Film Music Review
The Sammy awards
 
 

 

 

 

 
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sammy Film Music Awards (SFMA)

The longest-running awards

for film music recordings

 

 

 

 





The Sammy Film Music Awards (SFMA)
© 1988
1988-2022
These awards are named in honor of
prolific movie lyricist, Sammy Cahn (1913-1993),
who received 4 Oscars and was nominated 26 times,
more than any other past songwriter
.

These awards are based on the overall quality of the film music.

Over 150 movie songs and soundtracks have been named over the years

The Sammy Film Music Awards are for film music re-recorded or re-issued
as well as new film scores and songs.

See the announcements for these awards on Facebook.

 

 

 

Important Announcement!


Due to lack of funding, these long-running awards for film music recordings given to composers and album producers have been suspended for now until funding is received.

If you are a fan of film music
please help support these film music awards
and keep them running.

For your donation, you will receive as a thank you a specially produced CD.

To read how to contribute
and receive your complimentary CD,
click this link:

Keep SFMA Going!

 

 

 


 

 

 

Director of the Sammy Film Music Awards

First Sammy Film Music Awards

Support the Sammy Film Music Awards

Sammy Cahn and His Four Oscars

Film Composers with most Sammy Film Music Awards

Lifetime Achievement for Past Composers and Songwriters

ASCAP Members Dominate 25th Sammy Awards

Why the Sammy Film Music Awards?

 

 

 

 


The Sammy Film Music Awards have been awarded each year
by Roger Hall, Managing Editor of Film Music Review (FMR)
Film music critic, and author of this popular reference book,






 

 

The first Sammys were chosen for best score and song of 1988 – the year of Sammy Cahn’s 75th birthday. 
When notified, Sammy said he was “flattered and honored" to have these awards named after him.
There were the two awards in 1988:

Best Film Score: THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST - music by John Williams.

Best Film Song: "Let The River Run" - words & music by Carly Simon from WORKING GIRL.

In the early years they were announced on the popular Boston radio program,
"Music America," on WGBH-FM, hosted by Ron Della Chiesa.


Some of these radio programs with Roger Hall are now included on the
CD available by donation:
Oscar Meets Sammy - Film Music On Radio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Please help support

The Sammy Film Music Awards!


These awards with over 150 titles have been chosen for over 30 years
in recognition of "Excellence" in film music recordings.

Your support is needed so these awards may continue to honor
film composers and record producers.

Please consider helping to support these awards
and in return you will receive one of the discs listed below...



 

 

CD No. 1: Oscar Meets Sammy - Film Music On Radio

This CD has highlights from "Music America" with Ron Della Chiesa on WGBH radio in Boston with guest, Roger Hall, about the Oscars and the Sammys. It also includes a conversation with Sammy Cahn telling how one of his Oscar-winning songs was written. There are music highlights of past Oscar winners: John Barry, Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Franz Waxman, and John Williams.

 

CD No. 2: It's Magic: A One Hundredth Birthday Celebration of Sammy Cahn

A festive survey by the American Classics vocal ensemble, recorded live in concert for the centennial birthday observance of Sammy Cahn in 2013, with a marvelous group of cabaret singers, accompanied by a swinging jazz combo.
The CD includes all four of the Oscar-winning songs with lyrics by Sammy Cahn.

Commentary on the CD by popular WGBH-FM Radio Host -- Ron Della Chiesa

For the list of songs on this CD -- click here


For your $25.00, you will receive your choice of one of these specially produced CDs;

CD 1: Oscar Meets Sammy - Film Music On Radio

or


CD 2: It's Magic: A One Hundreth Birthday Celebration of Sammy Cahn






Your order is payable to the owner of this website, PineTree Productions,
and is safe and secure.

Official PayPal Seal

 

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After you have sent in your payment,
please send an e-mail and mention the CD album title
your wish to receive and
remember to include your mailing address.

Send your information to:

Sammy Awards CD

 

Thank you for your support!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Words By Sammy Cahn

Many of Sammy's popular movie songs are included in this excellent collection --

The New Sammy Cahn Songbook

Read Sammy's frank and witty autobiography --

I Should Care: The Sammy Cahn Story

I Should Care: The Sammy Cahn Story

 

 

 

 

 

See also

Sammy Cahn Centennial Tribute

 

 

 

Sammy Cahn and His Four Oscars

 

Sammy Cahn was Oscar nominated more than any other songwriter –
26 times in all between 1942 and 1973. He has also won 4 Oscars and 1 Emmy, more than any other songwriter of his generation.  

The first Sammy Awards were chosen for best score and song of 1988 – the year of Sammy Cahn’s 75th birthday.  When he was notified, Sammy said he was “flattered and honored" to have them named after him. He certainly deserved the honor.

Sammy received 4 Oscars for his lyrics:

 

  • "Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954) from
    THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN -- music by Jule Styne
  • "All The Way" from THE JOKER IS WILD (1957) --
    music by James Van Heusen
  • "High Hopes" from A HOLE IN THE HEAD (1959) --
    music by James Van Heusen --see this song performed by American Classics vocal ensemble - here
  • "Call Me Irresponsible" from PAPA'S DELICATE CONDITION (1963) --
    music by James Van Heusen -- see this song performed by American Classics ensemble --here
 

Sammy also received an Emmy for the song, "Love and Marriage" from the TV production of OUR TOWN.

All five of these songs were recorded by Frank Sinatra, a longtime friend and admirer of Sammy's lyrics.

 

 

 

John Williams Receives 16th Sammy Film Music Award!

 

John Williams has received more Sammy Film Music Awards
than any other current film composer.

 

Here are the SFMA he has received (songs and scores):

1988: THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST

1989: BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
1990: "Somewhere in my memory" from HOME ALONE - lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

1993: SCHINDLER'S LIST
1995: "Moonlight" from SABRINA - lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman

1997: SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET
1998: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (also 20th anniversary edition in 2019)

2001: A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

2004: THE TERMINAL

2005: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

2011: WAR HORSE

2014: EMPIRE OF THE SUN (expanded limited edition)

2015: STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

2017 (2 awards):
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
and
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (expanded remastered edition)

2020: STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

 

Film Composers with next highest Sammy Film Music Awards:

Alexandre Desplat (5 SFMA)


James Newton Howard (4 SFMA)
[1995, 2002, 2004, 2007]

Alan Menken (4 SFMA)
[1989, 1991 (2), 1992]

Randy Newman (4 SFMA)
[1999, 2000, 2003, 2006]

See the film scores awarded for the above composers -- click here

In Memoriam - Ennio Morricone, 1928-2020

 

 

 


Sammy Film Music Awards for Best Album Producers

James Fitzpatrick (Tadlow)

Douglass Fake (INTRADA)

(right to left) Anna Bonn, William Stromberg, John Morgan
(TRIBUTE FILM CLASSICS)

Mike Matessino, Album Producer and Mastering

Nick Redman, Album Producer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Lifetime Achievement

For past film composers, arrangers, songwriters and lyricists

 

 

 

 

2017: Ned Washington, lyricist

 

 

 

2016 - Leigh Adrian Harline, composer

 

2015 - Paul Francis Webster, lyricist

 

 

 

2014 - Roy Webb, composer

 

 

2012 - Jerome Moross, composer

 

 

2011 - David Raksin, composer

 

 

2010 - John Barry, composer

 

 

2009 - Aaron Copland, composer

 

2008 - Ken Darby, songwriter and arranger

 

 

2007 - Jerrold (Jerry) Goldsmith. composer

 

 

 

 

 

 

2006 - Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, songwriters

 

 

2005 - Elmer Bernstein, composer

 

2004 - Alex North , 1910-1991

2003 - Bronislau Kaper , 1902-1983

2002 - Johnny Green , 1908-1989

2001 - Hugo Friedhofer , 1902-1981

2000 - Victor Young , 1900-1956

1999 - Franz Waxman , 1906-1967

1998 - Dimitri Tiomkin , 1894-1979

1997 - Erich Wolfgang Korngold , 1897-1957

1996 - Miklos Rozsa (1907-1995)

1995 - Henry Mancini (1924-1994)

1994 - James Van Heusen (1913-1990)

1993 - Harry Warren (1893-1981)

1992 - Alfred Newman (1901-1970)

1991 - Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)

1990 - Max Steiner, 1888-1971

1989 - Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)

1988 - Sammy Cahn (1913-1993)

 

 

 

 

 

Sammy Film Music Awards, 1998-2018

click here to see the list

 

Read about the Sammy Film Music Awards (SFMA) on Facebook -- click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sammy Film Music Awards (SFMA)

 

Read the articles about The Sammy Film Music Awards --click here

To contact the Sammy Film Music Awards -- click here

 

See the new location of

Film Music Review

click here

 



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