UPDATE (April 29): British composer Michael Nyman will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the film music concert “Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond.” The concert is the closing event of Film Fest Gent’s WSA Film Music Days 2025 and the 25th World Soundtrack Awards. Previously, it was announced that Philip Glass is also a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
Nyman, 81 is a three-time Golden Globe nominee for best original score – motion picture, for The Piano (1994), Gattaca (1998) and The End of the Affair (2000). Nyman’s soundtrack album to Jane Campion’s The Piano reached No 41 on the Billboard 200 in 1994 and went gold. Nyman has composed numerous operas, six concerti, five string quartets, and many other chamber works, many for his Michael Nyman Band. He is also a performing pianist.
Nyman will be honored on Oct. 16 at Music Centre De Bijloke in Ghent at the film music concert “Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond” – a celebration of the evolution of minimalist film music. During the concert, Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by maestro Dirk Brossé, will perform a selection of Nyman’s work.
PREVIOUSLY (April 5): American composer Philip Glass will be celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th annual World Soundtrack Awards on Oct. 15 and at a film music concert which will close the Film Fest Gent’s three-day Film Music Days 2025 on Oct. 16 in Ghent, Belgium.
Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Marvin Hamlisch, John Barry, Giorgio Moroder and Elliot Goldenthal. (Full list of previous recipients below.)
The celebration will be held at the film music concert “Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond,” which will be held at Muziekcentrum De Bijloke in Ghent. During the concert, a selection of Glass’ work will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé, who personally presented the award to Glass in New York.
While initially renowned for his work for opera and his symphonies, Glass has made an equally impressive contribution to film music. He has received three Oscar nominations for best original score for Kundun, The Hours and Notes on a Scandal.
Glass, 88, has received many other accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Drama Desk Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1995, the National Medal of Arts in 2010, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2018, and a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy in 2020.
Glass’s work was recognized at the World Soundtrack Awards in 2007 with two nominations for his score for Notes on a Scandal.
This year’s WSA Film Music Days will be held from Oct. 14-16 during Film Fest Gent (Oct. 8-19). Tickets to the film music concert are now available on filmfestgent.be and worldsoundtrackawards.com.
Here’s a complete list of previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients at the World Soundtrack Awards:
2024: Elliot Goldenthal
2023: Nicola Piovani and Laurence Rosenthal
2022: Bruno Coulais
2021: Eleni Karaindrou
2020: Gabriel Yared
2019: Krzysztof Penderecki and Frédéric Devreese
2018: Philippe Sarde
2017: David Shire
2016: Ryuichi Sakamoto
2015: Patrick Doyle and George Fenton
2014: Francis Lai
2013: Riz Ortolani
2012: Pino Donaggio
2011: Giorgio Moroder
2010: John Barry
2009: Marvin Hamlisch
2008: Angelo Badalamenti
2007: Mikis Theodorakis
2006: Peer Raben
2005: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
2004: Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
2003: Maurice Jarre
2002: George Martin
2001: Elmer Bernstein
