Paul Leonard-Morgan
Paul Leonard-Morgan is a BAFTA award-winning and Ivor Novello nominated composer and producer. His unique cinematic style (fusing orchestra with electronica) has put him in high demand, both as a producer for bands and as a soundtrack composer.
Studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he quickly developed a reputation as a producer and arranger on the thriving Glasgow music scene; working with bands such as Belle and Sebastian, Snow Patrol, Mogwai and Texas. In addition, he has become long-term collaborator of Scottish songstress Isobel Campbell, working extensively on each of her albums, including the Mercury nominated “Ballad Of The Broken Seas” with Mark Lanegan. This led to Paul working with famed producer Phil Ramone on Sharleen Spiteri’s Gold Disc “Melody”. After working with Mogwai on numerous previous projects (including an art installation with Turner prize- winning artist Douglas Gordon), Paul collaborated with them again on their 7th studio album “Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will”. He also worked with producer Mark “Spike” Stent on No Doubt’s highly acclaimed comeback album “Push and Shove”.
Paul’s first film score, Pineapple, won him a BAFTA award, and his first television drama in the UK, Fallen, earned him both BAFTA and Ivor Novello nominations. This led to him scoring 5 series’ (50 episodes) of the hit BBC/Kudos drama Spooks (MI5 in the US).
His ground breaking score for Relativity’s US and UK box office No. 1 Limitless, a paranoia-fuelled action thriller starring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist), was nominated for the prestigious World Soundtrack Discovery Award in Ghent. As a result, Paul was brought in to score the new Limiteless TV series for CBS in 2015 with Director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer, The Amazing Spider Man, The Office).
Paul composed the soundtrack to DNA/Lionsgate’s UK box office No. 1 DREDD starring Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Bourne Supremacy, Lord Of The Rings), Olivia Thirlby (Juno) and Lena Headey (Game Of Thrones), with screenplay written by Alex Garland (The Beach, 28 Days Later). Variety magazine noted “the throbbing sounds of Paul Leonard-Morgan’s bass heavy score”. The soundtrack is widely recognised as defining the new generation of hybrid scores currently evolving.
On the animation front, Paul worked with Universal and Illumination to score 3 Minions films which were released alongside the record- breaking film Despicable Me 2, which went on to gross over $1 billion. This led to him scoring this year’s $80 million Fox/Evergreen animation Walking With Dinosaurs 3D voiced by John Leguizamo (Ice Age) and Justin Long (He’s Just Not That Into You).
Other scores include thriller The Numbers Station (starring John Cusack and Malin Akerman), Legendary (starring Dolf Lundgren), which opened in over 12,000 screens worldwide, and the internet sensation inspired Grumpy Cat’s Worst Ever Christmas.
Paul scored his first ever video game soundtrack in 2014, EA Games’ flagship $180 million release Battlefield: Hardline, and was commission by the National Theatre to score new adaptations of James I and II. The first of these premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2014 to 1500 people each night, before taking residence at The Olivier Theatre in London. Following the success of this the National Theatre of Scotland have planned a major UK and International tour for 2016.
Other work has seen Paul honoured by the US Olympic Committee when chosen to compose the official US Olympic Team Anthem (previously scored by legendary film composer John Williams). The track was used extensively across the US to accompany coverage of the Olympic Games, as well as by many of the USOC partners and sponsors. It also appeared on NBC’s US Olympic Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Paul worked with Disney to compose the soundtrack for their ride, Test Track, at Disneyworld, Florida. He was also commissioned to write a symphonic suite based on his score to the BAFTA winning A History of Scotland, which was subsequently toured around the UK following its premiere in the Grand Hall of the 900 year-old Stirling Castle.
Film & Television
THE GRAND TOUR | Amazon Studios Directors: Phil Churchwood, Kit Lynch Robinson, Brian Klein, Gavin Whitehead Producers: Richard Evans, Ronan Browne, Ben Jessop, Colin Bryne Starring: Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May | |
LIMITLESS (TV series) | K/O Paper Products / Action This Day! / Relativity Television / CBS TV Studios Directors: Marc Webb, Douglas Aarniokoski, Joshua Butler, Guillermo Navarro Producers: Aaron Baiers, Geoffrey Hemwall, Jane Raab Starring: Jake McDorman, Jennifer Carpenter, Bradley Cooper | 2016 EMMY Award Nomination: Outstanding Music Composition For A Series |
MURDER | BBC / Touchpaper / DMS Films Directors: Birger Larsen, Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard, Paul Wright Producers: Kath Mattock, Robert Jones Starring: Stephen Dillane, Robert Pugh, Karla Crome, Joe Dempsie | |
DESPICABLE ME: Minions | Illumination Films Directors: Yarrow Cheney, Eric Favela, Mark O’Hare Producers: Robert Taylor, Gilles de Lusignan, Connie Thompson | |
WALKING WITH DINOSAURS 3D | Evergreen Films / BBC / 20th Century Fox Directors: Barry Cook / Neil Nightingale Producers: Mike Devlin, Luke Heatherington, Amanda Hill, Deepak Nayar Starring: John Leguizamo, Justin Long | |
LEGENDARY: Tomb Of The Dragon | Midsummer Films / China Film Group Director: Eric Styles Producers: Matthew Kuipers, Xiadong Liu, Christopher Milburn Starring: Scott Atkins, Dolph Lundgren, Yi Huang | |
THE NUMBERS STATION | Contenet Film International Director: Kaspar Barfoed Producers: Bryan Furst, Sean Furst, Niget Thomas Starring: John Cusack, Malin Ackerman, Liam Cunningham | |
FALCON: Blind Man Of Seville | BBC Directors: Pete Travis Producer: Julia Stannard Starring: Martin Csokas, Hayley Atwell | |
DREDD | DNA FIlms Director: Pete Travis Producers: Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich Starring: Karl Urban, Lena Headey, Rachel Wood | |
LIMITLESS (Film) | LIMITLESS Relativity Media Directors: Neil Burger Producer: Ryan Kavanaugh, Scott Kroopf, Leslie Dixon Starring: Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel | Nominated for World Soundtrack Discovery Award 2011 |
THE NUMBER STATION | Furst FIlms Director: Kasper Barfoed Producers: Bryan Furst, Sean Furst, Nigel Thomas Starring: John Cusack | |
SPOOKS (MI5 in the USA) | Series 5, 6, 7, 8. 9 & 10 BBC/Kudos Directors: Bharat Nalluri, Julian Simpson, Omar Madha, Kenneth Glenaan, Andy Hay, Alrick Riley, Andy Hay, Julian Holmes, Charles Beeson, Brendan Maher, Stefan Schwartz, Peter Hoar, Colm McCarthy Producers: Andrew Woodhead, Dominic Barlow, Jane Featherstone, Simon Crawford Collins, Andrew Woodhead, Katie Swinden | Nominated for BAFTA Craft Award 2008. Best Original Television Music. |
POPCORN | DMS FIlms Director: Darren Fisher Producers: Rebecca Knapp, Daniel M. San | Winner of BAFTA for Best New Composer 2000 |
LOVE ME STILL | Defiant Films Director: Danny Hiller Producer: John Davey | |
PINEAPPLE | Cliffhanger Films Director: Huw Davis Producer: Nigel Atkinson | |
SILENT WITNESS | BBC Directors: Danny Hiller, Douglas McKinnon, Ashley Pearce, Patrick Lau Producer: Nick Pitt | |
FALLEN | Granada Director: Omar Madha Producer: Matthew Read | Nominated for the Anthony Asquith (BAFTA) Award 2004 Nominated for Ivor Novello Award |
Documentaries
SCOTTISH LANDSCAPES | BBC Scotland Directors: Bill Macleod, Tim Neil, Jane McWilliams, Andrew Thompson, Colin Murray Producer: Fiona Crawford |
A HISTORY OF SCOTLAND | BBC Scotland Directors: Bill Macleod, Tim Neil, Jane McWilliams, Andrew Thompson, Colin Murray Executive Producer: Neil MacDonald Producer: Richard Downes |
J.K. ROWLING: A Year In The Life | iWC Media Director: James Runcie Producers: James Runcie |
GALAPAGOS | BBC Directors: Patrick Morris, Andrew Murray Executive Producer: Michael Gunton Producer: Patrick Morris |
Animation
THE IMP | Red Kite Animations Directors: Wayne Thomas, Andy Janes Producers: Sue Ann Smith, Ken Anderson | |
ROGUE FARM | Scottish Screen Directors: Mark Bender, Garry J. Marshall Producer: Alex Jenkins | BAFTA Nominated |
Recording Artists - Arrangement - Production
No Doubt - Interscope Mogwai – Rock Action Records Sharleen Spiteri – Mercury Records The Young Knives – Warner Music UK Ltd (Nominated for Mercury Prize Award 2007) Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – V2 / Snowstorm / Instinct (Nominated for Mercury Prize Award 2006) Isobel Campbell - Jeepster Belle & Sebastian – 13 Amp Joy Zipper – Chester Novello Craig Armstrong – EMI Records Simple Minds – Jeepster/ Polydor Snow Patrol – Mercury Records Texas – Mercury Records |
Awards
2016 EMMY Nomination Outstanding Composition for TV Series - Limtless |
2012 Winner ASCAP Awards Top Box Office Award - Limitless |
2011 Nominated World Soundtrack Awards Discovery of The Year Award - Limitless |
2009 Nominated BAFTA Craft Award Best Original TV Music - Spooks |
2004 Nominated Ivor Novello Awards Best Original TV Music - Fallen |
2004 Nominated BAFTA Anthony Asquith Award - Fallen |
2000 Winner BAFTA Best New Composer - The Origins Of Pinapple. |
Press
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