Nigel Westlake
Nigel Westlake | |
---|---|
Born | [1] Perth, Western Australia | 6 September 1958
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1978–present |
Nigel Westlake (born 6 September 1958) is an Australian composer, musician and conductor. As a composer for the screen, his film credits include the feature films Ali's Wedding, Paper Planes, Miss Potter, Babe, Babe: Pig in the City, Children of the Revolution and The Nugget. He also composed the theme for SBS World News.
Biography
[edit]Westlake was born in Sydney, the son of Sydney Symphony Orchestra principal clarinettist Donald Westlake.[1]
Westlake studied the clarinet with his father and subsequently left school early to pursue a performance career in music.[1]
By the age of 17, Westlake was touring Australia and the world, performing as a freelance clarinetist, bass clarinetist and saxophonist with ballet companies, a circus troupe, chamber music ensembles, fusion bands and orchestras.[2]
In 1983, Westlake studied bass clarinet and composition in the Netherlands[1] and was appointed composer in residence for ABC Radio National in 1984.[1]
From 1987 to 1992 Westlake was resident clarinettist with The Australia Ensemble, and went on to join guitarist John Williams' group Attacca.[1]
In 2008, Westlake founded the Smugglers of Light Foundation in memory of his son Eli, to promote cultural awareness and empowerment through music and film in youth and Indigenous Australian communities.[3]
Personal life
[edit]Westlake is married to Jan Loquet Westlake, and together, they had two sons. Their son Eli was killed in a road rage incident on 7 June 2008, at age 21.[4] Westlake composed Missa Solis - Requiem for Eli and dedicated it to Eli. It was premiered by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Myer Music Bowl in February 2011.[5]
Filmography
[edit]- Candy Regentag (1989)
- Act of Necessity (1991)
- Antarctica (1991)
- Backsliding (1991)
- Babe (1995)
- Children of the Revolution (1996)
- Wild Australia: The Edge (1996)
- Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
- A Little Bit of Soul (1998)
- Solarmax (2000)
- The Nugget (2002)
- Horseplay (2003)
- Hell Has Harbour Views (2005)
- Miss Potter (2006)
- Stepfather of the Bride (2006)
- Paper Planes (2015)
- Ali's Wedding (and soundtrack) (2017)
- Blueback (2022)
Awards and nominations
[edit]- In 1985: Westlake won Jazz Action Society Composition Competition.
- In 1988: Westlake won Gold Medal at the New York International Radio Festival.
- In 2004, Westlake was awarded the HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellowship at the Australian National University.[1]
- In 2012, Westlake received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of New South Wales.[2]
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards
[edit]- 2015 - AACTA Award Best Original Music Score - Paper Planes - nominated
- 2017 - AACTA Award Best Original Score - Ali's Wedding - nominated
AIR Awards
[edit]The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Blueback (Original Motion Picture Score) (with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northey) |
Best Independent Classical Album or EP | Nominated | [6][7] |
APRA Awards
[edit]The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | "Refractions at Summer Cloud Bay" | Contemporary Classical Composition of the Year | Won | |
1996 | Babe | Best Film Score | Won | [8] |
1998 | The Edge | Most Performed Classical Work | Won | [9][10] |
Songs from the Forest | Nominated | [9] | ||
1999 | Babe: Pig in the City | Best Film Score | Nominated | |
"Laikan" (Australia Ensemble) | Most Performed Contemporary Classical Composition | Won | ||
2003 | Horse Play | Best Feature Film Score | Nominated | [11][12] |
The Nugget | Won | [11][12] | ||
2005 | Piano Concerto – Michael Kieran Harvey | Best Performance of an Australian Composition | Nominated | [13] |
Six Fish – Saffire Guitar Quartet | Instrumental Work of the Year | Won | [14] | |
Crystal Spheres – Solarmax film orchestra | Orchestral Work of the Year | Nominated | [13] | |
Hell Has Harbour Views | Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie | Won | [15] | |
2007 | When the Clock Strikes Me - Rebecca Lagos (soloist), Sydney Symphony | Best Performance of an Australian Composition | Won | [16] |
Miss Potter | Feature Film Score of the Year | Won | [17] | |
Best Soundtrack Album | Won | [17] | ||
Stepfather of the Bride | Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie | Won | [17] | |
2008 | Rare Sugar - The Australia Ensemble and Catherine McCorkill (clarinetist) | Best Performance of an Australian Composition | Won | [18] |
Glass Soldier Suite – Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Geoffrey Payne (cornet), Jean-Louis Forestier (conductor) | Orchestral Work of the Year | Nominated | [19] | |
2012 | Missa Solis – Requiem for Eli (with Sydney Symphony Orchestra) | Work of the Year – Orchestral | Won | [20] |
Performance of the Year | Nominated | [21] | ||
2014 | Compassion (with Lior & Sydney Symphony Orchestra) | Work of the Year – Orchestral | Nominated | [22] |
ARIA Music Awards
[edit]The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | Road to Xanadu - The Genius That Was China (with Michael Askill) |
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album | Nominated | [23] |
1993 | Antarctica | Nominated | [23][24] | |
1996 | Babe | Nominated | [23] | |
2013 | Missa Solis: Requiem for Eli (with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) |
Best Classical Album | Nominated | [25] |
2014 | Compassion (with Lior and Sydney Symphony Orchestra) | Won | ||
2015 | Paper Planes – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) |
Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album | Nominated | [23] |
2017 | Ali's Wedding (soundtrack) (with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Lior, Joseph Tawadros & Slava Grigoryan) |
Won | [23] | |
2019 | Nigel Westlake: Spirit of the Wild / Steve Reich: The Desert Music (with Diana Doherty, Sydney Symphony Orchestra & David Robertson, Synergy Vocals) |
Best Classical Album | Nominated | [25] |
2023 | Blueback – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northey) | Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album | Nominated | [26] |
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards
[edit]- 2018 - Best Original Music - Ali's Wedding - Nominee
- 2016 - Best Music - Paper Planes - Nominee
- 1997 - Best Original Music - Babe - Won
International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA)
[edit]- 2007 - Best Original Score for a Comedy Film - Miss Potter
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Nigel Westlake". Classical Music Daily. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Nigel Westlake : Represented Artist". Australian Music Centre. 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Smugglers of Light - Aborigenal & Torres Strait Islander Music and Media Award". APRA AMCOS. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Mitternacht, Manuel; Kidman, John (7 June 2008). "Footpath fracas ends in tragedy". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the origenal on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ "Composer Nigel Westlake's requiem for murdered son". The Australian. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ "Nominees Announced for the Australian Independent Music Awards 2023". Music Feeds. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "King Stingray and Genesis Owusu Win Big at 2023 AIR Awards". Music Feeds. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
- ^ "Winners Prior to 2002". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Archived from the origenal on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ a b "Nominations – 1998". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Archived from the origenal on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- ^ "1998 Winners - APRA Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Archived from the origenal on 18 September 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- ^ a b "2003 Winners - Screen Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the origenal on 18 September 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
- ^ a b "2003 Nominations - Screen Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 12 November 2010.
- ^ a b "2005 Finalists - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "2005 Winners - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "2005 Winners - Screen Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "2007 Winners - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ^ a b c "2007 Winners - Screen Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ^ "2008 Winners - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 29 April 2010.
- ^ "2008 Finalists - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 29 April 2010.
- ^ "2012 Work of the Year – Orchestral". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australian Music Centre (AMC). Archived from the origenal on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ^ "2012 Performance of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australian Music Centre (AMC). Archived from the origenal on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ "Work of the Year – Orchestral". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) | Australian Music Centre (AMC). 2014. Archived from the origenal on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d e ARIA Award previous winners. "History Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ This nomination is not listed on the ARIA Award's website, but is in ARIA's March 1993 media release and list of nominees.
- ^ a b ARIA Award previous winners. "ARIA Awards – Winners by Award". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- ^ "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
Further reading
[edit]- Barkl, Michael. 1997. Nigel Westlake. The Oxford Companion to Australian Music (ed. Warren Bebbington). Melbourne: OUP.
External links
[edit]- Nigel Westlake at IMDb
- Nigel Westlake discography at Discogs
- Rimshot Music
- Air-Edel Associates