MICHAEL ABELS (NOPE), JEFF CARDONI (TONY HAWK: UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF), AMANDA JONES (SUPER/NATURAL), BEAR McCREARY (GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK), KIM NEUNDORF, CRISTOBAL TAPIA DE VEER (THE WHITE LOTUS) HONORED WITH ASCAP COMPOSERS' CHOICE AWARDS

2023 ASCAP Screen Music Awards Recognize 99 Top Film & TV Composers

NEW YORK, May 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing the musical storytellers scoring today's top films, TV series and video games, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers announced today the winners of the 2023 ASCAP Screen Music Awards. ASCAP celebrated its full slate of award-winning composers at an intimate, invitation-only party in West Hollywood. As part of the celebration, the winners of the highly anticipated 2023 ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards were revealed live among an audience of peers.

Chosen by the ASCAP composer and songwriter community, the ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards are unique among US performing rights organizations. The 2023 winners, selected from an outstanding group of nominees, crafted the scores for a sweeping sci-fi horror film, a critically-acclaimed, satirical comedy-drama series, a cutting-edge docuseries exploring the super-senses of the world's most extraordinary animals, a definitive documentary on Tony Hawk's life and iconic career and a Norse mythology-inspired action-adventure game:

• Film Score of the Year: Nope - Michael Abels
• Television Score of the Year: The White Lotus - Cristobal Tapia de Veer & Kim Neundorf
• Television Theme of the Year: The White Lotus - Cristobal Tapia de Veer
• Documentary Score of the Year: Super/Natural - Amanda Jones; Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off - Jeff Cardoni (tie)
• Video Game Score of the Year: God of War Ragnarök - Bear McCreary

Additional ASCAP Screen Music Award winners include composers of the past year's hit streaming series and films, which continue to captivate audiences from the comfort of their homes. The Top Streaming Series winners include dynamic duo Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein for their work on global phenomenon Stranger Things, Natalie Holt for her musical storytelling in the live-action Star Wars project Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siddhartha Khosla for his inventive music in hit comedy-drama Only Murders in the Building. Among the Top Streaming Films winners, John Debney was honored for his spooky score to Hocus Pocus 2 while Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Khiyon Hursey, Mark Sonnenblick and Sukari Jones were celebrated for their collective work on hit holiday musical comedy Spirited. 

In other categories, Simon Franglen won Top Box Office Film of the Year for his captivating score to the stunning blockbuster film Avatar: The Way of Water, and industry titan David Vanacore was named the top Most Performed Themes and Underscore winner for his work on shows including Survivor, The Kardashians and The Daily Show. Composers Matthew Hawkins, Maurice "m.0." Jackson and Neil Martin earned Top Network Television Series for their main theme for NCIS, while John Sereda received Top Cable Television Series for his music in the historical drama When Calls the Heart.

The complete list of winners is available on the ASCAP website: www.ascap.com/screenawards23.

About ASCAP

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 900,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world's most talented music creators. In 2022, ASCAP reported record-high financial results of $1.522 billion in revenues and $1.388 billion available in royalty distribution monies to its members. Over the last eight years, ASCAP has delivered a 6% compound annual growth rate for total revenues, and a 7% compound annual growth rate for total royalty distributions to members. Founded and governed by songwriters and composers, it is the only performing rights organization in the US that operates as a not-for-profit. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 18 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees; identifies, matches and processes trillions of performances every year; and returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar back to its members as royalties. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers.  Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.

SOURCE ASCAP