Jed Danyel Kurzel (born 1976) is an Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist and film composer. He is a founding member of The Mess Hall (from 2001), a blues rock duo. His older brother Justin Kurzel is a film director and screenwriter.
Early life Kurzel was born in 1976 and, with his older brother Justin Kurzel (born 1974), grew up in Gawler, South Australia. Their father, Zdzislaw Kurzel (1946–2006), was from Poland and had migrated to Australia in 1960, where he became a taxi driver. In the 1990s, Kurzel moved to Sydney, where Justin was studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).
Career
In 2001 Kurzel on lead vocals and guitar, Anthony Johnsen on drums and a bass guitarist formed a blues-rock group, the Mess Hall in Sydney – the bass guitarist soon left but was not replaced, they continued as a duo. Kurzel recalled "When the clubs asked us where our bass player was, we used to lie and say he was sick." Their debut album The Mess Hall was released in June 2003. In early 2004 Johnsen was replaced by Cec Condon on drums and vocals.Jed Kurzel , thebabadook.com, access date 2 November 2015 Their third album Devils Elbow (October 2007) won the Australian Music Prize.Winners , thecoopersamp.com.au, access date 2 November 2015
In 2000 Kurzel composed the film score for the short subject, Sammy Blue, at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, with Kim Farrant directing. He worked for Farrant again: providing the score for Naked on the Inside (2006), a feature film documentary on body image. In 2009 he composed music for Castor & Pollux, a short film, directed by Ben Briand.
In 2011 Kurzel provided the music score for the directorial debut feature film by Justin, Snowtown.Interview with Jed Kurzel, filmmusicmag.com, access date 2 November 2015 At the APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards of 2011 Kurzel won Feature Film Score of the Year. It was nominated for Australian Film Institute Award for Best Original Music Score. The related soundtrack album was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album in that same year.
Kurzel also wrote the scores for Son of a Gun, Slow West and the documentary All This Mayhem. In 2015, he worked again with his brother on Macbeth, followed by Assassin's Creed in 2016. He replaced Harry Gregson-Williams as the composer of Alien: Covenant.
Filmography Film Year Title Director Studio(s)Notes 2011 Snowtown Justin Kurzel Screen AustraliaMadman Entertainment First collaboration with Justin KurzelSoundtrack released by Ivy League Records APRA Music Award for Feature Film Score of the Year Nominated — ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show AlbumNominated — AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score 2012 Dead Europe Tony Krawitz See-Saw Films Nominated — AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score2014 Son of a Gun Julius Avery Screen AustraliaA24 First collaboration with Julius Avery Soundtrack released by Milan Records The Babadook Jennifer Kent Entertainment OneUmbrella Entertainment First collaboration with Jennifer Kent Soundtrack released by Waxwork Records2015 Slow West John Maclean Film4 ProductionsLionsgate Films Soundtrack released by Sony Classical Records Macbeth Justin Kurzel StudioCanalThe Weinstein Company Second collaboration with Justin KurzelSoundtrack released by Decca Records2016 Assassin's Creed Regency EnterprisesUbisoft Motion Pictures20th Century Fox Third collaboration with Justin KurzelSoundtrack released by Decca Records and Verve Records Una Benedict Andrews Film4 ProductionsThunderbird Releasing 2017 Alien: Covenant Ridley Scott Scott Free Productions20th Century Fox Replaced Harry Gregson-WilliamsThemes by Jerry GoldsmithSoundtrack released by Milan Records Jupiter's Moon Kornél Mundruczó ZDF/ArteMatch Factory ProductionsPyramide Films Soundtrack released by Milan Records2018 The Nightingale Jennifer Kent Bron StudiosIFC FilmsTransmission Films Second collaboration with Jennifer Kent Overlord Julius Avery Bad RobotParamount Pictures Second collaboration with Julius Avery Soundtrack released by Paramount Music2019 The Mustang Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre Légende FilmsFocus Features Soundtrack released by Back Lot Music Seberg Benedict Andrews Phreaker FilmsAmazon Studios True History of the Kelly Gang Justin Kurzel Daybreak PicturesPorchlight FilmsMemento Films Fourth collaboration with Justin Kurzel2021 A Writer's Odyssey Lu Yang CMC Productions Nitram Justin Kurzel Good Thing Productions Fifth collaboration with Justin Kurzel Encounter Michael Pearce Amazon StudiosFilm4 Productions 2023 The Pope's Exorcist Julius Avery Screen Gems Third Collaboration with Julius Avery 2024 Monkey Man Dev Patel Universal Pictures Replaced Volker Bertelmann The Order Justin Kurzel Amazon Studios Sixth collaboration with Justin Kurzel 2025 Echo Valley Michael Pearce Apple Studios Second collaboration with Michael PearceTornadoJohn MacleanLionsgate2026LeviticusAdrian ChiarellaCauseway FilmsSoundtrack released by Lakeshore Records
Television +YearTitleStudioDirectorNotes2010-2011SpiritedNorthside Productions / Southern Star Entertainment-Australian TV series (18 episodes)2025The Narrow Road to the Deep NorthAmazon MGM StudiosJustin KurzelMiniseries
Documentaries Year Title Director Studio(s) Notes 2007 Naked on the Inside Kim Farrant Magic Real Picture Company 2014 All This Mayhem Eddie Martin Hopscotch Films AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score in a Documentary
Shorts Year Title Director Studio(s) 2000 Sammy Blue Kim Farrant AFTRS 2007 The Rose of Ba Ziz Aden Young 2009 Castor & Pollux Ben Briand Benah 2014 Dook Stole Christmas Jennifer Kent Smoking Gun Productions
Awards and nominations ARIA Music Awards The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony held by the Australian Recording Industry Association. They commenced in 1987.
! |- | 2011 | Snowtown | Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album | | ARIA Award previous winners.
External links
References