2021 Emmy Nominees for Outstanding Music Supervision

Nominations for the 73rd Emmy Awards were announced, including the nominees for Outstanding Music Supervision.

This year’s Emmy nominees for Outstanding Music Supervision highlights all first-time nominees. Television shows from Netflix, HBO, and Disney+ have been recognized.

Alexandra Patsavas is nominated for curating the Bridgerton soundtrack, where highlights included modern songs turned into classical-style instrumental covers. The Netflix series is nominated in 11 other categories, including Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) and Original Main Title Theme Music. The period drama topped Tunefind’s popular music chart earlier this year. Patsavas has gained recognition for previous projects like The Twilight Saga, Shondaland series like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, as well as many other films and television shows.

Other Netflix nominees include mini series Halston, featuring a soundtrack from the 60s to the 80s as the designer reinvents style and fashion through the decades. Together, music supervisor Amanda Krieg Thomas, series writer and executive producer Ryan Murphy, and executive producer Alexis Martin Woodall have worked on numerous television shows. Some of their credits together include FX series Pose and Netflix mini series Hollywood. Halston is nominated in four other categories at the Emmy Awards this year.

The Crown is honored with a staggering 23 nominations, including Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score). The Netflix series was previously nominated in this Music Composition category last year and in 2017. Sarah Bridge–who is also the on-camera music supervisor for fellow nominee Bridgerton–is the music supervisor for seasons 3 and 4 of the royal drama. The Crown soundtrack features classical songs as well as contemporary pop woven into the original score by Martin Phipps.

The Queen’s Gambit features a 1960s soundtrack music supervised by Randall Poster. Poster is a two-time Grammy winner for The Grand Budapest Hotel and Boardwalk Empire, as well as a GMS Award winner for Waves and Carol. The Queen’s Gambit is nominated in 17 other categories including Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score) for the episode titled ‘End Game’ and Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for ‘I Can’t Remember Love’ by Anna Hauss–one of Tunefind’s Top TV Songs of 2020–in the same episode as the Music Supervision nominated episode ‘Adjournment’.

HBO series Lovecraft Country is music supervised by three-time GMS Award winner Liza Richardson. While the critically acclaimed sci-fi drama was cancelled after only one season, it has received a total of 18 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score) for episode ‘Rewind 1921’. Liza Richardson curated a soundtrack featuring great blues singers and many on-screen performances from cast members like Wunmi Mosaku and Jurnee Smollett. Richardson has received recognition for many projects including HBO’s hit series Watchmen, Narcos, and Friday Night Lights.

I May Destroy You is the other HBO series nominated in this category, with eight other nominations. Music Supervisors Matt Biffa and Ciara Elwis showcase modern British music and highlight not only how the audience should feel in each music moment but also featuring music the I May Destroy You characters would listen to as well. Biffa and Elwes have received lots of attention for supervising British comedy-drama television series like Sex Education and The End of the F***ing World.

Last but not least, Disney+ and Marvel Studios cult-favorite series WandaVision is recognized for the always era-appropriate soundtrack. WandaVision is music supervised by Dave Jordan and Shannon Murphy, who are also co-music supervisors for the Marvel Studios series Loki which is currently airing on Disney+. Dave Jordan is known for supervising all the Marvel movies like Spider-Man: Far from Home and Black Panther, with Shannon Murphy as the music coordinator. WandaVision has nabbed 22 other nominations, including Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score) for ‘Previously On’.

Check out the nominees and their work below, including links to view the music from the nominated episodes and series.

 

Alexandra Patsavas, Music Supervisor

Nominated Episode: S1 · E1 · Diamond of the First Water
All music from Bridgerton S5

Netflix

 

Amanda Krieg Thomas, Music Supervisor
Ryan Murphy, Music Supervisor
Alexis Martin Woodall, Music Supervisor

Nominated Episode: S1 · E4 · The Party’s Over
All music from Halston S1

Netflix

 

Matt Biffa, Music Supervisor
Ciara Elwis, Music Supervisor

Nominated Episode: S1 · E12 · Ego Death
All music from I May Destroy You S4

HBO

 

Liza Richardson, Music Supervisor

Nominated Episode: S1 · E5 · Strange Case
All music from Lovecraft Country S3

HBO

 

Sarah Bridge, Music Supervisor

Nominated Episode: S4 · E3 · Fairytale
All music from The Crown S3

Netflix

 

Randall Poster, Music Supervisor

Nominated Episode: S1 · E6 · Adjournment
All music from The Queen’s Gambit S3

Netflix

 

Dave Jordan, Music Supervisor
Shannon Murphy, Music Supervisor

Nominated Episode: S1 · E2 · Don’t Touch That Dial
All music from WandaVision S1

Disney+

 

This year marks just the fifth year where Music Supervision is a category at the Emmy Awards, and recognizes a total of 7 nominees. This prominent recognition of the craft of marrying picture with music is important acknowledgement of the role music plays in elevating storytelling in television. The inaugural music supervision Emmy was awarded to Sue Jacobs for her outstanding work on the breakout hit series Big Little Lies. The past three years the music supervision Emmy winner was Robin Urdang for the Amazon Prime hit The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

View the full list of nominees for the 2021 Emmy Awards. Curious how an Emmy is won? Check out this infographic that describes the nomination and voting process.

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be presented on September TBD. The 73rd Emmy Awards show will broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+ on September 19th.

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