James Horner
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 Song:Nominated
- 1987Oscar - Best Music, Original Score: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 FilmWinner
- 1988Grammy - Song of the Year:Winner
- 1988Grammy - Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television:Nominated
- 1988Grammy - Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television: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 MusicNominated
- 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 Song:Winner
- 1998Oscar - Best Music, Original Dramatic Score:Winner
- 1998Anthony Asquith Award for Film MusicNominated
- 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 Re-Release of a Previously Existing Score:Nominated
- 1998FMCJ Award - Film Score of the Year:Nominated
- 1998FMCJ Award - Best Original Score for an Adventure Film:Nominated
- 1998FMCJ Award - Best Original Score for an Adventure Film:Winner
- 1998Sierra Award - Best Original Song:Winner
- 1998OFTA Film Award - Best Music, Original Dramatic Score:Winner
- 1998OFTA Film Award - Best Music, Original Song:Winner
- 1998Golden Satellite Award - Best Original Song:Winner
- 1998Golden Satellite Award - Best Original Score:Winner
- 1999ASCAP Award - Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures:Winner
- 1999ASCAP Award - Top Box Office Films:Winner
- 1999ASCAP Award - Top Box Office Films:Winner
- 1999Grammy - Record of the Year:Winner
- 1999Grammy - Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: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 Action Soundtrack:Nominated
- 2001GoldSpirit Awards - Best Drama Soundtrack:Nominated
- 2001GoldSpirit Awards - Best 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
- 2007Felix - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2008IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for a Drama Film:Nominated
- 2008IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction 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 New Release or Re-Release of an Existing Score:Nominated
- 2009IFMCA Award - Film Music Composition of the Year:Nominated
- 2009IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film:Nominated
- 2009IFMCA Award - Film Score of the Year: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 MusicNominated
- 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 Song Written for a Film:Nominated
- 2010World Soundtrack Award - Best Original Soundtrack of the Year:Nominated
- 2011ASCAP Award - Top Box Office Films:Winner
- 2011Black Reel - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2011Grammy - Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media:Nominated
- 2011Grammy - Best Score Soundtrack Album for a 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 - Film Music Composition 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
- 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