Hans Zimmer wins a first-ever BAFTA for Dune
The stars aligned yesterday evening at the Royal Albert Hall as Hans Zimmer’s music for Dune won the BAFTA for Original Score, his first accolade from the British Film Academy.
The 75th BAFTA Film Awards took place at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday evening and it was a suitably glittering occasion. It was made all the more special as the great and good of the film industry could gather in person, following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions in the UK.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was one of the hotly tipped winners of the evening and it didn’t disappoint, scooping five awards. One went to composer Hans Zimmer for his deeply immersive original score.
Zimmer couldn’t attend the ceremony as he is currently in the midst of a European tour, but he is sure to be thrilled with the win. Despite nine prior film awards nominations (his first was in 1992 for Thelma and Louise), the German-born film music titan hadn’t won a BAFTA for his music before now.
Disappointingly the televised ceremony didn’t feature the music award, but there was a vein of music running through the show. It opened with a live performance of ‘Diamonds Are Forever’, one of the best James Bond themes, in honour of 007’s 60th anniversary. Dame Shirley Bassey gave a fabulous rendition, supported by a small orchestra (credited as ‘The Shirley Bassey Orchestra) placed in the right Choir Stalls.
There was also a live performance of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’, which features in the film Coda. It was performed by the film’s star, Emilia Jones, whose vocals were interpreted on stage in ASL and BSL sign language.
The ‘In Memoriam’ sequence featured a lovely arrangement of the late Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Send in the Clowns’.
All eyes (and ears) will now turn to the Oscars. The 94th Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles on Sunday 27 March. With a BAFTA win under his belt, Hans Zimmer may be in line for a second Oscar… Check out our Best Original Score predictions.
Hans Zimmer at the film BAFTAs
2022
Winner – Dune
2018
Nominee – Blade Runner: 2049 (with Benjamin Wallfisch)
Nominee – Dunkirk
2015
Nominee – Interstellar
2014
Nominee – 12 Years a Slave
2011
Nominee – Inception
2009
Nominee – The Dark Knight (with James Newton Howard)
2001
Nominee – Gladiator
1995
Nominee – The Lion King
1992
Nominee – Thelma & Louise
(Photo by Tristar Media/Getty Images)
Authors
Michael is the Reviews Editor of BBC Music Magazine. He was previously a freelance film music journalist and spent 15 years at St George's Bristol. Michael specialises in film and television music and was the Editor of MusicfromtheMovies.com. He has written for the BBC Proms, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood in Vienna and Silva Screen Records.
