The International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best Original Score for a Documentary is an annual award given by the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA). Established in 2008, the award is given to the composer of a film or television score for a documentary based on two criteria: the effectiveness, appropriateness and emotional impact of the score in the context of the film for which it was written; and the technical and intellectual merit of the composition when heard as a standalone listening experience." The eligibility period runs January 1 through December 31 every year, and IFMCA members vote for the winner the following February.
When the award was established in 2008, it was called "Best Original Score for a Documentary Feature" and only documentary films were eligible. Eligibility was expanded in before the 2011 awards to include documentary TV shows. In 2020, the award was renamed to reflect the new criteria.
Winners and nominees
2000s Best Original Score for a Documentary Feature Year Film Composer(s) 2007 Earth George Fenton Darfur Now Graeme Revell In the Shadow of the Moon Philip Sheppard The First Cry Armand Amar The White Planet Bruno Coulais 2008 Standard Operating Procedure Danny Elfman The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos The Cinematic Orchestra Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father Kurt Kuenne Night Cezary Skubiszewski Tabarly Yann Tiersen 2009 Home Armand Amar Brothers at War Lee Holdridge Earth Days Michael Giacchino Garbo: The Spy Fernando Velázquez Under the Sea 3D Micky Erbe and Maribeth Solomon
2010s Year Documentary Composer(s) 2010 Oceans Bruno Coulais Babies Bruno Coulais The Battle of Britain Miguel d'Oliveira Waiting for "Superman" Christophe Beck The Wildest Dream Joel Douek 2011 The Wind Gods Pinar Toprak Frozen Planet George Fenton Hold at All Costs: The Story of the Battle of Outpost Harry Larry Groupé Jig Patrick Doyle Russland - Im Reich der Tiger, Bären und Vulkane Kolja Erdmann 2012 Tale of a Forest Panu Aaltio Kingdom of Plants 3D Joel Douek, Freddy Sheinfeld and Elik Alvarez Los mundos sutiles Pascal Gaigne Samsara Lisa Gerrard and Michael Stearns Simon Schama's Shakespeare Miguel d'Oliveira 2013 Tim's Vermeer Conrad Pope Africa Sarah Class An Article of Hope Blake Neely Anne & Alet Mark Rayen Candasamy Secrets of the North Sea Oliver Heuss 2014 The Unknown Known Danny Elfman Ballet Boys Henrik Skram Bears George Fenton Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Alan Silvestri Hidden Kingdoms Ben Foster 2015 The Hunt Steven Price The Great Human Odyssey Darren Fung He Named Me Malala Thomas Newman Human Armand Amar I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story Joshua Johnson 2016 Tale of a Lake Panu Aaltio Paper Lanterns Chad Cannon Planet Earth II Hans Zimmer (theme); Jasha Klebe and Jacob Shea Seasons Bruno Coulais Spain in a Day Alberto Iglesias 2017 Mully Benjamin Wallfisch, Matías León Boston: An American Running Story Jeff Beal Blue Planet II Hans Zimmer (theme); Jacob Shea and David Fleming Earth: One Amazing Day Alex Heffes Jane Philip Glass 2018 The Tides of Fate Pinar Toprak Dynasties Benji Merrison and Will Slater Free Solo Marco Beltrami McQueen Michael Nyman Wild Matthijs Kieboom
Best Original Score for a Documentary Year Documentary Composer(s) 2019 Our Planet Steven Price The Biggest Little Farm Jeff Beal CyberWork and the American Dream Chad Cannon Finis Terrae Christoph Zirngibl Untamed Romania Nainita Desai
2020s Year Documentary Composer(s) 2020 David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet Steven Price Elephant Ramin Djawadi Harbor From the Holocaust Chad Cannon Rising Phoenix Daniel Pemberton Sadan Hanim George Kallis 2021 Tale of the Sleeping Giants Panu Aaltio The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness Alex Heffes Julia Rachel Portman A Perfect Planet Ilan Eshkeri Qinghai: Our National Park Chad Cannon
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