The Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative is designed for musicians interested in composing music for film, with an emphasis on Black composers. It offers real-world experience combined with one-on-one mentorship and once-in-a-lifetime networking opportunities.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive global film community. In celebration of the late South African film composer and Oscar® nominee Jonas Gwangwa, the Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative aims to foster broader representation in film music composition.
Four artists will be selected to participate in a six-month-long career development program in partnership with Universal Music Group’s (UMG) Task Force for Meaningful Change (TFMC), Mercury Studios, Universal Music Publishing Group Classics and Screen, Decca Records and UMG’s Globe.
Inaugural year recipients:
Peter Edwards
Oleta Haffner
ABOUT JONAS GWANGWA
Jonas Gwangwa (1937-2021) was a South African jazz musician and composer who received Academy Award® nominations for Original Score and Original Song, for his work (with George Fenton) on “Cry Freedom” (1987).
ELIGIBILITY
The program is open to U.K.-based and U.S.-based Black artists/composers with more than three years of work experience as a musician. If selected, U.S. recipients will need to be in Los Angeles, CA, and U.K. recipients in London, U.K., for in-person events during the program. All participants will be responsible for any travel and all other expenses.
HOW TO APPLY
The application form may be accessed here. Applicants must complete a questionnaire, submit a personal statement, and provide a current CV, brief biography, and link(s) to an online profile and/or examples of their work. The deadline for applications is August 14, 2024.
SELECTION PROCESS
All applications submitted by the August 14, 2024 deadline will be considered by a panel of music industry professionals, who will determine a shortlist of 10 candidates.
The 10 shortlisted applicants will be notified in September. They will then be given a short film excerpt and asked to score the clip with bespoke music they have composed and produced. The film clips will be due early October 2024.
A committee of film and music professionals, including members from the Academy’s Music Branch, will review submissions and select four applicants to participate in the program. Recipients will be notified early December 2024.
PROGRAMME BENEFITS
• Curated access to Academy members across various branches to gain a complete understanding of the making of a film from different department heads.
• One-on-one mentorship with a member of the Academy’s Music Branch to learn about the practical aspects of composing for film.
• Access to Academy events and screenings in London, U.K. or Los Angeles, CA.
• Introductions to leading practitioners from all areas of film music: composer agents, music supervisors, orchestral managers, recording studio personnel, music editors, publicists, etc.
• During the program, each participant will be matched with a filmmaker who is in the process of making a short film and will be given the opportunity to compose music for the film. Each participant will receive a grant to help support their film composition projects.