# James S. Levine

James Scott Levine (born 1974) is an American composer and member of Remote Control Productions. He has won seven BMI awards and seven ASCAP awards. His credits include the films Running with Scissors, Delta Farce, and The Weather Man, and the television shows Nip/Tuck, Glee, The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, and American Horror Story. He has also provided additional music for films such as Madagascar, Pearl Harbor, and Something's Gotta Give.

## Early life

James Levine grew up in Medford, Massachusetts, where he played multiple instruments in various genres. The main instrument he played growing up was the piano, performing at multiple events growing up. At the age of 13 Levine shifted his focus from playing the piano, to learning Jazz, as well as improvisation. Composers that Levine looked up to when he was younger were Mozart, Morricone and James Newton Howard. He is of Jewish heritage.
Levine attended Tufts University, where he was originally a pre-med student. However he switched subject areas, and subsequently in college Levine studied Sociology and Musicology, and got his degree in American Studies. He graduated from Tufts in 1996.

## Career

Levine came to Hollywood in 1997 to begin his career as a composer, leaving behind money and family. He first started off his career by doing intern work around Los Angeles.
James Levine is a composer for shows like American Horror Story, Glee, Nip/Tuck, Royal Pains and The Closer.
The music for American Horror Story is one of his most known works, receiving many awards such as the Best Music in a Series, Best music in a non-series, and has been nominated for outstanding sound mixing for television movies and miniseries two years in a row. Due to the success of his music he has continued to create music for the show. His work on Glee has also won him many awards and he has gone on to keep composing for the show until the final season.

## Composing

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1990 | The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera | Short |
| 1999 | Chill Factor | Film (Additional music for Hans Zimmer and John Powell) |
| 1999 | A Little Inside | Film |
| 2000 | Die Motorrad-Cops – Hart am Limit [de] | TV series |
| 2001 | Siren | Film |
| 2001 | About Barbers | Short |
| 2003 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie | Documentary |
| 2003 | Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast | Short |
| 2003 | The Challenge | TV movie |
| 2003 | The In-Laws | Film |
| 2003–2010 | Nip/Tuck | TV series |
| 2003 | SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom | Video game (Composed with Robert Crew and Alex Wilkinson) |
| 2004 | The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie | Video game (Composed with Robert Crew, John O'Kennedy, Barry Fasman and Beth Ertz) |
| 2004 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again | TV documentary |
| 2005 | More Sex and the Single Mom | TV movie |
| 2005 | Roar: Lions of the Kalahari | Documentary short |
| 2005 | Madagascar | Film (Additional music for Hans Zimmer) |
| 2005 | The Weather Man | Film (Co-composer with Hans Zimmer) |
| 2005–2012 | The Closer | TV series |
| 2006 | 3 lbs | TV series |
| 2006 | Running with Scissors | Film |
| 2006 | American Storage | Short |
| 2006 | Ajax | Short |
| 2007 | Hidden Palms | TV series |
| 2007 | Delta Farce | Film |
| 2007–2012 | Damages | TV series |
| 2008 | Otis | Film |
| 2008–2009 | Raising the Bar | TV series |
| 2009–2015 | Glee | TV series |
| 2009–2012 | Royal Pains | TV series |
| 2009–2010 | NCIS: Los Angeles | TV series |
| 2009 | SpongeBob's Truth or Square | Video game (Archived music from SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie) |
| 2010 | Outlaw | TV series |
| 2010–2016 | Rizzoli & Isles | TV series |
| 2011 | Glee: The 3D Concert Movie | Documentary |
| 2011–2014 | American Horror Story | TV series (40 episodes, composed with Mac Quayle) |
| 2012–2018 | Major Crimes | TV series |
| 2012–2013 | The New Normal | TV series |
| 2013 | Do No Harm | TV series |
| 2013 | The Blacklist | TV series (3 episodes, replaced by Dave Porter) |
| 2014–2018 | The Last Ship | TV series (Composed with James Dooley) |
| 2019 | Chambers | TV series |
| 2019 | Soundtrack | TV series (Composed with Andrew McMahon and Zac Clark) |
| 2020 | Katy Keene | TV series |
| 2020–2021 | For Life | TV series (Composed with Dustin O'Halloran) |
| 2020 | SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated | Video game (Archived and remastered music from the original Battle for Bikini Bottom) |
| 2021–2024 | La Brea | TV series |
| 2025 | Doc | TV series |

## Awards

| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2001 | BMI Award | | What About Joan? | Won |
| 2005 | BMI Award | | Nip/Tuck | Won |
| 2008 | BMI Award | | The Closer | Won |
| 2011 | ASCAP Award | Top TV Series | Glee | Won |
| 2012 | Online Film & Television Association Award | Best Music in a Series | American Horror Story | Won |
| 2012 | ASCAP Award | Top TV Series | Glee | Won |
| 2013 | ASCAP Award | Top TV Series | Glee | Won |
| 2013 | ASCAP Award | Top Television Series | Major Crimes | Won |
| 2013 | ASCAP Award | Top Television Series | The New Normal | Won |
| 2013 | ASCAP Award | Top Television Series | Royal Pains | Won |
| 2013 | ASCAP Award | Most Performed Themes and Underscore | | Won |
| 2013 | Emmy Award | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special | American Horror Story: Coven | Nominated |
| 2013 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series | American Horror Story: Asylum | Nominated |
| 2013 | Online Film & Television Association Award | Best Music in a Non-Series | American Horror Story | Won |
| 2014 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series | American Horror Story | Nominated |
| 2014 | Online Film & Television Association Award | Best Music in a Non-Series | American Horror Story | Nominated |