Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winner Atticus Ross presented the BMI Idol Award “for his outstanding work” at the Performance Rights Association’s annual Film, Television and Visual Media Awards Wednesday night in Beverly Hills.
Ross' film scores include "Social Network", "Girl with Dragon Tattoo", "Girl with Dead", "Soul", "Manke", "Light Empire" and "Challenger", all teamed up with his long-time nine-inch nail partner Trent Reznor. His television works include The Watchman, The Vietnam War and Shogun.
BMI President Mike O'Neill presented the award, noting that Ross's “innovation and passion to push the boundaries of composition have redesigned the way we experience storytelling.” He enumerates the contributions of the composer, “as a composer, a rock pioneer and legendary figure, to the music industry.”
The London-born composer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as part of a nine-inch nail. They will embark on the sold-out global arena tour later this year. Disney's "Tron" sequel "Ares" will score with a 9-inch nail in October.
In the video tribute, long-time professional partner Trent Reznor calls their relationship “the most authentic and longest friendship of my life.” Directors David Fincher (“Social Network”), Allen Hughes (“Ellie Book”), Fisher Stevens (“Before the Flood”), Pete Docter (“Soul”), Luca Guadagnino (“Challenger”) and TV producers Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen”) and Justin Marks (“Shogun”) add a quote.
Ross accepted the award and said, “It’s never like a job; it’s my dream.” He insisted that “scoring is an art form, and you all sit in this room are artists.” He found that creating music for films “a place to express yourself. There is no rule. It’s actually about: How can we make people feel it?”
Ross joins past idol winners such as Terence Blanchard, Mychael Danna, Alexandre Desplat, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Newton Howard, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Mike Post, Alan Silvestri, Brian Tyler and John Williams.
He was also honored at the awards ceremony and was the composer of the most successful film in the past year. The highest rated series on TV, cable and streaming services; and the most popular video games. Tracy McKnight, vice president of creative, film, television and visual media at BMI, and Mike Steinbeerg, executive vice president of Org, chief revenue and creative officer. (Photo: O'Neill, Ross and McKnight.)
Among those who have won multiple BMI awards are Ross (for "Challenger" and "Shogun", Fil Eisler ("External Bank", "Fire Country"), Tom Howe ("Knuckles", "Knuckles"), Andrew Lockington (Andrew Lockington ("Atlas, "Atlas", "Landman"), Blake Neely (Blake Neely ("Bloody neely)" "Monster: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez"), Carlos Rafael Rivera ("Hacks", "Griselda") and Tyler Strickland (" Selena & Yolanda: The Secret Between Them”, “Face to Scott Peterson”).
Senior TV composer Mike Post won his 60th and 61st BMI awards for his work on Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. Atley Örvarsson won the most awards that night, a total of seven, his work on three "FBI" shows on CBS and three "Chicago" shows on NBC, as well as the streaming series "Silo".
The complete list of winners is