The Sammy Film Music Awards (SFMA)
The longest-running awards
for film music recordings
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The Sammy Film Music Awards
(SFMA)
© 1988
1988-2022
These awards are named in honor of prolific movie lyricist, Sammy Cahn (1913-1993),
who received 4 Oscars
and was nominated 26 times,
more than any other past songwriter.
These awards are based on the overall quality of the film music.
Over 150 movie songs and soundtracks have been named over the years.
The Sammy Film Music Awards are for film music re-recorded or re-issued
as well as new film scores and songs.
See the announcements for these awards on Facebook.
Important Announcement!
Due to lack of funding, these long-running awards for film music recordings given to composers and album producers have been suspended for now until funding is received.
If you are a fan of film music
please help support these film music awards
and keep them running.
For your donation,
you will receive as a thank you
a specially produced CD.
To read how to contribute
and receive your complimentary CD,
click this link:
Keep SFMA Going!
Director of the Sammy Film Music Awards
First Sammy Film Music Awards
Support the Sammy Film Music Awards
Sammy Cahn and His Four Oscars
Film Composers with most Sammy Film Music Awards
Lifetime Achievement for Past Composers and Songwriters
ASCAP Members Dominate 25th Sammy Awards
Why the Sammy Film Music Awards?
The Sammy Film Music Awards have been awarded each year
by Roger Hall, Managing Editor of Film Music Review (FMR)
Film music critic, and author of this popular reference book,
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Please help support
The Sammy Film Music Awards!
These awards with over 150 titles have been chosen for over 30 years
in recognition of "Excellence" in film music recordings.
Your support
is needed so these awards may continue to honor
film composers and record producers.
Please consider helping to support these awards
and
in return you will receive
one of the discs listed below...
CD No. 1: Oscar Meets Sammy - Film Music On Radio
This CD has highlights from "Music America" with Ron Della Chiesa on WGBH radio in Boston with guest, Roger Hall, about the Oscars and the Sammys. It also includes a conversation with Sammy Cahn telling how one of his Oscar-winning songs was written. There are music highlights of
past Oscar winners: John Barry, Bernard Herrmann,
Dimitri Tiomkin, Franz Waxman, and John Williams.
CD No. 2: It's Magic: A One Hundredth Birthday Celebration of Sammy Cahn
A festive survey by the American Classics vocal ensemble,
recorded live in concert for the centennial birthday observance
of Sammy Cahn in 2013, with a marvelous group of cabaret singers,
accompanied by a swinging jazz combo.
The CD includes all four of the Oscar-winning songs with lyrics by Sammy Cahn.
Commentary on the CD by popular WGBH-FM Radio Host -- Ron Della Chiesa
For the list of songs on this CD -- click here
For your $25.00,
you will receive your choice of one of these specially produced CDs;
CD 1: Oscar Meets Sammy - Film Music On Radio
or
CD 2: It's Magic: A One Hundreth Birthday Celebration of Sammy Cahn
Your order is payable to the owner of this website,
PineTree Productions,
and is safe and secure.
Click on this button to
After you have sent in your payment,
please send an e-mail and mention the CD album title
your wish to receive and
remember to include your mailing address.
Send your information to:
Sammy Awards CD
Thank you for your support!
Words By Sammy Cahn
Many of Sammy's popular movie songs are included in
this excellent collection --
The New Sammy Cahn Songbook
Read Sammy's frank and witty autobiography --
I Should Care: The Sammy Cahn Story
See also
Sammy Cahn
Centennial Tribute
Sammy Cahn and His Four Oscars
Sammy Cahn was Oscar nominated more than any other songwriter –
26 times in all between 1942 and 1973. He has also won 4 Oscars and 1 Emmy, more than any other songwriter of his generation.
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 received 4 Oscars for his lyrics:
- "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 --see this song performed by American Classics vocal ensemble - here
- "Call Me Irresponsible" from PAPA'S DELICATE CONDITION (1963) --
music by James Van Heusen -- see this song performed by American Classics ensemble --here
Sammy also received an Emmy for the song, "Love and Marriage" from the TV production of OUR TOWN.
All five of these songs were recorded by Frank Sinatra,
a longtime friend and admirer of Sammy's lyrics.
John Williams Receives 16th Sammy Film Music Award!
John Williams has received more Sammy Film Music Awards
than any other current film composer.
Here are the SFMA he has received (songs and scores):
1988: THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
1989:
BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
1990: "Somewhere in my memory" from HOME ALONE - lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
1993: SCHINDLER'S LIST
1995: "Moonlight" from SABRINA - lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman
1997: SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET
1998: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (also 20th anniversary edition in 2019)
2001: A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
2004: THE TERMINAL
2005: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
2011: WAR HORSE
2014: EMPIRE OF THE SUN (expanded limited edition)
2015: STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
2017 (2 awards): STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
and
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (expanded remastered edition)
2020: STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Film Composers with next highest Sammy Film Music Awards:
Alexandre Desplat (5 SFMA)
James Newton Howard (4 SFMA)
[1995, 2002, 2004, 2007]
Alan Menken (4 SFMA)
[1989, 1991 (2), 1992]
Randy Newman (4 SFMA)
[1999, 2000, 2003, 2006]
See the film scores awarded for the above composers -- click here
In Memoriam - Ennio Morricone, 1928-2020
Sammy Film Music Awards for Best Album Producers
James Fitzpatrick
(Tadlow)
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Douglass Fake (INTRADA)
(right to left) Anna Bonn, William Stromberg, John Morgan
(TRIBUTE FILM CLASSICS)
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Mike Matessino, Album Producer
and Mastering
Nick Redman, Album Producer
Lifetime Achievement
For past film composers, arrangers, songwriters and lyricists
2017: Ned Washington, lyricist
2016 - Leigh Adrian Harline, composer
2015 - Paul Francis Webster, lyricist
2014 - Roy Webb, composer
2012 - Jerome Moross, composer
2011 - David Raksin, composer
2010 - John Barry, composer
2009 - Aaron Copland, composer
2008 - Ken Darby, songwriter and arranger
2007 - Jerrold (Jerry) Goldsmith. composer
2006 - Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, songwriters
2005 - Elmer Bernstein, composer
2004 - Alex North , 1910-1991
2003 - Bronislau Kaper , 1902-1983
2002 - Johnny Green , 1908-1989
2001 - Hugo Friedhofer , 1902-1981
2000 - Victor Young , 1900-1956
1999 - Franz Waxman , 1906-1967
1998 - Dimitri Tiomkin , 1894-1979
1997 - Erich Wolfgang Korngold , 1897-1957
1996 - Miklos Rozsa (1907-1995)
1995 - Henry Mancini (1924-1994)
1994 - James Van Heusen (1913-1990)
1993 - Harry Warren (1893-1981)
1992 - Alfred Newman (1901-1970)
1991 - Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)
1990 - Max Steiner, 1888-1971
1989 - Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)
1988 - Sammy Cahn (1913-1993)
Sammy Film Music Awards, 1998-2018
click here to see the list
Read about the Sammy Film Music Awards (SFMA) on Facebook -- click here
