Volker Bertelmann and Daniel Blumberg honored at the 25th World Soundtrack Awards
German composer Volker Bertelmann was named Film Composer of the Year for the second time in his career. The Discovery of the Year Award went to British composer Daniel Blumberg, who has gained international attention for his impressive work for The Brutalist. Other awards were presented to Theodore Shapiro (Television Composer of the Year), Clément Ducol, -Camille- and Jacques Audiard (Best Original Song), Laetitia Pansanel-Garric (Public Choice Award), Lorien Testard ( Game Music Award) and Ruben De Gheselle (Belgian Film Composer of the Year (Powered by Sabam)). The Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer (Powered by Vienna Synchron Stage) went to Bongseop Kim.
Film Composer of the Year
German composer and pianist Volker Bertelmann, also known as Hauschka, was once again awarded Film Composer of the Year. His intense and captivating scores for Conclave and The Amateur confirm his status as one of the leading film composers of his generation. Bertelmann previously received the same award in 2023 for his music for All Quiet on the Western Front, War Sailor and Memory of Water. For All Quiet on the Western Front he also won both an Academy and a BAFTA Award. His work is known for its inventive use of prepared piano and strong dramaturgical sensitivity. With Conclave, a political Vatican thriller by Edward Berger, and The Amateur, a spy drama by James Hawes, Bertelmann once again demonstrated his versatility and flair for theatrical subtlety.
Television Composer of the Year
Emmy Award–winning composer Theodore Shapiro was honored with the Television Composer of the Year Award for his score for the second season of Severance, the acclaimed Apple TV+ series directed in part by Ben Stiller. Shapiro, also known for his work on The Devil Wears Prada, Tropic Thunder and Bombshell, blends minimalist piano motifs with dissonant strings to create a soundscape that is both unsettling and familiar. His music heightens the psychological tension of the series and underscores the alienating character of its dystopian, sterile world. With this recognition, Shapiro takes his place among the top film and television composers of his generation.
Best Original Song
The award for Best Original Song went to “El Mal”, a song from Jacques Audiard’s groundbreaking musical thriller Emilia Pérez. The song was written by Clément Ducol, -Camille- and Jacques Audiard, and performed by Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón, who also star in the film. Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes, Emilia Pérez tells the story of a Mexican drug cartel leader whose life and identity are deliberately altered. The song “El Mal” embodies the film’s furious animosity and central themes, and has already received the Academy Award for Best Original Song as well as the Cannes Soundtrack Award.
Discovery of the Year Award
The Discovery of the Year Award, the annual prize for a promising new talent, was presented to Daniel Blumberg. The British composer started out in London’s music scene and has since become a distinctive new voice in film scoring. His raw, layered and jazzy score for The Brutalist, directed by Brady Corbet and winner of the Golden Lion in Venice, earned him the Academy Award for Best Original Score earlier this year. At the World Soundtrack Awards, Blumberg was nominated both for Film Composer of the Year and Discovery of the Year. With this award, he emerges as one of the defining figures of the 25th edition and confirms his status as one of the most innovative composers of the moment.
Public Choice Award
The Public Choice Award, voted on by film music fans worldwide, went to French composer Laetitia Pansanel-Garric for her melodic score for Hola Frida (Karine Vézina & André Kadi). The film pays tribute to the life and work of art icon Frida Kahlo. Pansanel-Garric drew inspiration from Mexican mariachi and banda and wove these influences into orchestral textures, creating a heterogeneous and polyphonic sound palette. Having previously collaborated with Bruno Coulais and Gabriel Yared, Pansanel-Garric celebrates her WSA debut with this prestigious recognition.
Game Music Award
For the game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, acclaimed for its dreamlike visual style, French composer Lorien Testard wrote ten hours of original music. Over five years, he created a poetic and painterly collage of French chanson, orchestral and choral music, jazz, lo-fi, ambient, prog rock and electronics. The result: impressionistic tonalities interspersed with climactic peaks, all serving the melancholy and mystique of the game’s world. It should come as no surprise that Testard was honored with this year’s WSA Game Music Award.
Belgian Film Composer of the Year (Powered by Sabam)
Belgian composer Ruben De Gheselle was named Belgian Film Composer of the Year for his subtle and intimate scores for Young Hearts (Anthony Schatteman) and There was, There was not (Emily Mkrtichian). De Gheselle is one of the most promising voices in Belgian film music. He previously received the Georges Delerue Award at Film Fest Gent for Clara Sola and an Ensor for Discovery of the Year. His style is characterized by fragility and detail, often unfolding emotion through minimal and tactile instrumentation. This award crowns his rise as one of Belgium’s most important screen composers.
Award for the Best Original Composition by a Young Composer (Powered by Vienna Synchron Stage)
The annual WSA Film Music Composition Contest, open to composers under the age of 36, was won this year by South Korean Bongseop Kim. He impressed the jury, chaired by Dirk Brossé, with his original score for a scene from David Lynch’s The Elephant Man (1980), blending classical orchestration with subtle modernist influences. Kim began as a trumpet player before studying composition at 18. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Korea Baptist Theological University and Seminary and a master’s degree from ChungNam National University, where he is currently pursuing his doctorate. Founder of the CN Contemporary Music Society, his work has already been performed at festivals across South Korea, including the Daegu Contemporary Music Festival and the Seoul Arts Center.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The WSAcademy pays tribute to two of the most influential composers who have fundamentally shaped the language of minimalist film music. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Philip Glass and Michael Nyman.
Glass wrote iconic scores for Koyaanisqatsi, The Hours and Notes on a Scandal. His repetitive structures and hypnotic patterns have influenced generations of composers. Nyman, known for his collaborations with Peter Greenaway and his Oscar-nominated score for The Piano, fuses baroque references with a contemporary flair. His work is celebrated for its strength, simplicity and emotional directness.
Unlike in previous years, the awards are not presented at the WSA Ceremony & Concert but at a separate event: Minimalism in Motion: Glass, Nyman and Beyond, taking place on Thursday 16 October at Music Centre De Bijloke, where their most iconic works will be performed alongside scores by composers they have inspired.
Overview of Winners
Film Composer of the Year
Volker Bertelmann - Conclave, The Amateur
Television Composer of the Year
Theodore Shapiro - Severance (Season 2)
Best Original Song
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez - written by Clément Ducol, -Camille-, Jacques Audiard; performed by Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón
Discovery of the Year
Daniel Blumberg - The Brutalist
Public Choice Award
Laetitia Pansanel-Garric - Hola Frida
Game Music Award
Lorien Testard - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Belgian Film Composer of the Year (Powered by Sabam)
Ruben De Gheselle - Young Hearts; There was, There was not
Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer (Powered by Vienna Synchron Stage)
Bongseop Kim
Lifetime Achievement Award
Philip Glass & Michael Nyman
