Guild of Music Supervisor Awards

“This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once won best song written and/or recorded for a film at the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards on Sunday (March 5) at The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. This was the guild’s first in-person awards gala since 2020.
The award was presented to songwriters Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski Miyawaki; performers David Byrne, Mitski and Son Lux; and music supervisors Lauren Marie Mikus and Bruce Gilbert. Lott accepted the award saying “Making this movie was its own award. To be acknowledged on top of that feels unfairly awesome.”

“This Is a Life” is an Oscar nominee for best original song. At the GMS Awards, it beat nine other songs, including two that are also Oscar nominees in that category – “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick.

Final-round Oscar voting is now underway. The five-day voting period closes Tuesday March 7. The Oscars will be presented on Sunday March 12.

Everything Everywhere All at Once won a second GMS Award on the night — best music supervision for a film budgeted $25 million and under. That award went to Mikus and Gilbert. 

Music supervisor Rob Lowry also scored double wins for his work on Cha Cha Real Smooth and Do Revenge. 

The GMS Awards celebrate achievements in the craft of music supervision in film, television, documentaries, games, advertising, and trailers. 

Oscar-winning songwriter Paul Williams received the Icon Award. He related his recent joy at hearing one of his ’70s songs, “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He praised music supervisors for extending the life of a song. He noted that “For a songwriter, it’s attention [but it can also be] food on the table and gas in the car.”

Sam DeRosa, Nella Rojas and Joshua Radin participated in the Williams segment, which included the Oscar-winning “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)” and the Oscar-nominated “The Rainbow Connection.”  

Pilar McCurry was posthumously awarded the Legacy Award. Macy Gray performed her 2000 hit “I Try” in tribute to McCurry, who was an early champion.

Ruth B gave the night’s opening performance – “Paper Airplanes” from A Jazzman’s Blues. Ruth B co-wrote the song with Terence Blanchard. Joel C. High, the guild’s president, was music supervisor on the film.

Other performers were Gaby Moreno, who sang the GMS-nominated “A Song in My Heart” from The Valet; and Joy Oladokun, who sang the LGBTQ-themed “Pride.”

The event was produced by the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards production committee, headed by president Joel C. High and vice president Madonna Wade-Reed. Show production was handled by Angelia Bibbs-Sanders from ABS Collective with talent producer Julie Donsky, and technical production by Nick Urbom from Big Push Media Group.

For the first time this year, video game composers were nominated alongside music supervisors in a new category – best music supervision in a video game (original). Four other new categories were added – best music supervision for a non-theatrically released film; best music supervision for a trailer – series; best music supervision for a trailer – video game & interactive; and best music supervision in advertising: $500,000 total production & post-production budget.

For more information on the ceremony, visit GMSAwards.com. For more information on the organization, visit GuildofMusicSupervisors.com.

Here is the complete list of nominees for the 13th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, with winners checked.

FILM

Best song written and/or recorded for a film

“Paper Airplanes” from A Jazzman’s Blues; Songwriters: Ruth Berhe, Terence Blanchard; Performer: Ruth B; Music Supervisor: Joel C. High

“Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Songwriters: Robyn Fenty PKA Rihanna, Ludwig Göransson, Ryan Coogler, Temilade Openiyi PKA Tems; Performer: Rihanna; Music Supervisor: Dave Jordan

“Honey to the Bee” from Catherine Called Birdy; Songwriters: James Marr, Wendy Page; Performer: Misty Miller; Music Supervisors: Jen Malone, Nicole Weisberg

“Vegas” from Elvis; Songwriters: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Amala Dlamini, David Sprecher, Rogét Chahayed; Performer: Doja Cat; Music Supervisor: Anton Monsted

WINNER: “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once; Songwriters: Ryan Lott, David Byrne, Mitski Miyawaki; Performers: David Byrne, Mitski, Son Lux; Music Supervisors: Lauren Marie Mikus, Bruce Gilbert

“Turn Up the Sunshine” from Minions: The Rise of Gru; Songwriters: Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew, Patrik Berger, Kevin Parker; Performers: Diana Ross, Tame Impala; Music Supervisors: Mike Knobloch, Rachel Levy

“Ready As I’ll Never Be” from The Return of Tanya Tucker; Songwriters: Tanya Tucker, Brandi Carlile; Performers: Tanya Tucker, Brandi Carlile; Music Supervisors: Jill Meyers, Drew Bayers

“Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick; Songwriters: Lady Gaga, BloodPop; Performer: Lady Gaga; Music Supervisor: Randy Spendlove

“Carolina” from Where the Crawdads Sing; Songwriter: Taylor Swift; Performer: Taylor Swift; Music Supervisor: Spring Aspers

“A Song in My Heart” from The Valet; Songwriters: Gaby Moreno, Heitor Pereira; Performer: Gaby Moreno; Music Supervisor: Howard Paar

Best music supervision for film budgeted over $25 million

Joel C. High – A Jazzman’s Blues

Dave Jordan – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

WINNER: Anton Monsted – Elvis

Julie Glaze Houlihan – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Tom Wolfe, Manish Raval – The Greatest Beer Run Ever

Maureen Crowe, Becky Bentham – I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Rachel Levy, Mike Knobloch – Minions: The Rise of Gru

Linda Cohen – Spirited

Mike Knobloch, Natalie Hayden, Lucy Bright – TÁR

Tom MacDougall – Turning Red

Best music supervision for film budgeted $25 million and under

Joe Rudge – Armageddon Time

Robin Urdang – Bones and All

WINNER: Lauren Marie Mikus, Bruce Gilbert – Everything Everywhere All at Once

Dushiyan Piruthivirajah – Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Natalie Hayden, Garrett McElver – Spoiler Alert

Best music supervision for film budgeted $10 million and under

Jonathan McHugh – Butter

Willa Yudell – Call Jane

WINNER: Rob Lowry – Cha Cha Real Smooth

Guillaume Baurez – Corsage

Rupert Hollier – Living

Rob Lowry – On the Count of Three

Leah Harrison, Season Kent – Press Play

Graham Kurzner, Orian Williams – sam & kate

Joe Rudge – X

Best music supervision for a non-theatrically released film

Jane Abernethy, Jessica Berndt – Along for the Ride

Joel C. High, Sami Posner – Blue’s Big City Adventure

WINNER: Rob Lowry – Do Revenge

Gabe Hilfer, Henry van Roden – Fresh

Raven Davenport, Shannon Murphy – Love in the Villa

Becky Bentham – Matilda (Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical)

Lauren Denemark, Julian Drucker, Andrew Weaver – Purple Beatz

Rob Lowry – Wendell and Wild

Howard Paar – The Valet

TELEVISION

Best song written and/or recorded for television

“Walking On Sunshine” from Acapulco – Season 1 Ep. 10 – “You Should Hear How She Talks About You”; Songwriter: Kimberley Rew; Performers: Rodrigo Urquidi, Rossana de León; Music Supervisors: Javier Nuño, Joe Rodriguez

“Maybe Monica” from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Season 4 Ep. 5 – “How to Chew Quietly and Influence People”; Songwriters: Tom Mizer, Curtis Moore; Performer: Josh A. Dawson; Music Supervisor: Robin Urdang

WINNER: “Perfect Day” from Better Call Saul – Season 6 Ep. 9 – “Fun and Games”; Songwriter: Harry Nilsson; Performers: Dresage, Slow Shiver; Music Supervisor: Thomas Golubić

“Two Shots” from The Afterparty – Season 1 Ep. 3 – “Yasper”; Songwriters: Jack Dolgen, Jonathan Lajoie; Performers: Ben Schwartz, Sam Richardson, Jamie Demetriou; Music Supervisor: Kier Lehman

“Trouble” from MOOD – Season 1 Ep. 6 – “F*** the Fake Sh**”; Songwriters: Nicôle Lecky, Camille Angelina Purcell ‘Kamille’, Kwame Kwei-Armah Jr ‘KZ’; Performer: Lecky; Music Supervisors: Ed Bailie, Abi Leland

“Let’s Live for Today” from Pachinko – Season 1 Ep. 8 – “Chapter Eight”; Songwriters: Michael Julien, Guilio Rapetti Mogol, Norman David Shapiro; Performer: Leenalchi; Music Supervisor: Michael Hill

“Seduce & Scheme” from Rap Sh!t – Season 1 Ep. 3 – “Something for the Hood”, Ep. 4 – “Something for the Clubs”, Ep. 5 – “Something for the Weekend”, Ep. 6 – “Something for the Gram”, Ep. 7 – “Something for the DJ”, Ep. 8 – “Something for the Road”; Songwriters: Larry Dwayne Batiste, Isaac Earl Bynum, Khia Chambers, Brittany Dickinson, Aida Goitom, Floyd Nathaniel Hills, Clayton Richardson, Seandrea Sledge, Bill Summers. Kevin Toney, Michael J. Williams; Performers: Shawna & Mia; Music Supervisors: Sarah Bromberg, Stephanie Diaz-Matos, Philippe Pierre

“Get It on the Floor” from P-Valley – Season 2 Ep. 6 – “Savage,” Ep. 9 – “Snow”; Songwriters: Julian Mason, Antwon D. Moore, Megan Pete, Kelton Lanier Scott II; Performers: J. Alphonse Nicholson, Megan Thee Stallion; Music Supervisors: Sarah Bromberg, Stephanie Diaz-Matos, Katori Hall

Best music supervision – television comedy or musical

Kier Lehman – The Afterparty Season 1

WINNER: Kier Lehman – Insecure Season 5

Nora Felder, Janine Scalise – Better Things Season 5

Ed Bailie, Abi Leland – MOOD Season 1

Adam Anders, Amanda Krieg Thomas – Monarch Season 1

Robin Urdang – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 4

Thomas Patterson – The Resort Season 1

Amanda Krieg Thomas – Pam & Tommy Season 1

Best music supervision – television drama

Ciara Elwis – Bad Sisters Season 1

Thomas Golubić – Better Call Saul Season 6

Justin Kamps – Bridgerton Season 2

Jen Malone, Adam Leber – Euphoria Season 2

Ollie White – Industry Season 2

Dave Jordan, Shannon Murphy – Ms. Marvel Season 1

Stephanie Diaz-Matos, Sarah Bromberg, Katori Hall – P-Valley Season 2

WINNER: Nora Felder – Stranger Things Season 4

Best music supervision – reality television

Peter Davis – The Challenge: All Stars Season 3

Sarah Bromberg, Gary Lubansky, Eric Medina – Sweet Life: Los Angeles Season 2

Brandon Boucher – The Real World Homecoming Season 3

Greg Danylyshyn, Ben Hochstein – The Kardashians Season 1

Jon Ernst – Siesta Key Season 4

WINNER: Adam Brodsky, Rivka Rose – The Come Up Season 1

DOCUMENTARIES

Best music supervision for a documentary

Dawn Sutter Madell – All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Justin Feldman – Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues

Jonathan Zalben – Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes

WINNER: Allison Wood – Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off

Best music supervision in a docuseries

WINNER: Amanda Krieg Thomas – The Andy Warhol Diaries

Ross Sellwood – My Life as a Rolling Stone

Dan Wilcox – Street Food USA

Barry Cole – They Call Me Magic

Andrea von Foerster – Welcome to Wrexham

VIDEO GAMES

Best music supervision in a video game (synch)

Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Alex Hackford, Duncan Smith – Gran Turismo 7

Raphaella Lima, Cybele Pettus, Steve Schnur – Need for Speed Unbound

WINNERS: Dylan Bostick, Josh Kessler – Saint’s Row V

Best music supervision in a video game (original)

Simon Landry, Rossen Yankov – Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök; Composer: Stephanie Economou

WINNERS: Steve Schnur – Battlefield 2042 DLC – Season 1 – Zero Hour | Season 2 – Master of Arms | Season 3 – Escalation; Composers: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Sam Slater

Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II; Composer: Sarah Schachner

Richard Beddow – Total War: Warhammer III; Composers: Jamie Christopherson, Jim Fowler, Ian Livingstone, Simon Ravn, Tim Wynn

TRAILERS

Best music supervision in a trailer – film

WINNER: Evelin Garcia – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Teaser “Leaders”

Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – Elvis (trailer 2)

Anny Colvin – Avatar: The Way of the Water

Gregory Sweeney – Men Official Trailer

Matthew Bailey, Shawn Stevens – Empire of Light, Trailer “Home”

Sanaz Lavaedian, Marina Polites – Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Scenery Samundra, Gregory Sweeney – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Official Teaser Trailer

Bobby Gumm – Three Thousand Years of Longing

Maggie Baron – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Cynthia Blondelle, Heather Kreamer – Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 Official Trailer

Best music supervision in a trailer – series

Will Quiney – Atlanta Season 3 ‘Visitors’

Bobby Gumm – Stranger Things 4

Scenery Sumandra, Gregory Sweeney – The Idol – Official Teaser #3

Brian Sotelo – Black Bird

WINNER: Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – The White Lotus – Season 2

Dylan Bostick, Chris Restivo – Atlanta “Shillin’”

Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg – The Boys Season 3 (full trailer)

Kelsey Mitchell – Perry Mason Season 2 Teaser (HBO)

Evelin Garcia – Andor – Teaser “Reckoning”

Emma Allaway, Eduardo Fontes Williams – The Crown Season 5

Best music supervision in a trailer – video game & interactive

Glenn Herweijer, Simon Landry, Ben Sumner, Jack Thompson – Assassins Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök – Cinematic World Premiere

WINNERS: Lindsey Kohon, Naaman Snell – Destiny 2: The Witch Queen – Launch Trailer

Raphaella Lima, Michael Sherwood – Wild Hearts Reveal Trailer

Lindsey Kohon, Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Warzone 2.0 Launch Trailer | Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0

Lindsey Kohon, Ryan Tomlin, Brandon Young – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – World Gameplay Reveal Trailer

ADVERTISING

Best music supervision in advertising (synch)

Buzzy Cohen, Quinn Donnell – Airbnb – Strangers

Mike Ladman, Brad Nayman, Brandy Ricker – New York Times – Independent Journalism | The New York Times | Jordan

WINNER: Abbey Hendrix, Jonathan Wellbelove – Apple – The Greatest

Josh Marcy, Nicole Palko – Apple – iPad – Election

Ben Dorenfeld, Zach Pollakoff, Anton Trailer – Johnnie Walker – Anthem

Jessie Kalikow, Scott McDaniel, Nargis Sheerazie – Apple – Chocolate

Andrew Kahn, Morgan Thoryk – Zillow – Nightswimming

Frederic Schindler – Amazon Fashion – Amazon Fashion Holiday 2022

Best music supervision in advertising (original music)

WINNERS: Sunny Kapoor, Mike Ladman, Brad Nayman, Brandy Ricker – Meta – Good Ideas Deserve to be Found: A (Slightly) Life-Changing Story

Mike Ladman, Brad Nayman, Brandy Ricker – Hennessy – HENNESSY X NBA: GAME NEVER STOPS

Will Eichler, Chip Herter – Taco Bell – The Grande Escape

Paul Williams will receive the Icon Award at the 2023 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, set for Sunday March 5 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. The Legacy Award will be posthumously presented to Pilar McCurry, who served as a music supervisor and senior vice president at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
“We are thrilled to honor Paul Williams and Pilar McCurry at our 13th Annual Awards,” Madonna Wade-Reed, vice president of the Guild of Music Supervisors, said in a statement. “Both have contributed immensely to the entertainment industry through their songs and supervision.”

Williams said, “There is a strange, beautiful alchemy that occurs when the perfect song placement transforms both the scene and the song. I have been graced with many opportunities to write music for picture in my career, and it feels like magic every single time.  Thank you to the Guild of Music Supervisors for this incredible recognition.”

Williams won an Oscar in 1977 for best original song for co-writing “Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)” with Barbra Streisand. He has won three Grammy Awards and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmys. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 and received that organization’s top honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, last year. Williams is also president and chairman of the board of ASCAP.

Singer/songwriter Joshua Radin is set to perform in tribute to Williams. Previous recipients of the Icon Award include Diane Warren, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Kenny Loggins and Marc Shaiman.

The Legacy Award is bestowed to a music supervisor who has made an impact within the industry.  Previous recipients include Mitchell Leib, Maureen Crowe, Bob Hunka, Joel Sill, Gary Lemel, and Chris Montan.

McCurry, who died in March 2018 at the age of 53, was music supervisor for such films as Love Jones, Stomp the Yard, Set It Off, Gridlock’d and Men in Black. During her tenure with Sony, she managed 50-plus projects while music supervising more than 20 films. In addition to the aforementioned Stomp the Yard, that slate included You Got Served, Takers, The Gospel, Lakeview Terrace, This Christmas, The Karate Kid, Pursuit of Happyness and Hitch.

Prior to joining Sony, McCurry served as VP of film music & soundtracks at Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment from 1999-2001. Over the course of her nearly 25-year career, McCurry also worked with such artists as Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Questlove, Aaliyah, Enrique Iglesias, Lauryn Hill, 2Pac and En Vogue. 

Performing at this year’s event are Guild of Music Supervisors Award nominees Gaby Moreno and Ruth B. Moreno will perform “A Song In My Heart” from The Valet, while Ruth B. will perform her song “Paper Airplanes” from Jazzman’s Blues.

Presenters include Sharon Stone, Debbie Allen, Pamela Adlon, Lindsey Blaufarb and Odeya Rush.  Further information and details about tickets can be found at www.gmsawards.com