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James Horner Biography

Birth Name:James Roy Horner

Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, United States

Profession Soundtrack, Music department, Actor

Fast Facts

Earned his Ph․D․ in music composition and theory at UCLA, where he taught music theory
Was selected to receive the 2013 Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award for extraordinary achievement in the field of film music
Began playing piano when he was 5 and studied at the Royal College of Music in London
Quote: "[My job] is to make sure at every turn of the film ․․․ When we lose a character, when somebody wins, when somebody loses, when someone disappears - at all times I'm keeping track, constantly, of what the heart is supposed to be feeling․"
Quote: "The music's job is to get the audience so involved that they forget how the movie turns out․"
A prolific film scorer, he worked on three James Cameron films, two "Star Trek" movies and many other classics including "A Beautiful Mind," "Field of Dreams" and "Apollo 13․"
Outside of his film scoring career, he composed a classical concert piece, "Spectral Shimmers," which was performed for the first time by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
Scored theme music for such eclectic projects as Michael Jackson's "Captain EO" attraction at Disneyland

Awards

1982LAFCA Award-Best Music: winner
1984Saturn Award-Best Music: winner
1984Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1984Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1986Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1987ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1987Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
1987Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: nominated
1987Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1987Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
1988ASCAP Award-Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures: winner
1988Most Performed Song from a Film-: winner
1988Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television: winner
1988Grammy-Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television: nominated
1988Grammy-Song of the Year: winner
1989Filmtracks Award-Top Film Scores: winner
1990ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1990Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
1990Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
1990Grammy-Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television: nominated
1990Movie Music UK Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: winner
1991Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1991Grammy-Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
1991Movie Music UK Award-Best Original Score for a Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: winner
1992Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
1993ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1994ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1994ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
1995ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1995ACCA-Best Original Score: winner
1995ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
1995Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
1996ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1996ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1996Oscar-Best Music, Original Dramatic Score: nominated
1996Oscar-Best Music, Original Dramatic Score: nominated
1996Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
1996Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
1996CFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
1996Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
1996Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: nominated
1997ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1997ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1997ACCA-Best Original Score: winner
1997LAFCA Award-Best Music: nominated
1998ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1998Oscar-Best Music, Original Dramatic Score: winner
1998Oscar-Best Music, Original Song: winner
1998Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
1998CFCA Award-Best Original Score: winner
1998Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: winner
1998Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: winner
1998FMCJ Award-Best Original Score for an Adventure Film: nominated
1998FMCJ Award-Best Original Score for an Adventure Film: winner
1998FMCJ Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
1998FMCJ Award-Best Re-Release of a Previously Existing Score: nominated
1998Sierra Award-Best Original Song: winner
1998OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Song: winner
1998OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Dramatic Score: winner
1998Golden Satellite Award-Best Original Song: winner
1998Golden Satellite Award-Best Original Score: winner
1999ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1999ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
1999ASCAP Award-Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures: winner
1999Grammy-Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: winner
1999Grammy-Record of the Year: winner
1999Juno-Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic): nominated
1999OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Score: nominated
2000IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
2000Stinker Award-Most Intrusive Musical Score: nominated
2001ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2001ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2001Saturn Award-Best Music: winner
2001ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
2001GoldSpirit Awards-Best Soundtrack: nominated
2001GoldSpirit Awards-Best Drama Soundtrack: nominated
2001GoldSpirit Awards-Best Action Soundtrack: nominated
2002Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
2002CFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2002Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
2002OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
2002PFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2002Golden Satellite Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2002Golden Satellite Award-Best Original Song: winner
2002World Soundtrack Award-Soundtrack Composer of the Year: nominated
2003ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2003Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
2004Oscar-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
2004Golden Satellite Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2004World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Song Written for Film: nominated
2005ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2005IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: nominated
2005IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
2006ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2006Critics Choice Award-Best Composer: nominated
2006INOCA-Best Original Score: nominated
2006OFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2008IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film: nominated
2008IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: nominated
2009ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2009ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
2009CFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2009HFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
2009IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film: nominated
2009IFMCA Award-Film Music Composition of the Year: nominated
2009IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
2009IFMCA Award-Best New Release or Re-Release of an Existing Score: nominated
2009IFMCA Award-Best New Release or Re-Release of an Existing Score: nominated
2010Felix-Best Original Score: nominated
2010ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2010Oscar-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: nominated
2010Saturn Award-Best Music: winner
2010Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
2010BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
2010Gold Derby Film Award-Original Score: nominated
2010Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: nominated
2010Golden Globe-Best Original Song - Motion Picture: nominated
2010INOCA-Best Original Song: nominated
2010OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: nominated
2010World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Soundtrack of the Year: nominated
2010World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Song Written for a Film: nominated
2011ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2011Black Reel-Best Original Score: nominated
2011Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
2011Grammy-Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
2011IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: nominated
2013ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2013IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: nominated
2016Felix-Best Original Score: nominated
2016Felix-Best Original Score: nominated
2016IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: nominated
2016IFMCA Award-Best Archival Release of an Existing Score - Re-Release: nominated
2016IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: winner
2016IFMCA Award-Film Music Composition of the Year: nominated
2017ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films: winner
2017COFCA Award-Best Score: nominated
2017IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: nominated
2018Felix-Best Score Drama: nominated
2020IFMCA Award-Best Archival Release of an Existing Score - Re-Release or Re-Recording: nominated
2021OFTA Film Hall of Fame-Score: winner
2023IFMCA Award-Best Archival Release: nominated