Composer Christopher Lennertz was declared a BMI Icon at Broadcast Music Inc.’s thirty ninth annual Movie, TV and Visible Media Awards Wednesday evening (Could 10) in Beverly Hills.
Lennertz, a two-time Emmy nominee (“The Boys,” “Supernatural”), veteran movie composer (“Alvin and the Chipmunks,” “Horrible Bosses,” “Dangerous Mothers”) and game-music creator (“Medal of Honor,” “Mass Impact,” “The Simpsons”), was honored for his 30-year profession in media music-making.
BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill offered the award, noting that Lennertz was “legendary for his numerous and distinct influence throughout the worlds of movie, tv and gaming” and telling the 51-year-old composer, “your fascinating scores have taken us on an exciting experience.”
Added BMI’s VP artistic, movie, TV and visible media Tracy McKnight: “His compelling physique of labor, from blockbuster movies to hit TV exhibits and gaming, highlights Christopher’s ardour for all types of music and has made him one of many trade’s most sought-after composers. He’s additionally devoted to giving again by means of philanthropic work and advancing the following era of composers.”
Lennertz’s versatility was illustrated through video clips that featured extra of his TV work (“Marvel’s Agent Carter,” “Misplaced in Area,” “Revolution”) and his previous movies (“Sausage Social gathering,” “Hop,” “Smurfs: The Misplaced Village,” “Pitch Excellent 3”). Administrators together with Eric Kripke (“The Boys”) and Tim Story (“Journey Alongside”) attended in assist of the composer.
Lennertz has additionally written the orchestral preparations for Ozomatli’s Grammy-winning “Road Indicators” album and for Weapons N’ Roses current remake of its traditional “November Rain.” He written songs for Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monae and Lizzo, and just lately scored the Disneyland fireworks present “Wondrous Journeys.”
Lennertz instructed Selection that the honour was “extremely humbling and super-meaningful.” A BMI composer since 1994, he recalled being invited to his first film-music awards dinner, watched John Williams being honored, and “by no means imagined that it will be me strolling up on that stage” many years later.
He credited BMI’s former govt Doreen Ringer Ross with arranging for him to turn out to be an assistant to composers Basil Poledouris (“Lonesome Dove”) and later Michael Kamen (“Deadly Weapon”), and his later collaborations with Oscar winners Dave Grusin (on the climate-change documentary “Concord”) and Alan Menken (on “Galavant” and “Sausage Social gathering”), all key turning factors in his profession.
“I modified my main [to film scoring] the day after I met Henry Mancini,” Lennertz mentioned. “He’d do a jazz report after which a movie rating. Working for Kamen, it was the identical factor: He’d end a rating cue after which do a string chart for Eric Clapton. I’ve at all times wished to do data and theater and musicals and movies. That was the profession I’ve at all times wished; there are such a lot of totally different types and plenty of methods to make use of composition expertise in different venues.”
Requested about his penchant for giving again — elevating cash for hurricane-devastated Haiti, serving on the boards of music-education organizations — he mentioned it was instilled in him by his mother and father, each lecturers, who had been “serving to individuals discover their very own ardour and comply with their very own goals. Instructing, mentoring, championing schooling, was such an enormous half (of their lives),” he mentioned.
Lennertz instructed the black-tie crowd that he views his objective is “serving to others entry pleasure. What we do once we inform tales is, we assist individuals imagine. Our music helps individuals imagine in their very own story, their very own price, their very own identification, and their very own existence. I’m honored to be on this room solely crammed with individuals who beloved and believed in me.”
Quite a few different composers had been honored through the occasion for music featured previously yr’s top-grossing movies, top-rated community TV collection and highest-rated cable and streamed-media packages. Atli Örvarsson acquired six awards, many of the night, for his music on “Chicago P.D.,” “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fireplace,” “FBI,” “FBI: Worldwide” and “FBI: Most Needed.”
Different composers incomes a number of awards included Pierre Charles (“Inventing Anna”), Mychael Danna (“The place the Crawdads Sing”), Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly”), Harry Gregson-Williams (“The Gilded Age”), Kevin Kiner (“Darkish Winds”), Sean Kiner (“Titans”), Clint Mansell (“Peacemaker”), Tony Morales (“Reacher”), Mike Put up (“Regulation & Order”), Brian Tyler (“1883”) and Breton Vivian (“Yellowstone”).
An entire listing of winners is at BMI.com/filmtv2023.
