Thomas Newman, Dario Marianelli, and Alberto Iglesias receive multiple...

The 8th WSAs close the 35th Ghent International Film Festival on October 18th.

Ghent, Beligum (August 19, 2008) - The World Soundtrack Awards, the pre-eminent international film music event of the year, has announced its nominees for 2008 in 3 major categories including Best Original Score, Film Composer of the Year and Best Original Song. The winners will be announced on Saturday, October 18th at the closing of the 35th Ghent International Film Festival.

Award-winning composers Thomas Newman, Alberto Iglesias, and Oscar winner Dario Marianelli lead the pack with multiple nominations. Other top music names receiving nominations include Diane Warren, Eddie Vedder, Glen Ballard, Peter Gabriel and Shakira.

The awards, currently in their 8th year, honor movie music that has been theatrically released between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008 The awards are presented by the World Soundtrack Academy which now encompasses over 300 music professionals from all over the world with a goal to promote music in film. The annual Benelux event has hosted a roster of the top names in movie music in the past 8 years including Oscar-winners Ennio Morricone, Gabriel Yared, Maurice Jarre, Rachel Portman, Stephen Warbeck, Gustavo Santaollala, Marilyn and Alan Bergman, as well as Patrick Doyle, Georges Delerue, Sir George Martin and Harry Gregson-Williams.

The World Soundtrack Awards will feature The Brussels conducted by Dirk Brossé performing the music of Dario Marianelli and Angelo Badalamenti who will both be in attendance for the awards ceremony.

This year’s nominees are listed in their entirety below:

FILM COMPOSER of the YEAR

(award can be presented in respect of one film or a body of work in the year)

• ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (THE GOLDEN COMPASS)

• JAMES NEWTON HOWARD (CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, MICHAEL CLAYTON, I AM LEGEND)

• ALBERTO IGLESIAS (THE KITE RUNNER)

• DARIO MARIANELLI (ATONEMENT)

• JOHN POWELL (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE of the YEAR

• 3:10 TO YUMA BY MARCO BELTRAMI

• ATONEMENT BY DARIO MARIANELLI

• THE KITE RUNNER BY ALBERTO IGLESIAS

• THERE WILL BE BLOOD BY JONNY GREENWOOD

• WALL-E BY THOMAS NEWMAN

BEST ORIGINAL SONG WRITTEN DIRECTLY FOR FILM

• \"DESPEDIDA\' from \"Love in the Time of Cholera\"

Music by: Antonio Pinto and Shakira, Lyrics by: Shakira, Performed by: Shakira

• \"DOWN TO EARTH\" from \"Wall-E\"

Music by: Thomas Newman and Peter Gabriel, Lyrics by: Peter Gabriel, Performed by: Peter Gabriel

• \"DO YOU FEEL ME\" from \"American Gangster\"

Music and Lyrics by: Diane Warren, Performed by: Anthony Hamilton

• \"GUARANTEED\" from \"Into the Wild\"

Music and Lyrics by: Eddie Vedder, Performed by: Eddie Vedder

• \"A HERO COMES HOME\" from \"Beowulf\"

Music and Lyrics by: Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri, Performed by: Robin Wright Penn / Idina Menzel

For more information, contact Ronni Chasen or Alex Melelian at 310.274.4400 or via e-mail at ronni@chasenpr.com or alex@chasenpr.com.