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Howard Shore Biography

Birth Name:Howard Leslie Shore

Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Profession Soundtrack, Music department, Actor, Producer

Fast Facts

Has been named an Officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters
Has received the Career Achievement for Music Composition from The National Board of Review
Berklee College of Music and York University have presented him with honorary doctorates
Performed with the Canadian rock band Lighthouse
Served as musical director for "Saturday Night Live," composing the long-lived television show's theme music and appearing in multiple sketches
Quote: "You build up a certain type of thinking and you need the creative space to exercise․"
Has frequently worked with director David Cronenberg
Known for his dark themes in film scores
Suggested the name for Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi's duo, The Blues Brothers
Though he stepped down from composing the soundtrack for Peter Jackson's "King Kong" due to creative differences with the director, he has a cameo in the film
Based his scores for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy on the complexity and intricacy of J․R․R․ Tolkien's books

Awards

1980Genie-Best Music Score: nominated
1987Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1989ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1989Genie-Best Music Score: winner
1990Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1991ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
1991Chainsaw Award-Best Soundtrack: nominated
1991LAFCA Award-Best Music: nominated
1992ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1992Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1992BAFTA Film Award-Best Original Film Score: nominated
1992Chainsaw Award-Best Soundtrack: nominated
1992Genie-Best Music Score: nominated
1994ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1994ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
1994LAFCA Award-Best Music: winner
1995ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1995ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1995Saturn Award-Best Music: winner
1995LAFCA Award-Best Music: nominated
1996ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1996Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1996Chainsaw Award-Best Soundtrack: nominated
1996Grammy-Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television: nominated
1997CFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2000ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2000Chainsaw Award-Best Score: nominated
2001ACCA-Best Original Score: winner
2001Chainsaw Award-Best Score: winner
2001GoldSpirit Awards-Best Recording Edition: winner
2001GoldSpirit Awards-Best Soundtrack: winner
2001GoldSpirit Awards-Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Soundtrack: winner
2001LAFCA Award-Best Music: winner
2002AFI Award-Composer of the Year: nominated
2002ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2002Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: winner
2002Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
2002ACCA-Best Original Score: winner
2002Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
2002CFCA Award-Best Original Score: winner
2002Critics Choice Award-Best Composer: winner
2002Georges Delerue Prize-: winner
2002GoldSpirit Awards-Best Soundtrack: winner
2002Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
2002Sierra Award-Best Score: winner
2002OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: winner
2002OFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2002PFCS Award-Best Original Score: winner
2002Public Choice Award-: winner
2002World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Soundtrack of the Year: winner
2002World Soundtrack Award-Soundtrack Composer of the Year: nominated
2003ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2003Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
2003ACCA-Best Original Score: winner
2003Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
2003CFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2003Critics Choice Award-Best Composer: nominated
2003Gold Derby Film Award-Original Score: nominated
2003Gold Derby Film Award-Original Song: nominated
2003Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: winner
2003INOCA-Best Original Song: nominated
2003INOCA-Best Original Score: nominated
2003IOMA-Best Original Score (Miglior colonna sonora originale): nominated
2003IOMA-Best Original Score (Miglior colonna sonora originale): winner
2003OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
2003OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
2003OFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2003PFCS Award-Best Original Song: winner
2003PFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2003SFX Award-Best SF or Fantasy Film Music: winner
2003World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Song Written for a Film: nominated
2003World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Soundtrack of the Year: nominated
2003World Soundtrack Award-Soundtrack Composer of the Year: nominated
2004ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2004Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: winner
2004Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
2004Saturn Award-Best Music: winner
2004ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
2004Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
2004COFCA Award-Best Score: nominated
2004CFCA Award-Best Original Score: winner
2004CFCA Award-Best Original Score: winner
2004Critics Choice Award-Best Composer: winner
2004Chainsaw Award-Best Score: nominated
2004Gold Derby Film Award-Original Score: winner
2004Gold Derby Film Award-Original Song: nominated
2004Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: winner
2004Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: winner
2004Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: winner
2004ICS Award-Best Original Score: winner
2004IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: winner
2004IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
2004INOCA-Best Original Song: winner
2004INOCA-Best Original Score: winner
2004IOMA-Best Original Score (Miglior colonna sonora originale): winner
2004Sierra Award-Best Score: winner
2004OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Song: winner
2004OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: winner
2004OFCS Award-Best Original Score: winner
2004PFCS Award-Best Original Score: winner
2004Golden Satellite Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2004Seattle Film Critics Award-Best Music: winner
2004World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Song Written for Film: nominated
2005ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
2005Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
2005Critics Choice Award-Best Composer: winner
2005Gold Derby Film Award-Original Score: nominated
2005Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: winner
2005Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: winner
2005Grammy-Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: winner
2005IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Horror/Thriller Film: winner
2005IFMCA Award-Best New Release, Re-Release or Re-Recording of an Existing Score: winner
2005INOCA-Best Original Score: nominated
2005OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
2005OFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2005Golden Satellite Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2005World Soundtrack Award-Soundtrack Composer of the Year: nominated
2005World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Soundtrack of the Year: nominated
2006ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
2006Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
2006IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: nominated
2007ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2007Critics Choice Award-Best Composer: nominated
2007IFMCA Award-Best New Release, Re-Release or Re-Recording of an Existing Score: nominated
2007IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: nominated
2007OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
2007Satellite Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2008Genie-Best Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
2008Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
2008Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
2010Satellite Award-Best Original Song: nominated
2011CFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2011IFJA Award-Best Musical Score: nominated
2011SDFCS Award-Best Score: nominated
2011WAFCA Award-Best Score: nominated
2012Felix-Best Original Score: nominated
2012ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2012Oscar-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: nominated
2012Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
2012ACCA-Best Original Score of the Decade: nominated
2012Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
2012COFCA Award-Best Score: nominated
2012CinEuphoria-Best Original Music - International Competition: nominated
2012Critics Choice Award-Best Score: nominated
2012Genie-Best Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
2012Gold Derby Film Award-Original Score: nominated
2012Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
2012HMMA Award-Best Original Score - Feature Film: nominated
2012IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
2012IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film: nominated
2012INOCA-Best Original Song: nominated
2012OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
2012Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing-: winner
2012WAFCA Award-Best Score: nominated
2012World Soundtrack Award-Soundtrack Composer of the Year: nominated
2012World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Soundtrack of the Year: nominated
2013ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2013Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
2013Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
2013Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Song: winner
2013COFCA Award-Best Score: nominated
2013Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: nominated
2013IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
2013IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film: nominated
2013PFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2013SLFCA Award-Best Music: nominated
2013World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Film Score of the Year: nominated
2014ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2014Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
2014Cannes Soundtrack Award-: winner
2014CinEuphoria-Best Original Music - International Competition: nominated
2014DFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2014HMMA Award-Best Original Score - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: winner
2014IFMCA Award-Film Music Composition of the Year: nominated
2014IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film: nominated
2014IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
2014Public Choice Award-: nominated
2015Felix-Best Original Score: nominated
2015Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
2015Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
2015IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film: nominated
2015PFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2016Critics Choice Award-Best Score: nominated
2016DFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2016IFC Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2016Satellite Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2020Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
2020Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Song: winner
2020Prix Iris-Best Original Music: nominated
2020SCL Award-Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film: nominated
2021Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
2021HFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2021OFTA Film Hall of Fame-Score: winner
2022Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
2022Reel Music Award-Overall Score of the Year: winner
2023Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Score: nominated
2023ICS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2023IFMCA Award-Score of the Year: winner
2023IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film: nominated
2023IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Television Series: winner
2023Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music: nominated
2023MMI Award-Best Theme for a TV Series: winner