The World Soundtrack Academy (WSA, or World Soundtrack Awards), launched in 2001 by the Film Fest Gent, is aimed at organizing and overseeing the educational, cultural and professional aspects of the art of film music, including the preservation of the history of the soundtrack and its worldwide promotion. The event takes place yearly in Ghent, Belgium with the ceremony usually at the Bijloke Concert Hall. Usually, the Brussels Philharmonic performs the awarded music at the ceremony.
Main Awards
The three main categories are:
Soundtrack Composer of the Year
Best Original Score of the Year
Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film
Discovery of the Year
Public Choice Award (2001–2002, 2004–)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Best Young Belgian Composer
Major Contribution to the Art of Film Music and Sound (handed out occasionally)
Most Creative Use of Existing Material on a Soundtrack (2001)
Best Original Score of the Year Not Released on an Album (2001)
Brussels Philharmonic conducted by maestro Dirk Brossé performs fragments from several scores during the awards ceremony at the Kuipke in Ghent. Usually, the winner of the WSAward of Composer of the Year is invited to the ceremony's next edition to perform a concert with his music.
Seminars for and with film music professionals, colloquia and concerts are also being organized next to the gala evening. There are also CD releases (with live concerts by Hans Zimmer, George Fenton and Georges Delerue) and the book Moving Music (by Lannoo - Tielt) that was published in 2005, in response to 20 years of film music at the film festival. In 2007, the CD series For the Record was launched, to shed light on the works of composers who had already performed at the festival. Hitherto, this series is made up of CDs by Craig Armstrong (2007), Mychael Danna (2008), Angelo Badalamenti (2009), Shigeru Umebayashi (2010), Gabriel Yared (2011) and Cliff Martinez (2014).
The festival is praised as one of the first cultural organizations to turn the spotlight on film music, which gave it the status of a pioneer. It has built up a strong reputation by organizing concerts, such as the very first concert of music by Hans Zimmer.
Film Composer of the Year: Carter Burwell
Television Composer of the Year: Jeff Beal
Best Original Song Written for a Film: "None of Them Are You" from Anomalisa (Music by Carter Burwell, lyrics by Charlie Kaufman, performed by Tom Noonan)
Discovery of the Year: Joe Kraemer for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Public Choice Award: Carol (Carter Burwell)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Ryuichi Sakamoto
SABAM Award For Best Young International Composer: Sándor Török
Film Composer of the Year: Michael Giacchino
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Birdman (Antonio Sánchez)
Best Original Song Written for a Film: "The Apology Song" from The Book of Life (Music by Gustavo Santaolalla, lyrics by Paul Williams, performed by Diego Luna)
Discovery of the Year: Antonio Sánchez for Birdman
Public Choice Award: The Maze Runner (John Paesano)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Patrick Doyle
SABAM Award For Best Young International Composer: Peer Kleinschmidt
Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Alexandre Desplat)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Happy" from Despicable Me 2 (Pharrell Williams)
Discovery of the Year: Daniel Pemberton
Public Choice Award: Marina (Michelino Bisceglia)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Francis Lai
SABAM Award For Best Young International Composer: Cyril Molesti
Film Composer of the Year: Mychael Danna
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Life of Pi (Mychael Danna)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Skyfall" from Skyfall (Adele)
Discovery of the Year: Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin
Public Choice Award: The Butterfly's Dream (Rahman Altin)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Riz Ortolani
SABAM Award For Best Young International Composer: Gilles Alonzo
Film Composer of the Year: Alberto Iglesias
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Alberto Iglesias)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Lay Your Head Down" uit Albert Nobbs (Brian Byrne)
Discovery of the Year: Brian Byrne
Public Choice Award: W.E. (Abel Korzeniowski)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Pino Donaggio
Award For Best Young International Composer: Valentin Hadjadj
Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Inception (Hans Zimmer)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "We Belong Together" uit Toy Story 3 (Randy Newman)
Discovery of the Year: Alex Heffes
Public Choice Award: 127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Giorgio Moroder
Award For Best Young International Composer: Gabriel Heinrich
Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Fantastic Mr. Fox (Alexandre Desplat)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "The Weary Kind" uit Crazy Heart (Ryan Bingham en T-Bone Burnett)
Discovery of the Year: Abel Korzeniowski
Public Choice Award: A Single Man (Abel Korzeniowski)
Lifetime Achievement Award: John Barry
Award For Best Young International Composer: Karzan Mahmood
Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Alexandre Desplat)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Jai Ho" uit Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman)
Discovery of the Year: Nico Muhly
Public Choice Award: Twilight (Carter Burwell)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Marvin Hamlisch
Award For Best Young International Composer: Christopher Slaski
Film Composer of the Year: James Newton Howard
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Atonement (Dario Marianelli)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Down to Earth" uit WALL•E (Thomas Newman en Peter Gabriel)
Discovery of the Year: Marc Streitenfeld
Public Choice Award: Aanrijding in Moscow (Tuur Florizoone)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Angelo Badalamenti
Award For Best Young International Composer: Cedric Murrath
Film Composer of the Year: Alexandre Desplat
Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Fountain (Clint Mansell)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "You Know My Name" uit Casino Royale (Chris Cornell en David Arnold)
Discovery of the Year: Daniel Tarrab and Andres Goldstein
Public Choice Award: The Fountain (Clint Mansell)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Mikis Theodorakis
Award For Best Young International Composer: Werner Viaene
Film Composer of the Year: Alberto Iglesias
Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Constant Gardener (Alberto Iglesias)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Old Habits Die Hard" uit Alfie (Dave Stewart en Mick Jagger)
Discovery of the Year: Michael Giacchino
Public Choice Award: Brokeback Mountain (Gustavo Santaolalla)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Peer Raben
Award For Best Young International Composer: Alexis Koustoulidis
Film Composer of the Year: Angelo Badalamenti
Best Original Film Score of the Year: War of the Worlds (John Williams)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Our Town" uit Cars (Randy Newman)
Discovery of the Year: Evanthia Reboutsika
Public Choice Award: Alexander (Vangelis)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Jerry Leiber en Mike Stoller
Award For Best Young International Composer: Hannes De Maeyer
Film Composer of the Year: Gabriel Yared
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Cold Mountain (Gabriel Yared)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "You will be my Ain True Love" uit Cold Mountain (Sting)
Discovery of the Year: Gustavo Santaolalla
Public Choice Award: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (John Williams)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Alan Bergman en Marilyn Bergman
Award For Best Young International Composer: Steven Prengels
Film Composer of the Year: Elliot Goldenthal
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Frida (Elliot Goldenthal)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "The Hands that Built America" uit Gangs of New York (U2)
Discovery of the Year: Antonio Pinto
Public Choice Award: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Howard Shore)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Maurice Jarre
Award For Best Young International Composer: Michael Vancraeynest
Film Composer of the Year: Patrick Doyle
Best Original Film Score of the Year: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Howard Shore)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "If I Didn't Have You" uit Monsters, Inc. (Randy Newman)
Discovery of the Year: Klaus Badelt
Public Choice Award: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Howard Shore)
Lifetime Achievement Award: George Martin
Award For Best Young International Composer: Alex Otterlei
Film Composer of the Year: John Williams
Best Original Film Score of the Year: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Yann Tiersen)
Best Original Song Written directly for a Film: "Come What May" uit Moulin Rouge! (David Baerwald)
Discovery of the Year: Craig Armstrong
Public Choice Award: Artificial Intelligence: A.I. (John Williams)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Elmer Bernstein
2015 WSA (Alan Silvestri, Daniel Pemberton), Great British Film Music
2014 WSA (Cliff Martinez, Dan Romer, Francis Lai, Jef Neve), Chaplin's The Circus, Concert Nino Rota
2013: WSA (Alexandre Desplat, Riz Ortolanoi), Scoring for Scorsese, The 7th Heaven Live by Kevin Toma, 40 Years of Film Fest Gent
2012: WSA (James Newton Howard, Pino Donaggio), 007 in Concert, The B-Movie Orchestra, Ennio Morricone Concerto
2011: WSA (Hans Zimmer, Elliot Goldenthal, Howard Shore, Giorgio Moroder), Maestros of Suspense (Bernard Herrman, Franz Waxman)
2010: WSA (Angelo Badalamenti, Howard Shore, Gustavo Santaolalla, Stephen Warbeck, Craig Armstrong, Elliot Goldenthal), John Barry Tribute Concert, Koyaanisqatsi in Concert
2009: WSA (Alexandre Desplat, Marvin Hamlish, Marc Streitenfeld), Shigeru Umebayashi, Divine Féminin: Alexandre Desplat en het Traffic Quintet, Jef Neve
2008: WSA (Dario Marianelli, Angelo Badalamenti, Tuur Florizoone), John Williams Tribute Concert, Folk Music in Film (Kadril), Clint Mansell in Concert, Gabriel Yared - A Tribute to Anthony Minghella
2007: WSA (Mychael Danna, Evanthia Reboutsika, Harry Gregson-Williams), Alberto Iglesias in concert, Gustavo Santaolalla
2006: WSA (John Powell, Michael Giacchino, Peer Raben), Craig Armstrong Film Works, Harry Potter Meets Wim Mertens (John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Wim Mertens)
2005: WSA (Rachel Portman, Jerry Leiber en Mike Stoller, Gustavo Santaolalla), Polish Composers in Concert (Zbigniew Preisner, Wojciech Kilar, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Bronislau Kaper, Christopher Komeda e.a.)
2004: WSA (Elmer Bernstein, David Raksin, Michael Kamen, Wim Mertens), Jerry Goldsmith Tribute Concert, The Lord of the Rings Symphony in Six Movements (Howard Shore)
2003: WSA (Patrick Doyle en Hooverphonic), Raymond van het Groenewoud
2002: WSA (Fenton-Delerue: A Film Music Celebration), As Time Goes By: Roby Lakatos, Jizo And Other Concert Works By Film Composers, Yann Tiersen in Concert
2001: WSA (Gabriel Yared en Elmer Bernstein), Falling: The Concert featuring Praga Khan
2000: Hans Zimmer Live in Concert, Ennio Morricone Live in Ghent
1999: Film Music at the Opera (Stephen Warbeck, Jean-Claude Petit, Elliot Goldenthal en Frédéric Devreese)
1998: The Birth of a Score II (Michael Kamen, Edward Shearmur, Loek Dikker, Dirk Brossé en Elmer Bernstein)
1997: The Birth of a Score I (Dirk Brossé, Frédéric Devreese, Leonard Rosenman en Jean-Claude Petit)
1995: Pietro Mascagni in Concert
1994: A Tribute to Georges Delerue, Classical Music in Film II
1993: A Tribute to Bernard Hermann, Classical Music in Film I
1992: Music from Films by Derek Jarman (Simon Fisher Turner)
1991: Michael Nyman in Concert
1989: Film Music in Europe (Frédéric Devreese, Dirk Brossé, Nicola Piovani, Peer Raben, Stanley Myers en Lukas Karitinos)
1988: A Night of Great Film Music (Frédéric Devreese, Georges Delerue, Bruce Broughton, David Newman en Jean-Claude Petit), Toots Thielemans Film Music Concert
1987: A Night to Remember: Ennio Morricone
1985: A Tribute to Nino Rota