James Newton Howard

Biography

American composer, orchestrator, and music producer James Newton Howard is an eight-time Academy Award nominee.  He is best known for his frequent collaborations with director M. Night Shyamalan. He is well known for his highly emotional and powerfully subtle music, supplying his talent to an array of films such as The Fugitive, The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village, the two Christopher Nolan Batman films; Batman Begins and The Dark Knight with Hans After Howard left the University of Southern California, he toured with Elton John as a keyboardist during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Howard also arranged strings for several of Elton's songs during this period including on the hits "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word", as well as playing additional keyboards and synthesizers on several of Elton's studio albums, including "Rock of The Westies" (1975), "Blue Moves" (1976), "21 At 33" (1980), and "The Fox" (1981). After his tenure with John, Howard toured briefly with Crosby, Stills and Nash before moving into film music in the mid-1980s. Howard scored the blockbuster Pretty Woman (1990). He received his first Academy Award nomination for his score for Barbra Streisand's drama The Prince of Tides (1991). Howard achieved four more best original score Oscar nominations, for the Harrison Ford action feature The Fugitive (1993), the Julia Roberts romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), M. Night Shyamalan's The Village (2004) and most recently, Michael Clayton (2007). In addition, Howard received Best Song nods for scoring the Western epic Wyatt Earp (1994), Kevin Costner's Waterworld (1995), and Primal Fear (1996).   Howard scored Space Jam (1996), Dante's Peak (1997) (theme only - score was composed by John Frizzell), and Collateral (2004). Howard has  scored three Disney films which are Dinosaur (2000), Treasure Planet and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Howard also earned an Emmy nomination in 1995 the theme and pilot to the television drama, ER. He also won an Emmy for the them to Gideon's Crossing.  He went on to win a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score for the feature King Kong. He went on to receive Oscar nominations for the features Michael Clayton (2007) and Defiace (2008).

Most Famous Work

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7

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Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

(2022) Original Music Composer

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9

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The Dark Knight

(2008) Original Music Composer

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8

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Raya and the Last Dragon

(2021) Original Music Composer

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7

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

(2014) Songs

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8

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Batman Begins

(2005) Original Music Composer

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7

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

(2016) Original Music Composer

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7

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Jungle Cruise

(2021) Original Music Composer

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7

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Maleficent

(2014) Original Music Composer

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Acting

Year	Character	Movie/Tv
2015	Self	The Mockingjay Lives: The Making of the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 2015-03-06 Movie
2012	Self (archive footage)	The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games 2012-08-18 Movie
2011	Self	Hollywood in Vienna 2011-09-25 TV Show
2009	Self	Starz Inside - Unforgettably Evil 2009-07-26 Movie
2006	Himself	The Eighth Blunder of the World 2006-11-14 Movie
2005	Self	Deconstructing 'The Village' 2005-01-11 Movie
2004	Self	City of Night: The Making of 'Collateral' 2004-12-14 Movie
2003	Himself - Composer	Making 'Signs' 2003-01-07 Movie
2000	Self	Music and Sound Design of 'The Sixth Sense' 2000-03-28 Movie
1983	Self - Keyboards	Crosby, Stills & Nash: Daylight Again 1983-01-01 Movie
1953	Self	The Oscars 1953-03-18 TV Show
Year	Character	Movie/Tv

Sound

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
2023	Original Music Composer	The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 2023-11-09 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Pain Hustlers 2023-10-27 Movie
2022	Original Music Composer	Willow 2022-11-30 TV Show
	Original Music Composer	Light & Magic 2022-07-27 TV Show
	Original Music Composer	Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore 2022-04-06 Movie
2021	Original Music Composer	Jungle Cruise 2021-07-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Raya and the Last Dragon 2021-03-03 Movie
2020	Original Music Composer	News of the World 2020-12-25 Movie
2019	Original Music Composer	A Hidden Life 2019-12-11 Movie
2018	Music	Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 2018-11-14 Movie
	Music Score Producer	Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 2018-11-14 Movie
	Music	The Nutcracker and the Four Realms 2018-10-26 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Red Sparrow 2018-02-28 Movie
2017	Music	Roman J. Israel, Esq. 2017-11-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Detroit 2017-07-28 Movie
2016	Original Music Composer	Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2016-11-16 Movie
	Original Music Composer	All the Way 2016-05-23 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Huntsman: Winter's War 2016-04-06 Movie
2015	Original Music Composer	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 2015-11-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Concussion 2015-11-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Pawn Sacrifice 2015-09-16 Movie
2014	Original Music Composer	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 2014-11-19 Movie
	Songs	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 2014-11-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Nightcrawler 2014-10-23 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Cut Bank 2014-09-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Maleficent 2014-05-28 Movie
2013	Original Music Composer	The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 2013-11-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Parkland 2013-10-02 Movie
	Original Music Composer	After Earth 2013-05-30 Movie
2012	Music	The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games 2012-08-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Bourne Legacy 2012-08-08 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Snow White and the Huntsman 2012-05-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Darling Companion 2012-04-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Hunger Games 2012-03-12 Movie
2011	Original Music Composer	Larry Crowne 2011-06-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Green Lantern 2011-06-16 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Water for Elephants 2011-04-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Gnomeo & Juliet 2011-01-13 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Green Hornet 2011-01-12 Movie
2010	Original Music Composer	The Tourist 2010-12-08 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Love & Other Drugs 2010-11-22 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Inhale 2010-08-27 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Salt 2010-07-21 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Last Airbender 2010-06-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang 2010-03-26 Movie
2009	Original Music Composer	Duplicity 2009-03-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Confessions of a Shopaholic 2009-02-05 Movie
2008	Original Music Composer	Defiance 2008-12-31 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love 2008-09-06 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Dark Knight 2008-07-14 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Happening 2008-06-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Mad Money 2008-01-17 Movie
2007	Original Music Composer	The Great Debaters 2007-12-27 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Water Horse 2007-12-25 Movie
	Orchestrator	The Water Horse 2007-12-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Charlie Wilson's War 2007-12-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	I Am Legend 2007-12-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Michael Clayton 2007-10-12 Movie
	Music Producer	Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens 2007-05-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Lookout 2007-03-09 Movie
2006	Original Music Composer	Blood Diamond 2006-12-07 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Lady in the Water 2006-07-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	RV 2006-04-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Freedomland 2006-02-17 Movie
2005	Original Music Composer	King Kong 2005-12-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 2005-09-23 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Batman Begins 2005-06-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Interpreter 2005-04-08 Movie
2004	Original Music Composer	Collateral 2004-08-04 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Village 2004-07-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Hidalgo 2004-02-04 Movie
2003	Original Music Composer	Peter Pan 2003-12-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Dreamcatcher 2003-03-21 Movie
2002	Original Music Composer	Treasure Planet 2002-11-26 Movie
	Music	The Emperor's Club 2002-11-22 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Amongst the Shoes 2002-11-02 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Unconditional Love 2002-08-23 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Signs 2002-08-02 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Big Trouble 2002-04-05 Movie
2001	Original Music Composer	America's Sweethearts 2001-07-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Atlantis: The Lost Empire 2001-06-02 Movie
2000	Original Music Composer	Vertical Limit 2000-12-08 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Unbreakable 2000-11-22 Movie
	Orchestrator	Unbreakable 2000-11-22 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Dinosaur 2000-05-19 Movie
1999	Original Music Composer	Snow Falling on Cedars 1999-12-22 Movie
	Music	Mumford 1999-09-24 Movie
	Music	Wayward Son 1999-09-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Stir of Echoes 1999-09-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Sixth Sense 1999-08-06 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Runaway Bride 1999-07-30 Movie
1998	Original Music Composer	A Perfect Murder 1998-06-05 Movie
	Music	From the Earth to the Moon 1998-04-05 TV Show
1997	Original Music Composer	The Postman 1997-12-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Devil's Advocate 1997-10-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	My Best Friend's Wedding 1997-06-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Fathers' Day 1997-05-09 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Dante's Peak 1997-02-07 Movie
1996	Original Music Composer	One Fine Day 1996-12-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Space Jam 1996-11-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Trigger Effect 1996-08-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Primal Fear 1996-03-06 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Juror 1996-02-02 Movie
	Music	Eye for an Eye 1996-01-12 Movie
1995	Original Music Composer	Restoration 1995-12-29 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Waterworld 1995-07-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	French Kiss 1995-05-05 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Outbreak 1995-03-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Just Cause 1995-02-17 Movie
1994	Original Music Composer	Junior 1994-11-22 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Wyatt Earp 1994-06-24 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Intersection 1994-01-21 Movie
1993	Original Music Composer	Alive: 20 Years Later 1993-12-31 Movie
	Music	The Saint of Fort Washington 1993-11-03 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Fugitive 1993-08-06 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Dave 1993-05-07 Movie
	Music	Falling Down 1993-02-26 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Alive 1993-01-15 Movie
1992	Original Music Composer	American Heart 1992-12-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Night and the City 1992-10-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Glengarry Glen Ross 1992-09-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Diggstown 1992-08-14 Movie
	Original Music Composer	A Private Matter 1992-06-20 Movie
1991	Original Music Composer	The Prince of Tides 1991-12-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Grand Canyon 1991-12-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	My Girl 1991-11-27 Movie
	Music	The Man in the Moon 1991-09-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Dying Young 1991-06-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Guilty by Suspicion 1991-03-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	King Ralph 1991-02-15 Movie
1990	Original Music Composer	Descending Angel 1990-11-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	3 Men and a Little Lady 1990-11-21 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Marked for Death 1990-10-05 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Flatliners 1990-08-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Pretty Woman 1990-03-23 Movie
	Music	Coupe de Ville 1990-03-09 Movie
1989	Original Music Composer	Major League 1989-02-16 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Tap 1989-02-12 Movie
	Music	The Package 1989-01-25 Movie
1988	Original Music Composer	Everybody's All-American 1988-11-04 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Some Girls 1988-09-09 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Off Limits 1988-03-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Promised Land 1988-01-22 Movie
1987	Original Music Composer	Russkies 1987-11-06 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Five Corners 1987-09-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Campus Man 1987-04-10 Movie
1986	Music	Nobody's Fool 1986-11-07 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Tough Guys 1986-10-03 Movie
	Original Music Composer	8 Million Ways to Die 1986-04-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Wildcats 1986-02-14 Movie
1985	Original Music Composer	Head Office 1985-06-06 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv