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John Powell

Sound

Born September 18, 1963 · London, England

Biography

John Powell is an English composer best known for his film scores. He has been based in Los Angeles since 1997 and has composed the scores to over 70 feature films. He is best known for composing scores for films, including Face/Off, the Bourne film series, the Happy Feet films, United 93, X-Men: The Last Stand, Wicked and its sequel, Evolution, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Migration, Drumline, Hancock, The Call of the Wild, Bolt, eight Blue Sky Studios films, and nine DreamWorks Animation films. His work on Happy Feet, Ferdinand, and Solo: A Star Wars Story has earned him three Grammy nominations. He was nominated for an Academy Award for How to Train Your Dragon. Powell was a member of Hans Zimmer's music studio, Remote Control Productions, and has collaborated frequently with other composers from the studio, including Harry Gregson-Williams on Antz, Chicken Run, and Shrek and Zimmer himself on Chill Factor, The Road to El Dorado, and the first two Kung Fu Panda films. He has also collaborated with film directors such as Carlos Saldanha, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, Benjamin Renner, Chris Renaud, George Miller, John Woo, Ron Underwood, Doug Liman, Charles Stone III, Simon Otto, Jared Hess, and Paul Greengrass. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Powell (film composer), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Awards & recognition

  • Academy AwardBest Original Score · 2025 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Original Score · 2011 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

How to Train Your Dragon

2025Original Music Composer

How to Train Your Dragon

2010Original Music Composer

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

2023Original Music Composer

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

2019Original Music Composer

Shrek

2001Original Music Composer

How to Train Your Dragon 2

2014Original Music Composer

I Am Sam

2001Original Music Composer

The Call of the Wild

2020Original Music Composer

The Bourne Identity

2002Original Music Composer

Migration

2023Original Music Composer

The Bourne Ultimatum

2007Original Music Composer

The Thin Red Line

1998Additional Music

Ice Age: Scrat Tales

2022Original Music Composer

Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury

2011Original Music Composer

Kung Fu Panda

2008Original Music Composer

The Bourne Supremacy

2004Original Music Composer

The Road to El Dorado

2000Original Music Composer

That Christmas

2024Original Music Composer

Ferdinand

2017Original Music Composer

P.S. I Love You

2007Original Music Composer

Score

2016as Self

Kung Fu Panda 2

2011Original Music Composer

Legend of the BoneKnapper Dragon

2010Original Music Composer

United 93

2006Original Music Composer

Face/Off

1997Original Music Composer

Thelma the Unicorn

2024Original Music Composer

Wicked

2024Music Director, Original Music Composer

Drumline

2002Original Music Composer

Don't Worry Darling

2022Conductor, Original Music Composer

Book of Dragons

2011Original Music Composer

Rio

2011Original Music Composer

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

2009Original Music Composer

The Italian Job

2003Original Music Composer

Chicken Run

2000Original Music Composer

Ice Age: The Meltdown

2006Original Music Composer

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2005Original Music Composer

Wicked: For Good

2025Music Director, Original Music Composer

Solo: A Star Wars Story

2018Original Music Composer

Rio 2

2014Original Music Composer

The Lorax

2012Original Music Composer, Songs

Green Zone

2010Original Music Composer

Fair Game

2010Original Music Composer

Horton Hears a Who!

2008Original Music Composer

Bolt

2008Original Music Composer

Robots

2005Original Music Composer

With Friends Like These

1998Original Music Composer

Jason Bourne

2016Original Music Composer

Ice Age: Continental Drift

2012Original Music Composer

Hancock

2008Original Music Composer

X-Men: The Last Stand

2006Original Music Composer