Oscars 2014: Best music showcased with its own concert
Most movies would be nothing without music. That is why there is also an Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Song.
This year, the event will showcase a contest as competitive as any Best Picture race, with names like Pharrell Williams, U2, Karen O and Frozen battling it out in the Best Song category.
And there is another reason for movie-music lovers to rejoice: for the first time in 85 years, the event is putting on its very own concert, which is scheduled ahead of Oscars night.
“This is an historic event, this is the first-time ever concert by the Motion Picture Academy presenting all the current Oscar-nominated scores and songs,” said composer Charles Fox, head of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ music branch.
In the race for Best Original Score are six-time nominee: Alexandre Desplat with ‘Philomena’, five-time Oscar winner John Williams with ‘The Book Thief’, Arcade Fire’s William Butler and Owen Pallett with ‘Her’, twelve-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman with ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ and Steven Price with ‘Gravity’.
The Oscar concert is expected to become a regular fixture from now on, but should in no way overshadow the main event.
“Well, the one thing we don’t want to do with this is we don’t want to intrude on the Oscars themselves. The Oscars are the most important part of the Motion Picture Academy’s things that they do – this is the culmination of the year’s events – so we are doing our own thing,” said Charles Fox.
The 3D space thriller ‘Gravity’ by Alfonso Cuarón is one of this year’s Oscar favourites with 10 nominations including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Original Score.
It was the big winner at the BAFTAs picking up six awards, including best score for Steven Price, who worked closely with the film’s director to create the soundtrack.
The winners will be announced at the Oscars ceremony on March 2.
This year, the event will showcase a contest as competitive as any Best Picture race, with names like Pharrell Williams, U2, Karen O and Frozen battling it out in the Best Song category.
And there is another reason for movie-music lovers to rejoice: for the first time in 85 years, the event is putting on its very own concert, which is scheduled ahead of Oscars night.
“This is an historic event, this is the first-time ever concert by the Motion Picture Academy presenting all the current Oscar-nominated scores and songs,” said composer Charles Fox, head of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ music branch.
In the race for Best Original Score are six-time nominee: Alexandre Desplat with ‘Philomena’, five-time Oscar winner John Williams with ‘The Book Thief’, Arcade Fire’s William Butler and Owen Pallett with ‘Her’, twelve-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman with ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ and Steven Price with ‘Gravity’.
The Oscar concert is expected to become a regular fixture from now on, but should in no way overshadow the main event.
“Well, the one thing we don’t want to do with this is we don’t want to intrude on the Oscars themselves. The Oscars are the most important part of the Motion Picture Academy’s things that they do – this is the culmination of the year’s events – so we are doing our own thing,” said Charles Fox.
The 3D space thriller ‘Gravity’ by Alfonso Cuarón is one of this year’s Oscar favourites with 10 nominations including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Original Score.
It was the big winner at the BAFTAs picking up six awards, including best score for Steven Price, who worked closely with the film’s director to create the soundtrack.
The winners will be announced at the Oscars ceremony on March 2.