INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2019 IFMCA AWARDS; JOHN WILLIAMS REIGNS SUPREME WITH MULTIPLE AWARDS HONORING HIS FINAL STAR WARS SCORE, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
FEBRUARY 20, 2020 — The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) announces its list of winners for excellence in musical scoring in 2019, in the 2019 IFMCA Awards.
The award for Score of the Year goes to legendary veteran John Williams for his score for the ninth and final Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker, which concluded the sequel trilogy of adventures about the scavenger Rey, heroic former Stormtrooper Finn, and Kylo Ren, the leader of the Imperial First Order. The film is directed by J. J. Abrams, and stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Adam Driver. In describing the score, IFMCA member James Southall described The Rise of Skywalker as ‘one last brilliant piece of musical adventure to call time on his signature work … a triumphant conclusion to an extraordinary musical saga,’ and also said that ‘it’s simply impossible to overstate Williams’s contribution to the series’ success’. The score is also named Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film, while the main theme The Rise of Skywalker is named Film Music Composition of the Year.
The IFMCA has also chosen to bestow a Special Award on Williams, primarily in recognition of his near-unparalleled achievement in scoring the 9-movie saga that began with the original Star Wars film in 1977. IFMCA member Jon Broxton opined that ‘no-one has achieved the holy triumvirate of musical excellence, peer respect, and pop culture recognition the way that John Williams has,’ and described the entire Star Wars saga as ‘works of staggering genius and beauty … his Ring Cycle, the work that will define his life and his legacy, a nine-movement 25-hour masterpiece of enduring musical brilliance that has taken a full 42 years to come to fruition’.
FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, music by John Williams
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR FILM
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, music by John Williams
BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – COMPILATION
• “Across the Stars”, music by John Williams; The Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles and Anne-Sophie Mutter, conducted by John Williams; album produced by Bernhard Güttler; liner notes by Jon Burlingame; art direction by Büro Dirk Rudolph (Deutsche Grammophon)
FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
• “The Rise of Skywalker” from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, music by John Williams
THE ROBERTO ASCHERI SPECIAL AWARD
• JOHN WILLIAMS, for career achievement