James Newton Howard

James Newton Howard (born June 9, 1951) is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films. The recipient of eight Academy Award nominations, some of Howard's best known film scores include The Prince of Tides (1991), The Fugitive (1993), Dinosaur (2000), The Village (2004), King Kong (2005), Batman Begins (2005) (with Hans Zimmer), I Am Legend (2007) The Dark Knight (2008) (also with Zimmer), and, most recently Green Lantern (2011), The Hunger Games (2012), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), and The Bourne Legacy (2012). He is known for his frequent collaborations with director M. Night Shyamalan, having scored all his films since The Sixth Sense (1999). Howard also has a reputation of being a fast composer, due to his work on movies such as King Kong and The Hunger Games, both of which were composed in approximately one month.
==Early life and career==
Howard was born in Los Angeles, California. Twenty-five years after the death of his father, Howard learned that his father's family was Jewish (Howard later became a practicing Reconstructionist Jew).Commentary track of Defiance, 42:10
Throughout his career as a composer/musician/songwriter, he has scored films of all scales and genres, earning multiple award nominations for his work. Howard began studying music as a child and went on to attend the Thacher School in Ojai, California, and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. He then attended the University of Southern California as a piano performance major, but dropped out after a year because "He wanted to do other things than practicing the piano".
After Howard left college, he toured with Elton John as a keyboardist during the late 1970s and early 1980s (he was part of the band that played behind John in Central Park, New York, on September 13, 1980). Howard also arranged strings for several of Elton's songs during this period including on the hits "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", as well as playing additional keyboards and synthesizers on several of Elton's studio albums, including Rock of the Westies (1975), Blue Moves (1976), 21 at 33 (1980), and The Fox (1981).
In 1982, Howard was featured on Toto IV as the strings conductor and orchestrator for "I Won't Hold You Back," "Afraid Of Love," and "Lovers In The Night". A year later, he released the live album James Newton Howard and Friends, which featured Toto's David Paich (keyboards), Steve Porcaro (keyboards), Jeff Porcaro (drums) and Joe Porcaro (percussion).
After his tenure with Elton John, Howard toured briefly with Crosby, Stills and Nash before moving into film music in the mid-1980s. Howard did, however, return for a brief collaboration with Elton John on his Tour De Force of Australia in the fall of 1986. Howard conducted both his own and Paul Buckmaster's arrangements during the second half of the set, which focused on orchestrated performances of selected songs from John's catalog.
From 1986 to 1987, Howard was married to actress, Rosanna Arquette.
==1990s==
Howard scored the surprise blockbuster romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990) and received his first Academy Award nomination for his score for Barbra Streisand's drama The Prince of Tides (1991). Setting the musical mood for numerous films throughout the decade, Howard's skills encompassed a plethora of genres, including four more best original score Oscar nominations, for the Harrison Ford action feature The Fugitive (1993), the Julia Roberts romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), M. Night Shyamalan's The Village (2004), and most recently, Michael Clayton (2007). In addition, Howard scored the Western epic Wyatt Earp (1994), Kevin Costner's Waterworld (1995), and Primal Fear (1996).
His collaborations on tunes for One Fine Day (1996) and Junior (1994) garnered Best Song nods. Along with scoring such smaller, character-driven films as Five Corners (1988), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), and American Heart (1993), Howard proved equally skilled at composing for big-budget Hollywood spectacles, including Space Jam (1996), Dante's Peak (1997) (theme only - score was composed by John Frizzell), and Collateral (2004). He has also scored three Disney feature films which are Dinosaur (2000), Treasure Planet (2002) and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). Though he concentrated primarily on films, Howard has also contributed music for TV series, earning an Emmy nomination in 1995 for his theme to NBC's ratings smash ER (Howard also scored the two-hour pilot); he also provided the themes for The Sentinel and Gideon's Crossing, winning an Emmy for the latter.
He has scored all of Shyamalan's suspense thrillers, The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), The Village (2004), Lady in the Water (2006), The Happening (2008), and The Last Airbender (2010), notably dropping the intense, yet subtle, opening credit music for The Sixth Sense from the corresponding soundtrack album.
==2000s==
Howard is now one of the most recognized composers for film. On October 14, 2005, it was officially announced that James Newton Howard would replace Howard Shore as composer for King Kong, due to "differing creative aspirations for the score" between Shore and director Peter Jackson. The resultant score earned Howard his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score. His work on Michael Clayton earned him an Oscar nomination. He followed in 2008 with his eighth Oscar nomination for Edward Zwick's Defiance. He also collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the scores for Batman Begins and its record-breaking sequel The Dark Knight.
Some of his most recent works are The Happening, his sixth film with M. Night Shyamalan, Blood Diamond, Michael Clayton, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, I Am Legend, Charlie Wilson's War, and the M. Night Shyamalan film adaptation of the Nickelodeon series Avatar: the Last Airbender. Additionally, in a radio interview from early 2008, Howard revealed that he would collaborate with Terrence Malick "in about a year", a project likely to be the director's upcoming Tree of Life. However, it was later announced that Alexandre Desplat would provide the score.
Howard debuted his work for symphony orchestra, I Would Plant A Tree, in February 2009 as part of the Pacific Symphony's annual American Composers Festival. The debut took place at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California, with the Symphony under the direction of Carl St.Clair.Pacific Symphony - Hollywood's Golden Age
In 2009, he was awarded a Grammy along with Hans Zimmer for the soundtrack to The Dark Knight.
After being replaced in later seasons, his original theme song for the hit TV show ER returned for the final episode of the series.
In September 2010, he was appointed visiting professor of media composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
He also composed the song "London" off of the Blood Diamond soundtrack.
==Discography and filmography==
Year	Title 	Notes
1974	James Newton Howard 	
1982	Toto IV 	Conductor/Orchestrator(Strings) for I Won't Hold You Back, Afraid Of Love, and Lovers In The Night.
1983	James Newton Howard and Friends 	Recorded live, direct-to-disc. Features David Paich (keyboards), Steve Porcaro (keyboards), Jeff Porcaro (drums) and Joe Porcaro (percussion).
1985	Head Office 	Film scoring debut
1986	 	
1986	Wildcats (with Hawk Wolinski) 	Soundtrack released by Warner Bros. Records with songs co-written by Howard and one score cue
1986	8 Million Ways to Die 	
1986	Tough Guys 	
1986	Nobody's Fool 	
1987	Campus Man 	
1987	Five Corners 	Soundtrack released by Varèse SarabandeFirst Howard score album release
1987	Russkies 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1988	Promised Land 	Soundtrack released by Private Music
1988	Off Limits 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1988	Some Girls 	
1988	Go Toward the Light 	television film
1988	Everybody's All-American 	Soundtrack released by Capitol Records with one song co-written by Howard; no score included
1989	Tap 	Soundtrack released by Epic Records with one song co-written by Howard; no score included
1989	Men 	TV series pilot and theme
1989	Major League 	Soundtrack released by Curb Records with two songs co-written by Howard and two score cues
1989	The Package 	Soundtrack released by Prometheus Records
1990	The Image 	television film
1990	Coupe de Ville 	
1990	Pretty Woman 	Cue "She Rescues Him Right Back" written by Thomas Pasatieri. Soundtrack released by EMI America; no score included
1990	Revealing Evidence: Stalking the Honolulu Strangler 	television film
1990	Flatliners 	
1990	Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture 	television film
1990	Marked for Death 	Soundtrack released by Delicious Vinyl with one score cue
1990	3 Men and a Little Lady 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records with 20 mins. of score
1990	Descending Angel 	television film
1991	King Ralph 	
1991	Guilty by Suspicion 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande with 13 mins. of scoreEnd Title composed with Alan and Marilyn BergmanOne of the few James Newton Howard film scores to be conducted by the composer
1991	Dying Young 	Soundtrack released by Arista Records with 28 mins. of score
1991	The Man in the Moon 	Soundtrack released by Reprise Records
1991	My Girl 	Soundtrack released by Columbia Records with one score cut
1991	Grand Canyon 	Soundtrack released by Milan
1991	The Prince of Tides (Oscar Nomination) 	Replaced John BarrySoundtrack released by Columbia Records with 44 minutes of scoreIncludes song co-written by Howard and performed by Barbra Streisand not used in the film
1992	A Private Matter 	television film
1992	Diggstown 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande; conducted by Howard
1992	2000 Malibu Road 	TV series theme
1992	Glengarry Glen Ross 	Soundtrack released by Elektra with just over 16 mins. of score; conducted by Howard
1992	American Heart 	
1992	Night and the City 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records with two songs co-written by Howard and one score cue
1993	Alive 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records
1993	Falling Down 	Replaced Graeme RevellScore may be conducted by Howard (no conductor credited on the film)
1993	Dave 	Soundtrack released by Big Screen Records; cover erroneously credits Howard as the conductor (score actually conducted by Marty Paich)
1993	The Fugitive (Oscar Nomination) 	Soundtrack released by Elektra; complete score later released by La-La Land
1993	The Saint Of Fort Washington 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1994	Intersection 	Soundtrack released by Milan
1994	Wyatt Earp 	Soundtrack released by Warner Bros. Records
1994	ER (Emmy Nomination) 	TV series theme and pilot scoreSoundtrack released by Atlantic Records with Howard's theme in TV and complete versions
1994	Junior (Oscar Nomination) 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1995	Just Cause 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1995	Outbreak 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1995	French Kiss 	Soundtrack released by Mercury Records with one score cue
1995	Waterworld 	Replaced Mark Isham (who did only demos)Soundtrack released by MCA
1995	Restoration 	Soundtrack released by Milan with 44 minutes of score
1996	Eye for an Eye 	
1996	The Juror 	Replaced John Barry
1996	Primal Fear 	Soundtrack released by Milan with 28 and a half minutes of score
1996	The Trigger Effect 	
1996	The Rich Man's Wife 	Theme only; score by John Frizzell
1996	Space Jam 	Separate score and song albums released by Atlantic RecordsSong album includes one track co-written by Howard
1996	One Fine Day 	Soundtrack released by Columbia Records with a song co-written by Howard and one score suite
1996	The Sentinel 	TV series theme only; score by Steve PorcaroSoundtrack released by Sonic Images with Howard's theme in main and end title versions
1997	Dante's Peak 	Theme and some cues; majority of score by John FrizzellSoundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1997	Liar Liar 	Theme only; score by John DebneySoundtrack released by MCA
1997	Fathers' Day 	
1997	My Best Friend's Wedding (Oscar Nomination) 	Soundtrack released by Sony/Work with one score suiteFor Your Consideration promo with just over 24 minutes issued
1997	The Devil's Advocate 	Soundtrack released by TVT with just over 39 minutes of score
1997	The Postman 	Soundtrack released by Warner Bros. Records with just under 50 minutes of score
1998	From the Earth to the Moon 	Score for part 6: "Mare Tranquilitatis"Soundtrack released by Epic Soundtrax with period pop songs and Michael Kamen's opening and closing theme music; no episode scores
1998	A Perfect Murder 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1999	Runaway Bride 	Soundtrack released by Sony; no score
1999	Stir of Echoes 	Soundtrack released by Nettwerk with 17 and a half minutes of score
1999	The Sixth Sense 	Replaced a yet unknown composerSoundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande and Hollywood Records
1999	Mumford 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records with just under 25 minutes of score
1999	Snow Falling on Cedars 	Soundtrack released by Decca Records
1999	Wayward Son (with Steve Porcaro) 	
2000	Dinosaur 	Soundtrack released by Walt Disney Records
2000	Gideon's Crossing (Emmy Winner) 	TV series theme
2000	Unbreakable 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records
2000	Vertical Limit 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2001	Atlantis: The Lost Empire 	Soundtrack released by Walt Disney Records73-minute FYC promo issued
2001	America's Sweethearts 	Soundtrack released by Atlantic Records with one score suite
2002	Big Trouble 	
2002	Signs 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records
2002	Unconditional Love 	
2002	The Emperor's Club 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2002	Treasure Planet 	Replaced Alan SilvestriSoundtrack released by Walt Disney Records with about 47 and a half minutes of score
2003	Dreamcatcher 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2003	Peter Pan 	"Flying" later used in commercials for Disneyland ParisSoundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2004	Hidalgo 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records
2004	The Village (Oscar Nomination) 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records
2004	Collateral (with Tom Rothrock and Antonio Pinto) 	Soundtrack released by Hip-O Records with three Howard cues
2005	The Interpreter 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2005	Batman Begins (with Hans Zimmer) 	Soundtrack released by Warner Bros. Records
2005	Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (with Blake Neely)	Theme only; score by Blake Neely
2005	King Kong (with Blake Neely and Chris P. Bacon) 	Replaced Howard ShoreSoundtrack released by Decca Records
2006	Freedomland (with Mel Wesson) 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2006	Sony Pictures Animation ID 	
2006	RV (with Stuart Michael Thomas and Blake Neely) 	
2006	Lady in the Water 	Soundtrack released by Decca Records
2006	Blood Diamond 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande with 51 and a half minutes of score
2007	The Lookout (with Clay Duncan and Stuart Michael Thomas) 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records as an iTunes exclusive
2007	Michael Clayton (Oscar Nomination) 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2007	I Am Legend 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2007	The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep 	Soundtrack released by Sony Classical with 46 minutes of scoreiTunes release includes 12 more minutes of score
2007	Charlie Wilson's War 	Replaced Ry CooderSoundtrack released by Varèse SarabandeOne track co-written by Gingger Shankar
2007	The Great Debaters (with Peter Golub) 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2008	Mad Money (with Marty Davich) 	
2008	The Happening 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2008	The Dark Knight (with Hans Zimmer) 	Soundtrack released by Warner Bros. Records in one-disc and two-disc editions, last soundtrack by Zimmer, he didn't compose The Dark Knight Rises and is not credited as composer in the film or soundtrack.
2008	Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love (with Marty Davich) 	Soundtrack released by Nonesuch with one score track
2008	Defiance (Oscar Nomination) 	Soundtrack released by Sony Classical
2009	Confessions of a Shopaholic 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records with one score suite
2009	Duplicity 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2009	Wings Over the Rockies 	
2009	It's Complicated 	Some additional music with Hans Zimmer
2010	Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang 	Took over from Thomas Newman (who left and did not do a score)Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2010	Salt 	Soundtrack released by Madison Gate Records
2010	The Last Airbender 	Soundtrack released by Lakeshore Records
2010	Inhale 	
2010	Love & Other Drugs 	
2010	The Tourist 	Replaced Gabriel YaredSoundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande (includes one track retained from Yared's thrown-out score)
2011	Larry Crowne 	Soundtrack released by Rhino Records with one score track
2011	Water for Elephants 	Soundtrack released by Sony Classical
2011	The Green Hornet 	Replaced Danny Elfman due to a scheduling conflict
2011	Gnomeo & Juliet 	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records
2011	Green Lantern 	Soundtrack released by Watertower Music
2011	Darling Companion 	
2012	The Hunger Games 	Replaced Danny Elfman due to a scheduling conflictScore album released by Universal Republic
2012	Snow White and the Huntsman 	Soundtrack released by Universal Republic
2012	The Bourne Legacy 	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2013	After Earth 	Confirmed
2013	The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 	Confirmed
2014	Maleficent 	Confirmedhttp://filmmusicreporter.com/2012/10/26/james-newton-howard-to-score-disneys-maleficent/
2021	 	
2021	The Lord of Talon (with Randy Edelman) 	Soundtrack released by Universal Republic
==Awards and nominations==
In May 2008 he was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music.
===Wins===
*2001: Emmy Award - Outstanding Main Title Theme Music, Gideon's Crossing
*2008: Classical Brit Awards - Soundtrack of the Year, Blood Diamond
*2009: Critics Choice Awards - Best Original Score, The Dark Knight
*2009: Grammy Award - Best Score Soundtrack Album, The Dark Knight (shared with Hans Zimmer)
===Nominations===
*1991: Academy Award Nomination - Best Original Score, The Prince Of Tides
*1993: Academy Award Nomination - Best Original Score, The Fugitive
*1994: Golden Globe Award Nomination - Best Original Song, "Look What Love Has Done" from Junior
*1994: Academy Award Nomination (1994) Best Original Song, "Look What Love Has Done" from Junior
*1996: Golden Globe Award Nomination - Best Original Song, "For The First Time" from One Fine Day
*1996: Academy Award Nomination - Best Original Song, "For The First Time" from One Fine Day
*1997: Grammy Award Nomination - Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television, "For The First Time" from One Fine Day
*1997: Academy Award Nomination - Best Original Musical or Comedy Score, My Best Friend's Wedding
*2000: Grammy Award Nomination - Best Instrumental Composition, “The Egg Travels” from Dinosaur
*2002: Grammy Award Nomination - Best Instrumental Composition, “Main Titles” from Signs
*2005: Academy Award Nomination - Best Original Score, The Village
*2005: Golden Globe Award Nomination - Best Original Score, King Kong
*2006: International Film Music Critics Association Nomination - Film Composer of the Year
*2007: International Film Music Critics Association Nomination - Film Composer of the Year
*2008: Academy Award Nomination - Best Original Score, Michael Clayton
* 2008 - Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Blood Diamond
*2009: Golden Globe Nomination - Best Original Score, Defiance
*2009: Academy Award Nomination - Best Original Score, Defiance
==See also==
* List of film director and composer collaborations
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:Living people
Category:American film score composers
Category:Grammy Award-winning artists
Category:Emmy Award winners
Category:Music Academy of the West alumni
Category:Musicians from Los Angeles, California
Category:People from Ventura County, California
Category:University of Southern California alumni
Category:Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music
Category:Arquette family
Category:1951 Births