moonlight’
Dan Jones: ‘Lady Macbeth’
Rael Jones: ‘My Cousin Rachel’
Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka: ‘Lion’

SABAM Award for the Most Original Composition by a Young International
Gavin Brivik (US)
Andrea Grant (IT)
Jim David van der Panne (NL)

Public Choice Award
Jóhann Jóhannsson: ‘Arrival’
Diego Navarro: ‘Pasaje al amanecer’
A.R. Rahman: ‘Viceroy’s House’
Alejandro Vivas: ‘El jugador de ajedrez’
Michael Wandmacher: ‘Voice from the Stone’

The World Soundtrack Academy has been supporting for already 17 year original scores, sound design, composers and even TV music since last year. The WSAcademy membership has become an impressive group of 370 film (music) professionals who vote every year for the WSA nominees in several ballots.

17th World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert
18 October 2017 – WSAwards Gala & Concert: Tickets
19 October 2017 – Symphonic Jazz Concert: Tickets