Mychael Danna
Birth Name:
Mychael Danna
Birth Place:
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Profession
Composer, Music department, Actor, Sound department
Fast Facts
- Won his university's Glenn Gould Composition Scholarship in 1985
- Studied music composition at the University of Toronto
- Started composing in earnest after a surgeon told him he would never play piano again due to a hand injury, and when his works were published by the Royal Conservatory of Music, he went back to the hospital to show off
- Blends non-Western musical sources and styles with orchestral and electronic minimalist music
- Frequently scores independent or art-house films, working with such directors as Terry Gilliam, Troy Duffy and Marc Webb
- At the end of his first piano lesson, he asked his teacher when he would get to learn to compose
- Served a 5-year stint as composer-in-residence at the McLaughlin Planetarium in Toronto
Awards
- 1988Genie - Best Music Score:Nominated
- 1990Genie - Best Music Score:Nominated
- 1990Genie - Best Music Score:Nominated
- 1994Genie - Best Music Score:Winner
- 1996Genie - Best Achievement in Music - Original Score:Nominated
- 1997Gemini - Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series:Nominated
- 1997Genie - Best Original Song:Nominated
- 1997Genie - Best Music Score:Winner
- 1998CFCA Award - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 1999Genie - Best Music Score:Nominated
- 2000Golden Slate - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2000Genie - Best Music Score:Winner
- 2002Gemini - Best Original Music Score for a Program or Mini-Series:Winner
- 2003Genie - Best Achievement in Music - Original Score:Winner
- 2004Genie - Best Achievement in Music - Original Score:Nominated
- 2004IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for a Drama Film:Nominated
- 2004Leo - Feature Length Drama: Best Musical Score:Winner
- 2005BMI TV Music AwardWinner
- 2006ACCA - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2006DVDX Award - Best Original Score (in a DVD Premiere Movie):Nominated
- 2006Genie - Best Achievement in Music - Original Score:Nominated
- 2006Genie - Best Achievement in Music - Original Score:Winner
- 2006IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for a Drama Film:Nominated
- 2006IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for a Comedy Film:Nominated
- 2007BMI Film Music AwardWinner
- 2007Grammy - Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media:Nominated
- 2007World Soundtrack Award - Best Original Soundtrack of the Year:Nominated
- 2007World Soundtrack Award - Soundtrack Composer of the Year:Nominated
- 2008BMI TV Music AwardWinner
- 2008SOCAN Award - Domestic Feature Film Award:Winner
- 2009IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film:Nominated
- 2010BMI Film Music Award - Film Music:Winner
- 2011PFCS Award - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2011Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music:Nominated
- 2011SOCAN Award - International Film Music Award:Winner
- 2012ACCA - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2012BMI Film Music Award - Film Music:Winner
- 2012Genie - Best Achievement in Music - Original Score:Nominated
- 2012GAFCA Award - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2012IFJA Award - Best Musical Score:Nominated
- 2012Sierra Award - Best Score:Winner
- 2012PFCS Award - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2012SDFCS Award - Best Score:Nominated
- 2013Oscar - Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song:Nominated
- 2013Oscar - Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score:Winner
- 2013Saturn Award - Best Music:Nominated
- 2013Anthony Asquith Award for Film MusicNominated
- 2013BMI Film Music Award - Film Music:Winner
- 2013Critics Choice Award - Best Score:Nominated
- 2013GAFCA Award - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2013Gold Derby Film Award - Original Song:Nominated
- 2013Gold Derby Film Award - Original Score:Winner
- 2013Golden Globe - Best Original Score - Motion Picture:Winner
- 2013HFCS Award - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2013IFMCA Award - Film Music Composition of the Year:Nominated
- 2013IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for a Drama Film:Nominated
- 2013IFMCA Award - Film Score of the Year:Winner
- 2013INOCA - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2013INOCA - Best Original Song:Nominated
- 2013OFTA Film Award - Best Music, Original Score:Winner
- 2013Frederick Loewe Award for Film ComposingWinner
- 2013Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score):Winner
- 2013World Soundtrack Award - Best Original Film Score of the Year:Winner
- 2013World Soundtrack Award - Film Composer of the Year:Winner
- 2013World Soundtrack Award - Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film:Nominated
- 2014Canadian Screen Award - Best Original Music Score for a Series:Nominated
- 2014Grammy - Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media:Nominated
- 2014HMMA Award - Main Title - TV Show / Digital Series:Winner
- 2015Felix - Best Original Score:Nominated
- 2015Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music:Nominated
- 2015Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score):Nominated
- 2016Annie - Outstanding Achievement in Music in an Animated Feature Production:Nominated
- 2016BMI Film Music Award - Film Music:Winner
- 2016Hollywood Film Award - Composer of the Year:Winner
- 2016IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for an Animated Film:Nominated
- 2016SOCAN Award - Achievement in Feature Film Music:Winner
- 2016SOCAN Award - Domestic Feature Film Award:Winner
- 2018Best Original Music Award - Best Original Music for a Feature Film:Winner
- 2018Annie - Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production:Nominated
- 2018Canadian Screen Award - Achievement in Music - Original Score:Winner
- 2018Canadian Screen Award - Best Original Music, Fiction:Nominated
- 2018HMMA Award - Best Main Title Theme - TV Show/Limited Series:Nominated
- 2018IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for Television:Nominated
- 2018Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music:Nominated
- 2018Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score):Nominated
- 2020BMI Film Music Award - Film Music:Winner
- 2020BMI Film Music Award - Film Music:Winner
- 2021Annie - Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature:Nominated
- 2021Canadian Screen Award - Achievement in Music - Original Score:Nominated
- 2021HMMA Award - Best Original Score - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film:Nominated
- 2021HMMA Award - Best Original Score - Feature Film:Nominated
- 2021HMMA Award - Best Original Score - Animated Film:Winner
- 2021IFMCA Award - Best Original Score for an Animated Film:Nominated
- 2022BMI Film Music Award - Film Music:Winner
- 2022HMMA Award - Best Original Score - Feature Film:Nominated
- 2022Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) - Best Original Song - Animated Film:Nominated
- 2022Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score):Nominated
- 2022SOCAN Award - Achievement in Feature Film Music:Winner
- 2022SOCAN Award - International Film Music Award:Winner
- 2023Irish Animation Award - Best Music:Winner
- 2025Canadian Screen Award - Achievement in Music - Original Score:Winner