Michael Abels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Abels
Abels In November 2019
Born	(1962-10-08) October 8, 1962 (age 62) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Education	USC Los Angeles Thornton School Of Music
Occupation	Composer

Michael Abels (born October 8, 1962) is an American composer. He is famous for creating music for movies, especially the scary and exciting films by Jordan Peele like Get Out, Us, and Nope. His music for Us was even considered for an Oscar award and was called "Score of the Decade" by TheWrap magazine!

Besides movies, Michael Abels also writes music for concerts and operas. He co-wrote an opera called Omar with singer Rhiannon Giddens. This opera won the amazing Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2023, which is a really big deal in the music world! Some of his other works include At War With Ourselves and Isolation Variation.

Michael Abels also helps other musicians. He co-founded the Composers Diversity Collective. This group works to make sure more composers of color get noticed in movies, video games, and streaming shows.

Growing Up and Music

Michael Abels was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He spent his early childhood on a small farm in South Dakota with his grandparents. They loved music, and Michael started showing interest in the piano when he was just 4 years old. His grandparents convinced a local piano teacher to teach him, even though he was very young.

By age 8, Michael began writing his own music. When he was 13, his first big orchestral piece was performed! After high school, he went to the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. Michael is of mixed race, and he wanted to learn more about his African-American heritage through music. He studied West African drumming and sang in a church choir that was mostly Black.

Michael Abels' Movie Music

Michael Abels is well-known for composing music for many films. His scores often help tell the story and create the mood for the movie.

Composer

• Get Out (2017)
• Us (2019)
• See You Yesterday (2019)
• All Day and a Night (2020)
• Bad Education (2020)
• Fake Famous (2021)
• Nightbooks (2021)
• Nope (2022)
• Breaking (2022)
• Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023)
• The Burial (2023)
• The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)
• The Acolyte (2024)

Additional Music

• Detroit (2017)

Awards and Recognitions

Michael Abels has won many awards for his amazing music. Here are some of the awards he has received: