Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award winner Atticus Ross was presented with the BMI Icon award “in recognition of his exceptional body of work” at the performing rights society’s annual Film, TV and Visual Media Awards Wednesday night in Beverly Hills.
Ross’s film scores include “The Social Network,” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “Gone Girl,” “Soul,” “Mank,” “Empire of Light” and “Challengers,” all in collaboration with his longtime Nine Inch Nails partner Trent Reznor. His TV work includes “Watchmen,” “The Vietnam War” and “Shogun.”
BMI president-CEO Mike O’Neill presented the award, noting that Ross’s “innovative spirit and passion for pushing the boundaries of composition have literally re-engineered the way we experience storytelling.” He cited the composer’s contributions “to the world of music as a composer, rock pioneer and a legend.”
The London-born composer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Nine Inch Nails in 2020; they will embark on a sold-out global arena tour later this year. Disney’s “Tron” sequel “Ares” will feature a Nine Inch Nails score in October.
In a video tribute, longtime professional partner Trent Reznor called their relationship “the truest, longest friendship of my life.” Directors David Fincher (“The Social Network”), Allen Hughes (“The Book of Eli”), Fisher Stevens (“Before the Flood”), Pete Docter (“Soul”), Luca Guadagnino (“Challengers”) and TV producers Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen”) and Justin Marks (“Shogun”) added words of praise for Ross’s work.
Accepting the award, Ross said “This never feels like a job; this is my dream.” He insisted that “scoring films is an art form, and all of you sitting in this room are artists.” He finds creating music for film “a place for self-expression. There aren’t any rules. It’s really all about: How can we make people feel?”
Ross joins such past Icon winners as Terence Blanchard, Mychael Danna, Alexandre Desplat, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Newton Howard, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Alan Silvestri, Brian Tyler and John Williams.
Also honored at the ceremony were the composers of the most successful films of the past year; the highest rated series on TV, cable and streaming services; and the most popular video games. Joining O’Neill in presenting the awards were Tracy McKnight, BMI’s VP of creative, film, TV and visual media, and Mike Steinbeerg, the org’s executive VP, chief revenue and creative officer. (Pictured above: O’Neill, Ross and McKnight.)
Among those earning multiple BMI awards were Ross (for “Challengers” and “Shogun”), Fil Eisler (“Outer Banks,” “Fire Country”), Tom Howe (“Knuckles,” “Shrinking”), Andrew Lockington (“Atlas,” “Landman”), Blake Neely (“The Bloody Hundredth,” “Masters of the Air”), Julia Newman (“Doctor Odyssey,” “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”), Carlos Rafael Rivera (“Hacks,” “Griselda”) and Tyler Strickland (“Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them,” “Face to Face with Scott Peterson”).
Veteran TV composer Mike Post earned his 60th and 61st BMI awards for his work on “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Atli Örvarsson received the most awards of the evening, a total of seven, for his work on three “FBI” shows on CBS and three “Chicago” shows on NBC, plus the streaming series “Silo.”
