Composer David Bridie, Paul Kelly win at 2019 Screen Music awards
A pastoral score for a doco on obscure painter John Russell and Paul Kelly’s song for the Adam Goodes documentary The Final Quarter earn gongs at the Screen Music Australia awards
After nearly two decades of composing for film and television, musician David Bridie has become adept at the art of juggling several projects simultaneously.
“I have a fairly manic work ethic; I’ve always got a lot of balls in the air,” he says.
At the annual Screen Music Awards in Melbourne on Wednesday night Bridie’s manic juggling paid off when his work on Australia’s Lost Impressionist — Catherine Hunter’s film on little-known painter John Peter Russell, which screened on ABC television — won best music in a documentary.
Of the challenge of composing for the screen, Bridie said: “You learn from your mistakes, and you’re never 100 per cent happy when you’re seeing the finished product, but hopefully you’re always learning, and trying to improve things.”
Bridie was in the running for three awards. As well as the award-winning acoustic and pastoral feel of his score for Hunter’s documentary, he explored dark electronica in Secret City: Run Little Rabbit (nominated in the TV series category) and rock ’n’ roll in The Merger (best soundtrack album).
These respective categories were won by Jackson Milas and Antony Partos for their work on the Stan drama series Bloom, and by Piers Burbrook de Vere for his soundtrack to the zombie comedy feature film Little Monsters.
Bridie’s work in popular music began with the band Not Drowning, Waving, followed by chamber pop group My Friend the Chocolate Cake.
He has accumulated seven ARIA awards and continues to write and record as a singer-songwriter, with his newest album, The Wisdom Line — which “radiates cinematic characteristics”, according to The Australian’s critic Tony Hillier — released earlier this year. His other film work includes music for In a Savage Land and The Man Who Sued God.
Among other winners announced at The Forum in Melbourne on Wednesday night were co-composers Dan Luscombe and Partos, who received the feature film score accolade for their work on science fiction thriller I Am Mother.
After being named most performed screen composer (overseas), Neil Sutherland — whose work on the likes of MythBusters, Dancing With the Stars and Border Security is heard around the world — extended his overall tally of Screen Music Awards to 14, making him the most awarded Australian screen music composer.
Michael Yezerski received best music for a miniseries for his work on SBS crime drama Dead Lucky, and Angela Little was successful in the short film category for her work on For the Girl in the Coffee Shop.
Singer-songwriter Paul Kelly received best original song composed for the screen for Every Day My Mother’s Voice, which appeared in Ian Darling’s documentary The Final Quarter, about AFL player Adam Goodes. Listen to it below.
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