The Sammy Movie Music Awards (or Sammys)
are named in honor of lyricist, Sammy Cahn, 1913-1993
With songwriter Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn received his first Oscar for "Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954).
Together Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen received three Oscars for their movie songs.
Both of these songwriters have been named for
Lifetime Achievement Sammy Awards.
The Sammys are announced each year for the best (and sometimes also the worst ) film music.
The Sammy Awards are the longest running ones devoted exclusively to film music on CDs. How did these awards begin? For more, see Why The Sammy Awards?
The Sammys are chosen by Roger Hall, a respected film music historian,
author of A GUIDE TO FILM MUSIC, editor of Film Music Review.
and a member of the
For more information about the International Film Music Critics Association, its members and the list of awards, please visit http://www.filmmusiccritics.org
Sammy Cahn was Oscar nominated more than any other songwriter –
26 times in all between 1942 and 1973.
The first Sammy Awards were chosen for best score and song of 1988 – the year of Sammy Cahn’s 75th birthday.
When he was notified, Sammy said he was “flattered and honored" to have them named after him. He certainly deserved the honor.
Sammy won 4 Oscars for his lyrics to these songs:
"Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954) from
THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN -- music by Jule Styne
"All the Way" from THE JOKER IS WILD (1957) --
music by James Van Heusen
"High Hopes" from A HOLE IN THE HEAD (1959) --
music by James Van Heusen
"Call Me Irresponsible" from PAPA'S DELICATE CONDITION (1963) --
music by James Van Heusen
All four songs were recorded by Frank Sinatra, a big admirer of Sammy's lyrics.
Many of Sammy's best known movie songs are included in this music collection:
The New Sammy Cahn Songbook
The Sammy Awards (or Sammys) began in 1988 with Best Score, Best Song, and Lifetime Achievement for a Film Composer or Songwriter.
Later other categories were added, including: Best Song Compilation in 1997, Best Overlooked Score in 2000, and Most Overrated Score in 2009.
Often, the Oscars and Golden Globes are given to what I would consider inferior film scores and songs. Seldom are the Sammys chosen for the same music as the Oscars or Golden Globes, which are often based on the latest buzz in the media.
The Sammys have no connection to any other awards and are based on the overall quality of the soundtrack or compilation CD. How the music is used in the film is also considered but is not the only factor in the final choice.
New Film Book
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Now available with this reference book are audio clips from Oscar music tributes on radio in Boston with music examples and announcements of the Sammy Awards between 1989 and 1995. These audio clips ("Film Music and The Sammy Awards") are included at no extra charge on the expanded 4th edition of this eBook on a DVD-R disc playable on your computer, which also has lists of all the Academy Awards and Sammy Awards for film music:
A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores
Most Sammy Awards for a Film Composer:
John Williams (10)
[ 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997,1998, 2001, 2004, 2005 ]
Most Sammy Awards for a Film Songwriter
(Tie)
Alan Menken (3)
[1989, 1991, 1992]
Randy Newman (3)
[1999, 2000, 2006]
[autograph of Sammy Cahn]
22nd Annual Sammy Awards For 2009
have been announced here
21st Annual Sammy Awards For 2008
have been announced here
20th Annual Sammy Awards For 2007
have been announced here
19th Annual Sammy Awards For 2006
have been announced here
18th Annual Sammy Awards For 2005
have been announced here
Lifetime Achievement for Past Film Composer
(2005)
Elmer Bernstein, 4 April 1922 - 18 August 2004
I think that the tide running against good music is so strong that none of us who care are surprised or outraged any more when we hear dumb music accompanying a film...Film has become, with some exceptions, a special effects medium. Films reflect the generally shoddy standards of present-day society. It's a junk culture, and people buy junk...generally speaking, film has not advanced in terms of taste and intelligence, and that makes it tough for music.
--Elmer Bernstein interviewed by Tony Thomas, quoted in Music for the Movies, 2nd edition, 1997.
For me, he was one of the composers in the Great Film Composer Triad of the past five decades. The composers who make up this triad are: Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams. All three composers began their composing for TV or movies back in the 1950s. Two of them passed on in 2004: Elmer Bernstein and Jerry Goldsmith. And another major film composer, David Raksin, also died that year.
In the case of Elmer Bernstein this was especially sad for me because his music was some of the first I recognized back in the 1950s.
One of his early scores was for ROBOT MONSTER in 1953, now considered one of the worst films ever made. I saw it as a teenager and still remember it as a "guilty pleasure." I wrote about first watching this film on late night TV and what a lasting impression the score made on me. My story was written as an 80th birthday tribute to Elmer.
You can read it at the official website:
www.elmerbernstein.com
Between 1951 and 2002, Elmer composed over 200 scores for films and TV programs.
Here are some of his great film scores from 1955 to 1965:
THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955)
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956)
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960)
WALK ON THE WILD SIDE (1962)
THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)
HAWAII (1965)
THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER (1965)
But the score that Elmer picked as his favorite was:
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
I agree with his choice.
This has one of the simplest and most delicate film scores ever composed. It's a masterpiece of subtle film scoring.I listed it in the Top Ten of 20th Century Film Scores in the book, A Guide to Film Music.
Elmer Bernstein had 14 Oscar nominations and strangely he received his only Oscar for his adapted score to a musical, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE in 1967.
He should have received at least several more Oscars for such landmark scores as THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
Later, he composed scores for "Saturday Night Live" alumni comedies like TRADING PLACES (1983) and GHOSTBUSTERS (1984).
He also wrote more serious subject scores, such as for MY LEFT FOOT (1989)and THE GRIFTERS (1990).
Even though he was probably best known for his rugged outdoor western music, like the John Wayne westerns, Elmer's ability to compose a subtle score was always evident, as in THE AGE OF INNOCENCE.
His last major score was FAR FROM HEAVEN, which I chose for The Sammy Award as Best Score of 2002. It was fortunate that he had the opportunity to close out his career with such a brilliant film score.
-- Roger Hall, The Sammy Awards
Additional Note: Elmer Bernstein has been inducted to the Tunemaker Hall of Fame for 2005.
Sammy Awards, 1988-2008
See the complete list
here
Several songs with lyrics by Sammy Cahn are on the list of
150 Essential Songs (1861-1961)
If you have comments or questions, write to:
The Sammy Awards
The Sammy Awards have been mentioned at these websites:
Brad Lang's Classic Movies (March 17, 2006)
Elmer Bernstein - The Official Site
Film Score Monthly
SoundtrackNet
John Williams Fan Network
If you have a film or music website and list the Sammy Awards or would like to exchange links,
write to:
The Sammy Awards
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