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Alan Menken Biography

Birth Name:Alan Irwin Menken

Birth Place:New York City, New York, United States

Profession Soundtrack, Music department, Producer, Editor

Fast Facts

During a special ceremony in 2001, he was honored as a Disney Legend for his contribution to The Walt Disney Company
Won the Freddie G․ Award for Musical Excellence in 2013
Started college as a pre-med student, planning to be a dentist like his father and his grandfather, but changed his focus to music, and after graduating he performed in local clubs, worked as an accompanist and composed jingles
Quote: "The best people I’ve worked with are tough․ They all have black clouds over their heads, to a degree․"
Has scored many Walt Disney Pictures films, including "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin․"
Has written a large body of work for musical theater, including music for the stage versions of "Little Shop of Horrors" and "God Bless You, Mr․ Rosewater․"
Plays the piano, the violin, the guitar and the accordion
Loved listening to Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky as a child, and though his parents liked listening to show tunes with the family, he considered that their thing
Used to fool his parents into thinking he was practicing piano pieces for his tutor by making up music in the same style as the piece he was supposed to be learning
A self-proclaimed "wild hippie" during the 1960s, he hitchhiked across the country, playing fiddle on street corners and at peaceful protests

Awards

1987Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
1987Saturn Award-Best Music: winner
1989Filmtracks Award-Top Film Scores: nominated
1990Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: winner
1990Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
1990Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
1990BMI Film Music Award-: winner
1990Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: winner
1990Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
1990Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: winner
1990Movie Music UK Award-Best Score for an Animated Film: winner
1991ACCA-Best Original Score: winner
1991ACCA-Best Original Song: winner
1991ACCA-Best Original Song: nominated
1991ACCA-Best Original Song: nominated
1991ACCA-Best Original Song: nominated
1991Grammy-Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television: nominated
1991Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
1991Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: nominated
1991Razzie Award-Worst Original Song: nominated
1992Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: winner
1992Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
1992Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
1992Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
1992ACCA-Best Original Score: winner
1992BMI Film Music Award-: winner
1992Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: winner
1992Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: winner
1992Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
1993ASCAP Award-Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures: winner
1993ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1993Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: winner
1993Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
1993Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
1993Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1993Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1993BAFTA Film Award-Best Original Film Score: nominated
1993BMI Film Music Award-: winner
1993Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
1993Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
1993Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: winner
1993Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: winner
1993Grammy-Album of the Year: nominated
1993Grammy-Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
1993Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
1993Razzie Award-Worst Original Song: winner
1994BAFTA Film Award-Best Score: nominated
1994Most Performed Song from a Film-: winner
1994Grammy-Song of the Year: winner
1994Grammy-Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
1994Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: nominated
1994Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
1995ASCAP Award-Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures: winner
1995Annie-Best Individual Achievement for Music in the Field of Animation: winner
1995ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
1996ASCAP Award-Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures: winner
1996Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
1996Oscar-Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score: winner
1996Annie-Best Individual Achievement: Music: nominated
1996ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
1996BMI Film Music Award-: winner
1996Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
1996Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: winner
1996Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
1997Oscar-Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score: nominated
1997ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
1997BMI Film Music Award-: winner
1997Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
1997OFTA Film Award-Best Original Song: nominated
1997OFTA Film Award-Best Score: nominated
1998Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
1998Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
1998OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
1998OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Comedy/Musical Score: nominated
2006IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Comedy Film: nominated
2007IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Comedy Film: winner
2007SLFCA Award-Best Score: nominated
2008ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2008Oscar-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: nominated
2008Oscar-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: nominated
2008Oscar-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: nominated
2008Saturn Award-Best Music: winner
2008Critics Choice Award-Best Composer: nominated
2008Gold Derby Film Award-Original Song: nominated
2008Gold Derby Film Award-Original Song: nominated
2008Gold Derby Film Award-Original Score: nominated
2008Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
2008HFCS Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2008INOCA-Best Original Song: nominated
2008OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
2009Grammy-Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
2009Grammy-Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
2010Felix-Best Original Song: nominated
2010Felix-Best Original Score: winner
2010Sierra Award-Best Song: winner
2010PFCS Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2011ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2011Oscar-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: nominated
2011Critics Choice Award-Best Song: nominated
2011Gold Derby Film Award-Original Song: winner
2011Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
2011HFCS Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2011IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for an Animated Film: nominated
2011INOCA-Best Original Song: nominated
2011OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
2011PFCS Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2011World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Song Written for a Film: nominated
2012Felix-Best Original Song: nominated
2012Felix-Best Original Song: nominated
2012Felix-Best Original Score: nominated
2012GAFCA Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2012Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
2012Grammy-Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
2012INOCA-Best Original Song: nominated
2012OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
2013Felix-Best Original Score: nominated
2013Felix-Best Original Song: winner
2013Felix-Best Original Song: nominated
2013BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
2013Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics: nominated
2016HMMA Award-Best Original Song - Animated Film: nominated
2016Sierra Award-Best Song: nominated
2016Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics: nominated
2017Felix-Best Score Comedy or Musical: nominated
2017HMMA Award-Best Song - Animated Film: nominated
2017Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA)-ORIGINAL SONG - SCI-FI/FANTASY/HORROR FILM: winner
2017Halfway Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2018Gold Derby Film Award-Original Song: nominated
2018HFCS Award-Best Song: nominated
2018HFCS Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2018OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Adapted Song: nominated
2018OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Adapted Song: nominated
2018OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
2019Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
2019Annie-Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production: nominated
2019Annie-Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production: nominated
2019DFCA Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2019HMMA Award-Best Original Song - Feature Film: nominated
2020Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program: winner
2020HFCS Award-Best Song: nominated
2020HCA Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2020LEJA Award-Best Song Written for a Motion Picture: nominated
2020OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Adapted Song: nominated
2020SCL Award-Outstanding Original Song for Visual Media: nominated
2021OFTA Film Hall of Fame-Score: winner
2022OFTA Film Hall of Fame-Score: winner
2023Filmtracks Award-Top Film Cues: nominated
2023HMMA Award-Best Original Song - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: nominated
2023HMMA Award-Best Original Song - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: nominated
2024Saturn Award-Best Music in a Film: nominated
2024CinEuphoria-Best Song (Original or Adapted) - International Competition: nominated
2024Image Award-Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album: nominated
2025OFTA Film Hall of Fame-Score: winner