16th World Soundtrack Awards: Composed for Television

It’s a dilemma we all have experienced: go to bed or watch another episode. House of Cards, Game of Thrones, The Americans, Better Call Saul, Mad Men, Fargo, The Leftovers, Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Borgen, The Killing, The Walking Dead, Les Revenants…

‘The list is simply endless,’ says artistic director Patrick Duynslaegher. ‘We’re in a unique, unprecedented position. There’s so much good and great to chose from in this new Golden Age of TV, that’s attracting high-profile directors, writers and actors, but also composers. Now that television series have developed ever more sophisticated storytelling to match anything in cinema, we want to recognize the contribution of the composer to this exciting and addictive art form.’

Therefore the 16th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards will showcase the music composed for the most outstanding television shows and is this year split up in two different programs: the World Soundtrack Awards Gala on Wednesday October 19th, and the WSA Concert on Thursday October 20th.

New dates, new venue
Both music events will take place in a new and prestigious venue, the Capitole, an iconic neo-classical theatre in the historical city of Ghent where a lot of show-bizz greats have performed. At the Award Ceremony of the World Soundtrack Awards Gala a new award will be introduced: Best Original Score for Television Series & Miniseries. Following the Award Ceremony, a concert will celebrate the best scores for contemporary TV-series, from House of Cards to Fargo, from Homeland to The Leftovers, from Sherlock to Mad Men. And this in the presence of many composers and film music professionals.

Next day, the 20th of October, the WSA Concert will skip the Award Ceremony but reprise the concert of the best scores for contemporary TV-series. And in an additional special program we look back at the thrilling scores and tunes of legendary series from our youth, from cult-hits to award-winning masterpieces, from Dallas to Mission Impossible, from Star Trek to The Untouchables, from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to Dynasty.

For both concert days the music will be performed by Brussels Philharmonic and the Flemish Radio Choir, conducted by maestro Dirk Brossé, accompanied by film clips projected on the big screen.
The celebration of Television Music and the introduction of a new award for Best Score for Television Series/Miniseries has already been enthousiastically received by the Television Academy professionals in Hollywood.

‘It is enormously exciting that the prestigious World Soundtrack Awards are now going to recognize excellence in television music. This is further evidence that we have entered a “platinum age” of television in which its quality and level of craftsmanship has never been better,’ said Michael A.Levine, ASCAP Film and Television Music Award-winning composer and Governor, Music Peer Group, Television Academy.

Tickets
Tickets for both nights can be bought from 22nd of March through Sherpa:
-World Soundtrack Awards Gala (19th of Oct)
-WSA Concert (20th of Oct)

Film Fest Gent offers business and hospitality packages for the World Soundtrack Awards and other Film Fest Gent events. Please contact Astrid Plaetinck for more information.