International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best Original Score for Television

International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best Original Score for Television
Logo for the International Film Critics Association, parent organization that presents this award.
International Film Music Critics Association logo
First awarded2004
Most awardsBear McCreary
Most nominationsBear McCreary

The International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best Original Score for Television is an annual award given by the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA). Established in 2004, the award is given to the composer of a television score based on two criteria: "the effectiveness, appropriateness and emotional impact of the score in the context of the film for which it was written; and the technical and intellectual merit of the composition when heard as a standalone listening experience."[1] The eligibility period runs January 1 through December 31 every year, and IFMCA members vote for the winner the following February.

As of 2024[update], 70 composers have been nominated for the International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best Original Score for Television. The first award was given to Steve Bartek and Danny Elfman for their work on the television series Desperate Housewives. The most recent recipient was James Newton Howard for his work on the series All the Light We Cannot See. Bear McCreary has been nominated twelve times and won four. Three composers have been nominated multiple times in a year: Ramin Djawadi, Robert Lane, and Bear McCleary.

Winners and nominations

In the tables below, winners are marked by a light green background and a double-dagger symbol (‡).

2000s

Danny Elfman standing against a backdrop featuring the Tibecca Film Festival logo. He is standing with his hands folded and a smile.
Danny Elfman (pictured in 2022) was a 2004 winner
Joe Hisaishi standing on stage in Paris in 2011. He is standing with his wrists crossed with a microphone in hand and a set of index cards in the other. He is smiling.
Joe Hisaishi (pictured in 2011) was the 2007 winner
Awards in the 2000s
Year Television Series Composer(s) Broadcaster Ref.
2004 Desperate Housewives‡ Steve Bartek (series)
Danny Elfman (theme) 		ABC [2]
Earthsea Jeff Rona Sci Fi
Helter Skelter Mark Snow CBS
Lost Michael Giacchino ABC
Salem's Lot Christopher Gordon
Lisa Gerrard 		TNT
2005 Lost‡ Michael Giacchino ABC [3]
Battlestar Galactica Bear McCreary Sci Fi
Into the West Geoff Zanelli TNT
Stargate Atlantis Joel Goldsmith Sci Fi
Warm Springs Bruce Broughton HBO
2006 Planet Earth‡ George Fenton BBC One [4][5]
Battlestar Galactica Bear McCreary Sci Fi
Lost Michael Giacchino ABC
The Ten Commandments Randy Edelman ABC
24 Sean Callery Fox
2007 The Legend‡ Joe Hisaishi MBC [6][7][8]
Battlestar Galactica Bear McCreary Sci Fi
Doctor Who Murray Gold BBC One
Lost Michael Giacchino ABC
Tin Man Simon Boswell Sci Fi
2008 John Adams‡ Robert Lane
Joseph Vitarelli 		HBO [9]
Battlestar Galactica Bear McCreary Sci Fi
Lost Michael Giacchino ABC
Merlin Robert Lane BBC One
Pane e libertà Ennio Morricone Rai 1
2009 Battlestar Galactica‡ Bear McCreary Syfy [10][11]
Caprica Bear McCreary Syfy
Life George Fenton BBC One
Lost Michael Giacchino ABC
Yellowstone Edmund Butt BBC Two

2010s

A black and white photograph of Federico Jusid. He is against a black background with a slight smile
Federico Jusid (pictured in 2014) was the winner in 2013, 2014, and 2015
John Debney speaking at ComicCon 2013. He is sitting at a table, with a microphone in front of him and a white backsplash with logos behind him. He is speaking, and in the middle of a hand gesture.
John Debney (pictured in 2013) was a 2017 winner and a 2019 nominee
Murray Gold at the Doctor Who Prom. He is wearing a golden suit.
Murray Gold (pictured in 2008) was the 2012 winner
Hildur Guðnadóttir playing the cello. She is wearing a black dress, and looking down.
Hildur Guðnadóttir (pictured in 2007) was the 2019 winner
Awards in the 2010s
Year Television Series Composer(s) Broadcaster Ref.
2010 Human Target‡ Bear McCreary Fox [12][13]
An Eye for an Eye Marc Vaíllo TV3
Doctor Who Murray Gold BBC One
Lost Michael Giacchino ABC
Time of Honor Bartosz Chajdecki TVP2
2011 Ermessenda‡ Arnau Bataller TV3 [14]
Doctor Who Murray Gold BBC One
Downton Abbey John Lunn PBS
Game of Thrones Ramin Djawadi HBO
Sherlock David Arnold
Michael Price 		PBS
2012 Doctor Who‡ Murray Gold BBC One [15]
Downton Abbey John Lunn PBS
Green Lantern: The Animated Series Frederik Wiedmann Cartoon Network
Isabel Federico Jusid La 1
Priceless Naoki Satō Fuji TV
2013 Isabel‡ Federico Jusid La 1 [16][17]
Da Vinci's Demons Bear McCreary Starz
Game of Thrones Ramin Djawadi HBO
The Time in Between Cesar Benito Antena 3
Time of Honor Bartosz Chajdecki TVP2
2014 Isabel‡ Federico Jusid La 1 [18][19]
Fargo Jeff Russo FX
Gunshi Kanbei Yugo Kanno NHK
The Leftovers Max Richter HBO
Penny Dreadful Abel Korzeniowski Showtime
2015 Carlos, rey emperador‡ Federico Jusid La 1 [20][21]
Fargo Jeff Russo FX
Outlander Bear McCreary Starz
Texas Rising Bruce Broughton
John Debney 		History
Wolf Hall Debbie Wiseman PBS
2016 Game of Thrones‡ Ramin Djawadi HBO [22][23][24]
The Night Manager Victor Reyes AMC
Penny Dreadful Abel Korzeniowski Showtime
Stranger Things Kyle Dixon
Michael Stein
as Survive 		Netflix
Westworld Ramin Djawadi HBO
2017 The Orville‡ Bruce Broughton (Theme; "Old Wounds")
John Debney
Joel McNeely
Andrew Cottee 		Fox [25][26]
Alias Grace Mychael Danna
Jeff Danna 		Netflix
Game of Thrones Ramin Djawadi HBO
Morocco: Love in Times of War Federico Jusid Netflix
Naotora: The Lady Warlord Yoko Kanno NHK
2018 Lost in Space‡ Christopher Lennertz Netflix [27][28]
Cathedral of the Sea Federico Jusid Antena 3
Frontier Love Mark Chait Zhejiang TV
Westworld Ramin Djawadi HBO
Yellowstone Brian Tyler Paramount Network
2019 Chernobyl‡ Hildur Guðnadóttir HBO [29][30]
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Daniel Pemberton
Samuel Sim 		Netflix
His Dark Materials Lorne Balfe HBO
Good Omens David Arnold Amazon
The Orville John Debney
Joel McNeely
Andrew Cottee 		Fox

2020s

An artistic photo of Michael Price. He is adjusting his glasses.
Michael Price (pictured in 2021) was a nominee in 2020
A portrait of Howard Shore. He is looking off the frame to the left in a brown suitcoat.
Howard Shore (pictured in 2013) was a 2022 winner
Awards in the 2020s
Year Television Series Composer(s) Broadcaster Ref.
2020 The Queen's Gambit‡ Carlos Rafael Rivera Netflix [31][32]
Dracula David Arnold
Michael Price 		Netflix
His Dark Materials Lorne Balfe HBO
Lovecraft Country Laura Karpman
Raphael Saadiq 		HBO
The Mandalorian Ludwig Göransson Disney+
2021 Masters of the Universe: Revelation‡ Bear McCreary Netflix [33][34]
Cobra Kai Leo Birenberg
Zach Robinson 		Netflix
Foundation Bear McCreary Apple TV+
Loki Natalie Holt Disney+
Lost in Space Christopher Lennertz Netflix
2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‡ Bear McCreary
Howard Shore 		Netflix [35][36]
The English Federico Jusid BBC
Amazon Prime
Interview with the Vampire Daniel Hart AMC
Moon Knight Hesham Nazih Disney+
The Orville John Debney
Joel McNeely
Andrew Cottee
Kevin Kaska
Bruce BroughtonTheme 		Fox
Hulu
2023 All the Light We Cannot See‡ James Newton Howard Netflix [37][38]
Ahsoka Kevin Kiner Disney+
The Fall of the House of Usher The Newton Brothers Netflix
One Piece Sonya Belousova
Giona Ostinelli 		Netflix
Star Trek: Picard Stephen Barton
Frederik Wiedmann 		Paramount+

References

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