James Newton Howard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Newton Howard
Howard at the premiere of The Dark Knight, 2008
Background information
Born	(1951-06-09) June 9, 1951 (age 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Film score rock pop
Occupation(s)	Composer music producer arranger
Instruments	Keyboards
Years active	1973–present

James Newton Howard (born June 9, 1951) is an American composer, music producer, and orchestrator. He is famous for creating music for over 100 movies. He has won a Grammy Award and an Emmy Award. He has also been nominated nine times for an Academy Award, which is a huge honor in the film world.

Some of the well-known movies he has scored include Pretty Woman (1990), Space Jam (1996), Dinosaur (2000), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), and Treasure Planet (2002). He also worked on King Kong (2005), Batman Begins (2005), and The Dark Knight (2008). He composed music for the Fantastic Beasts movies (2016–2022) and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021). James Newton Howard has often worked with directors like M. Night Shyamalan and Francis Lawrence.

Early Life and Musical Journey

James Newton Howard was born in Los Angeles, California. Music was a big part of his family. His grandmother was a violinist, and he started learning classical piano at age four.

He went to the Thacher School and the Music Academy of the West. He also attended the University of Southern California to study piano. However, he left after only six weeks because he wanted to explore other types of music.

Starting in Music

After college, James Newton Howard played keyboards in a rock band called Mama Lion. He also worked as a session musician, playing for famous artists like Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson.

In 1975, he got a big break when he joined Elton John's band. He toured with them as a keyboardist in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He even helped arrange the string parts for some of Elton John's hit songs, like "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word".

First Steps in Film Music

In 1984, James Newton Howard composed his first music for a movie. It was a piece called "Trip to Arrakis" for the film Dune. This was the start of his successful career as a film composer.

Becoming a Top Film Composer

In the 1990s, James Newton Howard became very well-known for his movie scores. He composed music for the romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990). He received his first Academy Award nomination for The Prince of Tides (1991).

He showed his talent in many different movie types. He earned more Oscar nominations for action films like The Fugitive (1993) and romantic comedies like My Best Friend's Wedding (1997). He also scored big Hollywood movies such as Waterworld (1995) and Space Jam (1996).

Animated Films and TV Shows

James Newton Howard also composed music for several Disney animated movies. These include Dinosaur (2000), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), and Treasure Planet (2002).

He also created music for television. He received an Emmy Award nomination in 1995 for the theme song of the popular TV show ER. He later won an Emmy for his theme for Gideon's Crossing.

Collaborations and Big Projects

James Newton Howard has worked on many suspense thrillers with director M. Night Shyamalan. Their movies together include The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), and Signs (2002).

In 2005, he took over as the composer for King Kong. His work on this film earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. He also teamed up with fellow composer Hans Zimmer to create the music for Batman Begins (2005) and its sequel The Dark Knight (2008).

Recent Works and Achievements

In the 2010s, James Newton Howard continued to compose for major films. From 2012 to 2023, he created the music for the popular The Hunger Games movie series.

One of his biggest successes was the song "The Hanging Tree" from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014). This song featured vocals from actress Jennifer Lawrence and became a hit on the music charts.

He also composed the scores for the Fantastic Beasts movies, which are spin-offs of the Harry Potter series. These include Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022).

In 2015, James Newton Howard became the artistic director of the Henry Mancini Institute at the Frost School of Music in Florida. In 2019, his first concerto for cello and orchestra was performed for the first time by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Personal Life

James Newton Howard learned that his father was Jewish many years after his father passed away. Although he was raised Protestant, he later became a practicing Reconstructionist Jew.

He is married to Sophie Howard, and they have a son.

Awards and Recognition

James Newton Howard has received many awards for his musical contributions.

• In 2008, he was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music.
• In 2009, he won a Grammy Award with Hans Zimmer for the soundtrack of The Dark Knight.
• In 2015, he was honored with the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award at the Hollywood in Vienna concert.

Major Award Nominations and Wins

Selected Works as Composer

James Newton Howard has composed music for many films and television shows. Here are some of his notable works:

Movies

• 1984: Dune (first film score)
• 1990: Pretty Woman
• 1991: The Prince of Tides
• 1993: The Fugitive
• 1994: Junior
• 1995: Waterworld
• 1996: Space Jam
• 1997: My Best Friend's Wedding
• 1999: The Sixth Sense
• 2000: Dinosaur
• 2001: Atlantis: The Lost Empire
• 2002: Signs
• 2002: Treasure Planet
• 2004: The Village
• 2005: Batman Begins (with Hans Zimmer)
• 2005: King Kong
• 2007: Michael Clayton
• 2007: I Am Legend
• 2008: The Dark Knight (with Hans Zimmer)
• 2008: Defiance
• 2010: The Last Airbender
• 2012: The Hunger Games
• 2014: Maleficent
• 2014: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
• 2015: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
• 2016: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• 2018: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• 2020: News of the World
• 2021: Raya and the Last Dragon
• 2022: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• 2023: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Television Shows

• 1989: Men (TV series pilot and theme)
• 1994: ER (TV series theme and pilot score)
• 1996: The Sentinel (TV series theme)
• 2000: Gideon's Crossing (TV series theme)
• 2016: All the Way (TV film)
• 2017: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series)
• 2020: Emily in Paris (TV series theme)
• 2022: Light & Magic (documentary miniseries)
• 2023: All the Light We Cannot See (TV mini-series)

See also

In Spanish: James Newton Howard para niños

• List of film director and composer collaborations