From Underrepresented to Celebrated: How Film Composers are Changing the Face of Diversity in the Industry

Learn about the change in the film industry where underrepresented composers are finally being celebrated for their contributions to the movies.

The Importance of Diversity in Film Composing

Diversity in film is a hot-button issue in today’s society. While strides have been made to rectify the lack of diversity in Hollywood, there’s still a long way to go, especially in regards to film composing. However, over the past few years, there has been a significant shift in the industry, where underrepresented music composers are slowly but surely changing the face of diversity in Hollywood.

The Change in the Industry

It wasn’t too long ago that the crediting of music scores would only go to male composers, and while there have been some notable exceptions, the vast majority of composers were men. However, in recent years, women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups are starting to gain a foothold and gain recognition for their work in the industry.

Celebrating Diversity in Hollywood

One such example of a breakthrough film composer is Hildur Guðnadóttir. In 2020, Guðnadóttir became the first woman to win Best Original Score at the Academy Awards in over 20 years, winning for her work on Joker. Even more impressive was the fact that she composed the score alone, without the assistance of an orchestrator. Other underrepresented composers are also starting to gain attention in film composing, and it's clear that Hollywood is recognizing and celebrating the diversity that they bring to the industry.

The Future of Film Composing

While it’s promising to see underrepresented filmmakers breaking through in film composing, there’s still much work to be done. The industry needs to continue to push for diversity in all areas, including film scoring. Fortunately, with more and more composers from diverse backgrounds gaining recognition, the future of film composing looks promising. We can expect to see more and more diverse composers in the years to come, bringing new and unique perspectives to the movies.