Ramin Djawadi attends the 2024 BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for BMI)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (LA ELEMENTS) – 6/14/24 Broadcast Music Inc celebrated its 2024 BMI Film, TV and Visual Media Awards, honoring the composers who excelled in the industry the past year. This special event took place at the historic luxury hotel, the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.
After the red-carpet reception, the Orchid Quartet performed while a three-course meal dinner was served. The ceremony started and BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill presented the BMI ICON award to Ramin Djawadi. His diverse portfolio includes scores for hit series like Westworld, Person of Interest, Fallout, 3 Body Problem, and the groundbreaking score for HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones along with its prequel series House of the Dragon. Industry acclaim for Djawadi”s work includes two Emmy Awards and three GRAMMY nominations.
“Ramin, your work has truly transformed the movies, TV shows, and video games we all love, and created immersive experiences that have transported us beyond our wildest imagination.”
Djawadi thanked his team, brought his kids to the stage and recognized his wife for being a driving force in their family’s life saying, “you are our icon.”
In receiving this honor, Djawadi joins a prestigious list of BMI Icon Award recipients including Mike Post, James Newton Howard and Christopher Lennertz.
This special awards celebration saw composers honored for music featured in the past year’s top-grossing films, top-rated TV series, cable network programs, streamed media and for the first time ever, video games.
Atil Örvarsson received the most awards of the night, taking home a total of six crystals for his work on hit TV shows including Chicago Fire.
We had the chance to catch up on the red carpet with some of Hollywood’s most acclaimed composers including Icon winner Ramin Djawadi.
Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon)
How does it feel to be recognized by BMI?
“It’s truly an honor, it really made me just take a step back and reflect back on my work, that is something I usually never do. I just always I’m more in the moment and I’ll move forward so this award tonight really kind of made me just sit back of what I’ve done over the years.”
I watched Game of Thrones, and I never skipped the intro because I love the music. How do you create something like that?
“I don’t know. That’s a good question. I studied music but I still don’t know what is the best way to write music. I mean, it’s always difficult and you know looking back on the work, it is easy to look back on the work but creating it is never easy. So ,I wish there was a formula to do it because I would follow that, and it would make it a lot easier but I don’t know. I try to write from my heart. I guess that is the key.”
Danielle Furst, was one of five 2024 award-winning female composers.
How are you today? Are you super excited?
“I’m so happy to be here, it’s my first time and I feel very honored. It’s great to be meeting my music peers and It’s great to be recognized by BMI. It’s massive for me.”
How many years have you been with BMI?
“I’ve been with them for 10 years. It’s a good run.”
What inspired the music for the show you won for?
“The show is Murdaugh Murders: A southern Scandal and the show was released right when Alex Murdaugh was going on trial in front of the whole world. Everyone was tuning into the news to watch the trial and because Netflix dropped it right at that time, the whole world watched our series as well. It’s very powerful because one of the murders is unsolved and the more people watch it the more leads we can get, and justice can be served. So, to be a part of that and write music for that was incredible, very heavy, very dark but incredible.”
I don’t understand music. For me writing music feels like magic.
“Sometimes it feels like that too. I’m like, ‘How did that happen?’ I don’t know. It’s like a channel. So yes, it’s magic.”
Congratulations, so what’s next? What’s your next project?
“It’s a feature film that’s going to be a theatrical release and it’s actually about covid so it’s going to be very controversial. So, I’m here for it.”
Gil Talmi (Harry and Meghan)
I am very excited to surrounded by people who are being recognized by BMI
“It’s the BMI family, a very special family and I love being part of it.”
How important is for a composer to be part of BMI?
“I think it is very important to be represented, to be protected, to be seen and acknowledged and to have someone who’s collecting our royalties. Otherwise, we can work very hard and all of it can kind of evaporate unless someone’s on top of it. Beyond that also, when I say family, it’s like the togetherness of the composers and the people at BMI and the BMI foundation who truly care about making music and protecting music and the people who make the music.”
What’s the secret to writing music?
“You know, I don’t know. I think for me I have to show up, that’s my rule. I have to sit in front of the keyboard and then it happens. My biggest work it’s to show up in a regular way and also to select projects that inspire me, because it is all about inspiration and communication. So if I pick projects that inspire me, the film that I am watching elicits some kind of response in me which then triggers the musical response. It is alchemy, we are busy with sonic alchemy, that’s what we do.”
On our cover: (L-R) BMI Vice President, Creative, Film, TV & Visual Media Tracy McKnight, Ramin Djawadi and BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill pose onstage during the 2024 BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on June 05, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for BMI)
For more information on BMI please visit their site.
Follow LA ELEMENTS on Instagram to see more of the BMI Film, TV, and Visual Media Awards. Like us on Facebook and follow us on X.
No Comments