Brief
Daniel Pemberton and EJAE win top honors at World Soundtrack Awards
Pemberton earned his third Film Composer of the Year prize while EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick took Best Original Song for “Golden.”
By Felo News Desk · Published
At the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent on Saturday, British composer Daniel Pemberton was named Film Composer of the Year and pop star‑songwriter EJAE, together with Mark Sonnenblick, won Best Original Song for the chart‑topping track “Golden” from the film “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Pemberton, whose recent scores include “Project Hail Mary,” “The Drama,” “The Bad Guys 2” and “Masters of the Universe,” now holds three World Soundtrack Awards: Film Composer of the Year in 2021, Discovery of the Year in 2014 and the 2026 top prize. In a round‑table before the ceremony he explained that he “threw every crazy idea” into the “Project Hail Mary” score, using wood, metal and glass and even a leaky faucet for inspiration, aiming to make the music “really emotional” and “make people cry.”
EJAE, fresh from an Academy Award win, and co‑writer Mark Sonnenblick were honored for “Golden,” the lead song of “KPop Demon Hunters.” The win adds to EJAE’s recent accolades, which include a Golden Globe, a Grammy and a David Guetta remix of the track. Neither EJAE nor Sonnenblick were present to accept the award.
In a prior interview with Variety, EJAE pushed back against genre labels, saying, “As an artist, I don’t want myself to be boxed into being a ‘K‑pop’ artist because I don’t really view myself as a K‑pop artist or a pop artist. I view myself as a songwriter of every genre.”
The ceremony also recognized other composers: Jeff Russo took Television Composer of the Year for his work on “Alien: Earth,” “Cape Fear” and “Citadel”; Kevin Smithers earned the Public Choice Award for the Mexican stop‑motion feature “Soy Frankelda”; and Northern Irish composer Hannah Peel won Discovery of the Year for “Midwinter Break.” Russo described the challenge of integrating Bernard Herrmann’s 1962 “Cape Fear” themes with his own score, noting that “that made my job both easier and much harder.” He also highlighted an Easter‑egg horn motif lifted from James Goldsmith’s original “Alien” music on “Alien: Earth.”
Conductor Dirk Brossé and the Brussels Philharmonic performed selections by guest of honor Hildur Guðnadóttir and lifetime‑achievement recipient Trevor Jones, both of whom attended the gala.
Key facts
- Daniel Pemberton was named Film Composer of the Year at the World Soundtrack Awards. (variety.com)
- EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick won Best Original Song for “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters.” (variety.com)
- Pemberton has now won three World Soundtrack Awards (2021, 2014, 2026). (variety.com)
- Jeff Russo received Television Composer of the Year for “Alien: Earth,” “Cape Fear,” and “Citadel.” (variety.com)
- Hildur Guðnadóttir and Trevor Jones were present as guest of honor and lifetime‑achievement award recipient. (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “‘Project Hail Mary’ Composer Daniel Pemberton, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Songwriter EJAE Triumph at World Soundtrack Awards”
