The Music Publishers Association (MPA) has awarded British film composer David Arnold with the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Film & Television Music.
The presentation was made at the MPA’s annual Christmas Lunch, which this year embraced a spy theme in a nod to Arnold’s work on the James Bond movie franchise.
Arnold has been a leading figure in film and TV music for over 30 years. He is known for his scores across five James Bond films –Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace – as well as his work on Independence Day, Godzilla, Stargate, Hot Fuzz and TV series such as Sherlock.
His career has seen him earn numerous accolades including two Ivor Novello Awards, an Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special, and the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture.
The award was presented by MPA CEO Paul Clements and singer-songwriter Paloma Faith, who performed Tomorrow Never Dies at the MPA’s 64th Christmas Lunch, held at the Intercontinental Hotel at The O2. The event was attended by more than 900 figures from the music publishing community and wider music industry.
In his acceptance speech, David Arnold said: "Music publishing is crucial to the health of our music industry. As musicians and composers, we rely on our publisher partners to nurture talent and look after our interests in the hugely competitive and constantly changing landscape of copyright control and remuneration. I'd like to thank all those with whom I have been fortunate enough to work over the years. To be even considered by the MPA for this award, never mind gifted it, is a huge honour and personally very touching as I still feel as if I’m just starting."
Paul Clements, CEO, MPA Group, added: "David Arnold’s contribution to music for film and television has left an indelible mark on our industry. His work, particularly on the Bond films, is a testament to the power of music to fuel storytelling. It’s a privilege for the MPA to recognise David’s outstanding achievements at this year’s Christmas Lunch, an event dedicated to celebrating the creativity that drives our sector.”
Paloma Faith said: "David Arnold is a true master of his craft and I am delighted to celebrate his career alongside the MPA. His work has not only defined the sound of so many iconic films and projects, but it has also left a lasting mark on the music industry. He’s also a brilliant guy too – congratulations, David!”
The presentation was also accompanied by video messages from a host of friends and collaborators from David Arnold’s career, including actor and comedian Matt Lucas and British-American film producer of the Bond franchise, Barbara Broccoli.
In addition to the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award, which in 2023 was awarded to Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, the MPA continues to recognise music publishing colleagues with the MPA Gold Badge and Tony Pool Award, while it celebrates emerging industry talent through the Richard Toeman Scholarship.
This year’s Gold Badges were awarded to: Roberto Neri (CEO – The Ivors Academy), Sarah Liversedge (director, A&R – Bucks Music Group) and music publishing finance professional Mike Lavin.
This year’s Tony Pool Award recipient was Atay Dervish (head of copyright & royalties – Reservoir Media). The two recipients of this year’s Richard Toeman award were Daniel Beckley, a digital & new business executive at Universal Music Publishing Group, and Sean Deacon, a final-year music business student at Birmingham City University.
PHOTO: Derek Bremner
