L-R: Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, Erin Collins (SESAC SVP TV/Film Creative Services), Laura Karpman, and Scott Jungmichel (SESAC Performing Rights President & COO)
If there’s one corner of the music world that quietly shapes how we feel about everything on screen, it’s film and television scoring—and this week in Santa Monica, those behind-the-scenes architects got their moment.
At SESAC’s annual Film & Television Composer Awards, held at the breezy Casa del Mar, industry execs, publishers, and composers gathered for an invitation-only evening that celebrated the minds responsible for some of the year’s most memorable sonic storytelling.
“It’s incredibly meaningful for us to celebrate our talented composers and the passion they bring to their craft,” said SESAC’s SVP of TV/Film Creative Services, Erin Collins. “Behind every project is an immense amount of heart, dedication, and creativity.”
That sentiment echoed throughout the evening, with SESAC President & COO Scott Jungmichel adding, “We're so proud to recognize the influence that music has on storytelling and the unforgettable moments our composers create through their craft. Their dedication and hard work inspire us all, and we look forward to celebrating them each year.”
Among the standouts: Daniel Lopatin, known for his ability to blur the line between experimental and emotional, and whose score for Marty Supreme continues to ripple outward from its Oscar-nominated buzz.
Meanwhile, The Newton Brothers are proving that horror still belongs to composers who know how to weaponize silence just as much as sound. Their work on Fear Street: Prom Queen and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 earned them another round of accolades.
On the collaborative front, Wow Jones and JIMIJAME$ were honored for Tyler Perry’s Duplicity, a reminder that scoring is often a team sport, especially when navigating layered, character-driven narratives.
And then there’s Laura Karpman, whose score for Captain America: Brave New World has already put her in the Academy Awards conversation. Her work continues to push blockbuster scoring beyond bombast, finding nuance inside spectacle.
What makes nights like this land isn’t just the trophies—it’s the acknowledgment that music in film and TV isn’t background noise. It’s subtext. It’s tension. It’s the reason a scene lingers after the credits roll.
The full list of honorees can be found here.
Photo credit: Teal Moss
