By Erin V.

Yesterday it was announced that How To Train Your Dragon (which had 5 noms) won Film Score of the Year at the International Film Music Critics Association’s annual awards.  HTTYD also took home Best Score for Animation, beating out the scores for L’Illusionniste (Sylvain Chomet), Legend of the Guardians (David Hirschfelder), Tangled (Alan Menken), and Toy Story 3 (Randy Newman).

John Powell’s score for HTTYD is also nominated for an Oscar this weekend, although it is interesting to note that only twice in its seven year history has the IFMCA winner gone on to win the Academy Award – in the case of 2009’s Up, and 2007’s Atonement.  Film Composer of the Year went to Alexandre Desplat (who had 7 noms).  He was also recognized in the individual categories with two other wins – The King’s Speech for Drama, and The Ghost Writer for Action/Adventure/Thriller.

Film Composition of the Year went to Danny Elfman’s “Alice’s Theme” from Alice in Wonderland.  It’s a good piece of music and not a surprise that it was recognized – although the whole lineup was strong.  “Alice’s Theme” beat out Desplat’s “The Truth About Ruth” from The Ghost Writer, Powell’s “Forbidden Friendship” and “Test Drive” from HTTYD, and James Newton Howard’s “Flow Like Water” from The Last Airbender.

Congratulations to everyone who won/was nominated – including those I didn’t mention above.  The rest of the winners are listed below (including comedy, documentary, sci-fi, and the non-film categories), and you can read the official announcement at IFMCA’s site here.

2010 Film Award Winners

Film Score of the Year

• How To Train Your Dragon, music by John Powell

Film Composer of the Year

• Alexandre Desplat

Breakout Composer of the Year

• Nuno Malo

Best Original Score for a Drama Film

• The King’s Speech, music by Alexandre Desplat

Best Original Score for a Comedy Film

• The Lightkeepers, music by Pinar Toprak

Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film

• The Ghost Writer, music by Alexandre Desplat

(You may note that this year there is no more ‘horror/thriller’ category, with horror being assumed with sci-fi, and thriller with action.)

Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film

• Tron: Legacy, music by Daft Punk

Best Original Score for an Animated Feature

• How To Train Your Dragon, music by John Powell

Best Original Score of a Documentary Feature

• Océans, music by Bruno Coulais

Film Music Composition of the Year

• Alice in Wonderland – “Alice’s Theme” (Danny Elfman)

In the non-film categories, Best Score for TV went to Bear McCreary for Human Target, Best Score for Video Game or Interactive Media went to Óscar Araujo for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Best Archival Release of an Existing Score went to the rerelease of Sparticus by Varèse Sarabande, and Film Music Record Label of the Year went to La-La Land Records.