Thomas Newman

Thomas Newman
Newman at Classic Brit Awards in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Thomas Montgomery Newman
Born	(1955-10-20) October 20, 1955 (age 61) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Film score composer

Thomas Montgomery Newman (born October 20, 1955) is an American composer best known for his many film scores.

Newman has been nominated for fourteen Academy Awards and three Golden Globes, and has won two BAFTAs, six Grammys and an Emmy Award. Newman was honored with the Richard Kirk award at the 2000 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music.

Born in Los Angeles, California, he is the youngest son of Mississippi-born Martha Louis Montgomery (1920–2005) and composer Alfred Newman (1900–1970), who won nine Oscars for Best Film Score. He is a member of a film-scoring dynasty in Hollywood that includes his father Alfred, brother David Newman, sister Maria Newman, uncles Lionel Newman and Emil Newman, cousin Randy Newman (also known as a singer and songwriter), and his first cousin, once removed, Joey Newman. During their upbringing, Martha herded her sons into violin lessons in the San Fernando Valley every weekend. Newman later studied composition and orchestration for two years at the University of Southern California, before transferring to Yale University, where he graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1977 and a Master of Music in 1978. While at Yale, he met composer Stephen Sondheim, who became an early mentor.