A month after winning his second Primetime Emmy for his music for Severance, Theodore Shapiro was honored again for his scoring work on that Apple TV+ series at the 2025 World Soundtrack Awards. The awards were presented on Wednesday (Oct. 15) at the annual WSA Ceremony & Concert during Film Fest Gent, Belgium’s biggest international film festival.
Shapiro beat, among others, Volker Bertelmann, who was nominated for The Day of the Jackal, Dune: Prophecy and The Count of Monte Cristo. But the busy Bertelmann won film composer of the year for Conclave and The Amateur.
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Composer Daniel Blumberg, who won an Oscar for best original score in March for The Brutalist, lost film composer of the year to Bertelmann, but he turned around and won discovery of the year.
The award for best original song went to “El Mal,” from Jacques Audiard’s groundbreaking musical Emilia Pérez. The song also won the Oscar in that category. It was written by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard, and performed in the film by Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón.
Philip Glass and Michael Nyman each received lifetime achievement awards.
Here’s the full list of nominations for the 2025 World Soundtrack Awards, with winners marked.
Best Original Song
“Beautiful That Way” from The Last Showgirl – written by Andrew Wyatt, Lykke Li, Miley Cyrus; performed by Miley Cyrus, Andrew Wyatt, Matt Dunkley
WINNER: “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez – written by Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard; performed by Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón
“I Lied to You” from Sinners – written by Ludwig Göransson, Raphael Saadiq; performed by Miles Caton
“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late – written by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, Bernie Taupin; performed by Elton John, Brandi Carlile
“Winter Coat” from Blitz – written by Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, Taura Stinson; performed by Nicholas Britell, Saoirse Ronan
Film Composer of the Year
WINNER: Volker Bertelmann – Conclave; The Amateur
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Clément Ducol and Camille – Emilia Pérez
Alberto Iglesias – The Room Next Door
John Powell – How to Train Your Dragon
Television Composer of the Year
Volker Bertelmann – The Day of the Jackal; Dune: Prophecy; The Count of Monte Cristo
David Fleming, Gustavo Santaolalla – The Last of Us (Season 2)
Ariel Marx – Dying for Sex
Bear McCreary – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 2)
Martin Phipps – Black Doves
WINNER: Theodore Shapiro – Severance (Season 2)
Discovery of the Year Award
WINNER: Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Robin Carolan – Nosferatu
Jung Jae-il – Mickey 17
Dave Metzger – Mufasa: The Lion King
Hania Rani – Sentimental Value
Public Choice Award
Buio come il cuore (Dark is the Heart) – David Cerquetti
WINNER: Hola Frida – Laetitia Pansanel-Garric
Ni chaînes ni maîtres – Amine Bouhafa
Reagan – John Coda
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – Stephen Gallagher
WSA Game Music Award
WINNER: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Lorien Testard
Doom: The Dark Ages – Alex Klingle, Brian Lee White, Brian Trifon, Jay Wiltzen
Dune: Awakening – Knut Avenstroup Haugen
Farewell North – John Konsolakis
Neva – Berlinist
Belgian Film Composer of the Year
Vincent Cahay – Maldoror
WINNER: Ruben De Gheselle – Young Hearts; There was, There was not
Frédéric Vercheval – Largo Winch: Le prix de l’argent
Best Original Composition by a Young Composer
Neville Bharucha
Théo Cascio
WINNER: Bongseob Kim
Lifetime Achievement Award
Philip Glass
Michael Nyman
