May 14, 2003
RANDY EDELMAN GIVEN RICHARD KIRK AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
MERV GRIFFIN RECEIVES BMI PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Press Release
LOS ANGELES, May 14, 2002 – BMI, the U.S. performing rights organization, tonight honored the composers and songwriters of the music in this year’s top-grossing films, top-rated prime-time network television series and highest-ranking cable television shows at its annual Film & Television Awards dinner. Held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, the black tie gala was hosted by BMI President and CEO Frances W. Preston. Preston and BMI Vice President Film/TV Relations, Doreen Ringer Ross gave out more than 90 awards during the ceremonies.
One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the BMI Richard Kirk Award for Outstanding Career Achievement to composer Randy Edelman. Named after late BMI Vice President Richard Kirk, the prestigious award is given annually to the composer who has made significant contributions to film and TV music. Former recipients of the award include John Barry, Danny Elfman, Charlie Fox, Jerry Goldsmith, Earle Hagen, Michael Kamen, Alan Menken, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Lalo Schifrin, Richard and Robert Sherman, W.G. “Snuffy” Walden, John Williams and Patrick Williams.
Another highlight of the dinner was the presentation of the BMI President’s Award to entertainer Merv Griffin. BMI created the President’s Award in 1993 to honor an exceptional person in the entertainment industry deserving of special recognition. It symbolizes BMI’s commitment to creative and unique individuals who have made this industry what it is today. Past awardees include Harlan Howard, Earle Hagen, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, Alabama and Pete Townshend.
Recognized as one of the great melodic composers in film music, Edelman grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, studying piano at an early age and later majoring in piano and composition at the Cincinnati Music Conservatory. While in Cincinnati, he began freelancing as a music arranger at James Brown’s King Records, and also wrote original music for regional theater. Upon graduation Randy headed back to New York where he signed on as a staff writer at CBS April Blackwood Music. He worked as a music arranger and musician on Broadway and later went on the road as a musical director for many entertainers. He recorded solo records, which led him to open for such diverse groups as The Carpenters and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. His songs were recorded by such popular recording artists as Barry Manilow (“Weekend in New England”), Olivia Newton-John, Patti LaBelle, The Carpenters, The 5th Dimension, Jackie DeShannon and Blood, Sweat and Tears.
He became interested in using his background as a classical musician and arranger to pursue his interest in film scoring. In between his album recording, he began scoring several television and feature films including MacGyver, Maximum Security, Brisco County Jr. and several award-winning After School Specials. Within 12 years, Edelman had scored over 60 films. His diverse credits include the Golden Globe and British Academy Award-nominated score for The Last of the Mohicans, Gettysburg, Kindgergarten Cop, XXX, While You Were Sleeping, The Mask and Anaconda. Edelman has also written the NBC’s NFL Football Theme, the Sports Century documentary series theme, and the on-air Olympic theme for NBC. His scores have opened the Super Bowl and closed the Atlanta Olympic broadcast for which he received an Emmy Award. He is currently scoring the theme to the 2003 Wimbeldon tennis tournament and Nia Vardalos’s new film, Connie and Carla.
At the dinner, Edelman was honored by many of the directors with whom he has worked, being described by them as a passionate, focused, committed, free spirit with a devil-may-care attitude. Writer/Director Jonathan Lynn (The Whole Nine Yards, My Cousin Vinny) said Edelman’s award was, “Thoroughly well deserved for years of writing one terrific score after another, and it’s been my pleasure and privilege to work with you.” Calling him one of the great songmeisters of this era, Director/Producer Ivan Reitman (Twins, Ghostbusters II, Kindergarten Cop) said Edelman, “...latches onto what’s going on in the film in a very clear and emotional way, and he tries to find a musical equivalent that parallels his own emotional response.”
Producer Roger Birnbaum (Connie and Carla, Shanghai Noon, Six Days Seven Nights), who has worked with Edelman since he wrote “Weekend In New England” which Barry Manilow recorded, said “…the thing that’s unique about Randy is that in his compositions the basis is always a very, very beautiful melody - and that to me distinguishes him from other composers.” He went on to add that; “…it’s his versatility, his love of movies, his love of music that doesn’t really pigeonhole him into being one kind of composer for one kind of music. He has the ability to compose for all kind of stories, regardless if it’s dramatic or comedic.”
Director Rob Cohen (XXX, The Skulls) added that, “…when you have a Randy Edelman score thematically things develop and interrelate, and it very much feels like an emotional world being described…” Director/Producer Henry Winkler (MacGyver) added that, “Randy brings a sweetness, an innocence, a soul to his music and somehow he can translate life into music. When you listen to it, it’s filled with emotion; it’s filled with inspiring sounds that literally go right up your spine.”
Director/Producer Ronald F. Maxwell (Gods and Generals, Gettysburg) referred to him as a “tune factory,” “…what makes him special for a motion picture is that the melody he comes up with is derived from the moment or absolutely from the character in that moment. There’s nothing alien about what he does in terms of the story, so the music fits completely…”
One of the television’s most successful personalities with his Emmy-award winning “Merv Griffin Show,” Griffin has created the scores and themes for two of the most-watched and longest-running game shows in television history: “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” He has also made significant contributions as a recording artist, songwriter and producer, and is highly regarded for his business
acumen and philanthropic activities. Owner of Merv Griffin’s Beverly Hilton Hotel among other hotel properties, he recently released his second autobiography, Merv: Making the Good Life Last, and has signed a deal with ABC Family to bring back his hit series, “Dance Fever.”
Composers receiving the most nods at the BMI Film & Television awards included composers John Williams for Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, Catch Me If You Can and Minority Report; Danny Elfman for Spider-Man, The Simpsons, Men In Black II and Chicago; and Mike Post for Law &Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: CI and NYPD Blue. Other multiple winning composers included David Vanacore for Joe Millionaire, Survivor: Amazon and Survivor: Thailand; Thomas Newman for Six Feet Under (two awards) and Road to Perdition; and Eminem for 8 Mile and “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile (two awards).
For the second year, BMI honored the composers of the highest-ranking cable television shows of the year with the BMI Cable Television Music Award. Award recipients included Mark Mothersbaugh for Rugrats and Mind of the Married Man, Kara Dio Guardi for For The People, Howlin’ Wolf for The Sopranos, Douglas Cuomo for Sex and the City, Starr Parodi and Jeff Fair for The Division, and Danny Pelfrey and David Bergeaud for Strong Medicine. BMI also gave the first Cable Mini-Series Award to Laura Karpman for Taken.
“Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile was named The Most Performed Song From A Motion Picture and also recognized for winning the Academy Award for Music (song). “Lose Yourself” was written by Eminem and Jeff Bass and published by Eight Mile Style Music.
BMI’s Emmy Award winning composers were also honored, including Newman for Six Feet Under, Glen Daum for Sesame Street, Jeff Beal for Dateline NBC: Peggy & Dorothy; Walter Murphy for “You’ve Got A Lot To See” from Family Guy, A.J. Gundell, Jerry Pilato, Dominic Messinger and Gary Kuo for All My Children; Lenny Williams for National Geographic Explorer - “Haunt of the Hippo”; and George Fenton (PRS) for Blue Planet: Seas of Life.
Founded in 1940, BMI is an American performing rights organization that represents approximately 300,000 songwriters, composer and music publishers in all genres of music. Through its music performance and reciprocal agreements with sister organizations around the world, it grants businesses and media access to its repertoire of approximately 4.5 million songs and compositions.
Attached is a complete listing of composers and songwriters who received awards at BMI’s Film & Television Awards. High-resolution photos from the event will be available on BMI.com to registered users only. To request access, please contact
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Contact:
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2003 BMI Film & Television Awards
Richard Kirk Award
Randy Edelman
President’s Award
Merv Griffin
BMI Academy Award Winners
Eminem “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile
Jeff Bass “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile
Most Performed Song from a Motion Picture
Eminem “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile
Jeff Bass “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile
Eight Mile Style Music “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile
BMI Film Music Awards
David Arnold Die Another Day
Teddy Castellucci Mr. Deeds
George S. Clinton Austin Powers in Goldmember
The Santa Clause 2
Randy Edelman XXX
Danny Elfman Spider-Man
Men In Black II
Chicago
Eminem 8 Mile
George Fenton (PRS) Sweet Home Alabama
Jerry Goldsmith The Sum Of All Fears
Alexander Janko My Big Fat Greek Wedding
David Newman Scooby-Doo
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
Thomas Newman Road To Perdition
Graeme Revell Daredevil
Lalo Schifrin Bringing Down the House
John Williams Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Catch Me If You Can
Minority Report
Chris Wilson My Big Fat Greek Wedding
BMI TV Music Awards
Kenneth Douglas Berry Joe Millionaire
Tim Bright Scrubs
Rob Cairns The Bachelor
The Bachelorette
Martin Davich ER
Third Watch
Danny Elfman The Simpsons
Kurt Farquhar The King of Queens
Chad Fischer Scrubs
Josh Goldsmith The King of Queens
Andrew Gross The King of Queens
John M. Keane CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Scott Kirklan Third Watch
John Lennon Providence
Chris Link Scrubs
Joey Newman Providence
Darryl Phinnessee Frasier
Mike Post Law &Order
Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: CI
NYPD Blue
Graeme Revell CSI: Miami
Peter Robinson Without A Trace
Edward Rogers NYPD Blue
David Russo CSI: Miami
Bennett Salvay Providence
Jan Stevens Scrubs
Pete Townshend (PRS) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Miami
David Vanacore Survivor: Amazon
Survivor: Thailand
Joe Millionaire
W.G. Snuffy Walden Providence
The West Wing
Allee Willis Friends
Cathy Yuspa The King of Queens
BMI Emmy Award Winners
Jeff Beal Dateline NBC: Peggy & Dorothy
Chris Biondo National Geographic Explorer – “Haunt of the Hippo”
Glen Daum Sesame Street
George Fenton (PRS) Blue Planet: Seas of Life
A.J. Gundell All My Children
Gary Kuo All My Children
Dominic Messenger All My Children
Walter Murphy “You’ve Got A Lot To See” from Family Guy
Thomas Newman Six Feet Under
Jerry Pilato All My Children
Lenny Williams National Geographic Explorer – “Haunt of the Hippo”
BMI Cable Awards
David Bergeaud Strong Medicine
Charlie Brissette Jimmy Neutron
Brian Causey Jimmy Neutron
Douglas Cuomo Sex and the City
Kara Dio Guardi For The People
Jeff Fair The Division
Butch Hartman Fairly Oddparents
Jim Johnston WWF Monday Night RAW
Ron Jones Fairly Oddparents
Richard Marvin Six Feet Under
Guy Moon Fairly Oddparents
Bob Mothersbaugh Rugrats
Mark Mothersbaugh Rugrats
Mind Of The Married Man
Thomas Newman Six Feet Under
Starr Parodi The Division
Danny Pelfrey Strong Medicine
Howlin’ Wolf The Sopranos
BMI CABLE MINI-SERIES AWARDS
Laura Karpman Taken
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