Terence Blanchard Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor “The Woman King” director Gina Prince-Bythewood will be feted at the 10th annual Middleburg Film Festival with the Agnès Varda Award, while “Triangle of Sadness” star Dolly De Leon will receive the festival’s Breakthrough Performance Award. “Empire of Light” actor Micheal Ward is being honored with the Spotlight Actor Award. The Sam Mendes film has also been named as the closing night film of the festival. 2019 Distinguished Composer Award recipient Terence Blanchard and his band, the E-Collective, will return to the festival and close out with a music performance.

The Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) will honor the late Robbie Robertson and director Martin Scorsese with the Spirit of Collaboration Award at the 5th Annual SCL Awards, to be held Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. 

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor In support of the SAG and WGA members, and those affected by the strikes, entertainment industry social networking and education platform Stage 32 is giving away $100,000 in free education so they can hone their skills and be in the best position when the work stoppages lift. Stage 32, which recently reached 1 million members, is offering free codes to the platforms webinars and workshops, which typically cost $49 each.

Italian production designer Tonino Zera, whose credits include Roman Polanski’s upcoming drama The Palace, will be feted with the Campari Passion Award at the 80th edition of Venice Film Festival, running from August 30 to September 9.

Clayton Davis As the filmmaking team for “The Woman King” travels to Brazil to promote the historical epic, Viola Davis and her husband and producing partner Julius Tennon are celebrating the success of the film’s no. 1 debut at the box office, grossing $19 million domestically. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 10, followed by opening in theaters one week later. It’s one of the rare films where critics and general audiences given it a similarly positive reception, with a 95% critics score and 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It even pulled off an “A+” Cinema Score. Davis emphasizes that the story of “The Woman King” can connect to all audiences, not only Black women.

Jon Burlingame editor It took the combined talents of four Grammy winners, a symphony orchestra and a choir of African-American opera singers to make “The Woman King” resonate with the sounds of 19th-century West Africa. “This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime films,” says composer Terence Blanchard of director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s project, for which he wrote a powerful score – the likes of which haven’t been heard in a period African film since Quincy Jones’ “Roots” 45 years ago. “All of your experiences lead you to this moment, to work on something like this,” says the two-time Oscar nominee and five-time Grammy winner. “As soon as I saw it, I was floored. I looked at these characters as the founding DNA of all the strong African-American women I experienced growing up.”

The Toronto Film Festival has named Oscar-winning Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Women Talking) and award-winning Welsh Egyptian filmmaker Sally El Hosaini (The Swimmers) as honorees of the 2022 TIFF Tribute Awards, which return to an in-person gala fundraiser for its fourth edition at Fairmont Royal York Hotel on September 11th. The former will receive the TIFF Artisan Award, with the latter claiming the TIFF Emerging Talent Award.

The first trailer for Tyler Perry's upcoming Netflix drama,  is finally here. Set in the 1940s Deep South, the film follows star-crossed lovers Bayou and Leanne, whose forbidden love is the backdrop for 40 years of secrets and lies. «That was our first kiss,» Bayou says in the trailer.

Angelique Jackson Ahead of the film’s world premiere next month at TIFF, Netflix has released the first trailer for Tyler Perry’s “A Jazzman’s Blues,” the billionaire media mogul’s longtime passion project. Written, directed and produced by Perry, the period drama tells the tale of forbidden love, starring Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer as Bayou and Leanne, a star-crossed couple navigating the world as young Black people in the deep South during the 1940s and through the decades that follow.  “That was our first kiss. Ain’t nothing felt that good in all my life,” Boone’s Bayou narrates as the trailer opens on the lovers sharing a sweet smooch while sitting in a sun-soaked tree.

Jon Burlingame editorThe Television Academy’s music branch is leading the way in awarding diversity. Forty-six percent of all of this year’s nominees in the music categories are women, people of color, or both.Nine of the 41 nominees, or 22 percent, are women; 13 of the 41, nearly a third, are people of color.

Jon Burlingame editorFor years, music for documentaries was an afterthought that came when scant money was left in the budget and little consideration given to how music might help tell a story.Times have changed. Today’s documentaries attract Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winners who are brought on early and given the resources to properly score these nonfiction gems.Tom Howe (“Ted Lasso”) spent eight months on “The Mating Game,” the five-part BBC nature documentary that aired on Discovery+.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorFor Gaz Alazraki’s remake of “Father of the Bride,” now streaming on HBO Max, the beloved classic about a daughter’s impending wedding day was reimagined with some twists — it moved from Connecticut to Miami, and from a white family to a wealthy Cuban-American brood led by Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan, parents to Adria Arjona. Diego Boneta portrays the groom, a lawyer from a Mexican family.For the score, Alazraki turned to composer Terence Blanchard, whose credits include “Mo Better Blues,” “Da 5 Bloods” and “BlacKkKlansman.” As heard on the track “Saving Wedding Montage” (listen above), Blanchard provided his own update — a score with his signature jazz sound.When I first read the script, I was wondering if they wanted me to do a Latin-based score because the film has some great Latin artists. But, that’s not what Gaz wanted.

Jon Burlingame editorBrian Tyler, composer of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” was named a BMI Icon at Wednesday night’s 38th annual Broadcast Music Inc. Film, TV and Visual Media Awards in Beverly Hills.Tyler (above, right) is among the top 10 highest-grossing film composers of all time.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorBroadway choreographer Camille A. Brown has had a momentous few months. In September, she became the first Black artist to direct a main-stage production at the Metropolitan Opera, sharing directorial duties with James Robinson on “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” which she also choreographed.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorWhen the Grammy nominations were announced in November, the man who surprised everyone with the biggest stack — 11 — was Jon Batiste, known to TV audiences as Stephen Colbert’s musical director, and nominated this year for his wide-ranging album, “We Are,” and the soundtrack from Disney-Pixar’s “Soul.” His work in multiple genres makes him a kindred spirit as well as friend to composer-musician Terence Blanchard. Although Blanchard’s Grammy nominations come in jazz categories this year, his expansive vision made history when he became the first Black composer at the Metropolitan Opera, with his astounding work, “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.”The two join Variety for a conversation about awards, the folly of categorizing creativity and the healing power of music.

Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 13-19:March 13: Jazz drummer Roy Haynes is 97. Songwriter Mike Stoller is 89. Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka is 83.

Angelique Jackson The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced the recipients of their special achievement honors — “Attica” filmmakers Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry; producer and Hidden Empire Film Group co-founder Roxanne Avent-Taylor; Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning composer Terence Blanchard; John Gibson, the Motion Picture Association’s VP of external and multicultural affairs; and Sony Motion Picture Group.The honors will be presented at the 13th annual AAFCA Awards, held on March 2 at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles, co-hosted by Charlamagne tha God and Alesha Reneé.AAFCA’s Stanley & Karen Kramer Award for Social Justice will be awarded to “Attica” director Stanley Nelson and co-director Traci A.

NEW YORK -- He opened the season as kindly Uncle Paul in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.” Next night he was the vagabond monk Varlaam, stopping the show in Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.”Now he’s back as the fisherman Jake in the Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” — and for good measure making three appearances as the philosopher Colline in Puccini’s “La Boheme.”It’s been quite a season for Ryan Speedo Green, whose resounding bass-baritone voice and

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorTerence Blanchard received a seven-minute standing ovation after the opening night performance of “Fire Shut Up In My Bones,” marking his becoming the first Black composer to step onto the stage of New York City’s Metropolitan Opera house.Often known for his score work on Spike Lee films, or his solo endeavors as a jazz trumpeter and musician, Blanchard worked on the stage adaptation of a memoir by Charles M. Blow.

NEW YORK -- Silenced for 14 months by the pandemic and dealing with labor strife, the Metropolitan Opera will make a brief return Sunday.Music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will conduct members of the Met orchestra and chorus in a program with soprano Angel Blue, tenor Stephen Costello baritone Justin Austin and bass-baritone Eric Owen.The 45-minute program of works by Terence Blanchard, Mozart and Verdi will be performed twice Sunday night before audiences of 150, which will include first

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorWhen the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its shortlists in nine categories in February, only one female composer made the cut for best original score — Lolita Ritmanis for “Blizzard of Souls.” Even then, the Emmy-winning composer was considered a long shot.Ritmanis was up against Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (who landed nominations for “Mank” and “Soul,” the latter alongside Jon Batiste), Terence Blanchard (“Da 5 Bloods”), James Newton Howard

Jon Burlingame There’s a two-in-five chance that an African American will walk away with the Academy Award for original score on April 25, and if so, it will be only the second time a Black composer has won in that category. That’s because two films with Black composers were nominated this year: Terence Blanchard for “Da 5 Bloods,” and Jon Batiste, one of three composers nominated for “Soul” (along with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross).

Terence Blanchard likes to tell his students: "A turtle never gets nowhere unless he sticks his neck out." They’re words to live by for Blanchard, who didn’t set out to score films, or write orchestras, or create award-winning jazz albums. But, when the opportunities presented themselves, he took them.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorSpike Lee calls his 30-year collaboration with composer Terence Blanchard “a match made in heaven.”The two have worked together on 17 films and three television projects including their most recent collaboration, “Da 5 Bloods.” Written and directed by Lee, it stars Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Norm Lewis, Isiah Witlock Jr., Clarke Peters and Chadwick Boseman.Hot off winning the Academy Award for adapted screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman,” Lee moved onto “Da 5 Bloods”

Soul, Eurovision Song Contest and The Queen's Gambit were among the high-profile winners at the 2021 Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards on Tuesday night.

After nearly 30 years collaborating with Spike Lee to compose the music on his films, Terence Blanchard’s soaring compositions are finally getting noticed. He got his first Oscar nomination for BlacKkKlansman, a Best Picture nominee which brought Lee his first Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL) is set to give its Spirit of Collaboration Award to six-time Grammy winning and Oscar-nominated composer Terence Blanchard and Academy Award-winning writer, director and producer Spike Lee. Blanchard and Lee have jointly worked on 15 films and three TV projects, including Jungle Fever, Malcom X, 25th Hour, Inside Man, When the Levees Broke and last year’s BlacKkKlansman, which earned Lee the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.

NEW YORK -- The Metropolitan Opera will skip an entire season for the first time in its nearly 140-year history and intends to return from the pandemic layoff next September with the company’s first presentation of a Black composer, Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.”This season was to have started this week, but the company announced June 1 it had pushed back opening night until Dec. 31.

Naman Ramachandran Terence Blanchard, Oscar and BAFTA-nominated for Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” and a Grammy winner for the “Blood and Soil” track from the film’s original soundtrack, will receive the Venice Film Festival’s Campari “Passion for Film” award this year.Blanchard also composed the score for Lee’s Netflix film “Da 5 Bloods” and Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” which is playing out of competition at Venice.The award, instituted two years ago at the 75th Venice Film Festival,

Dave McNary Film ReporterMONDAY, AUG. 24The American Film Institute and Universal Pictures have launched a week-long “Black Stories Matter” series with  “BlacKkKlansman,” “Get Out,” “Girls Trip,” “Loving” and “Straight Outta Compton” available for free through Aug.

Jamie Lang In today’s Global Bulletin, San Sebastian announces it will screen all eight episodes of Luca Guadagnino’s “We Are Who We Are” and finalizes its competition sections; Venice selects legendary composer Terence Blanchard as its third Campari Passion for Film winner; Big Light Productions gets a new COO; Small World International licenses “Big in Japan” in Russia; and Fugitive signs on as Topic’s international distribution representative.HBO has doubled down at this year’s San Sebastian

Oscar-nominated film composer and multiple Grammy-winning jazz musician Terence Blanchard will be honored at this year's Venice International Film Festival with the Campari Passion for Film award. Blanchard frequently collaborates with Spike Lee and wrote the scores to such features as Jungle Fever (1991), Malcolm X (1992) and Inside Man (2006).

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterComposer Terence Blanchard will receive the TIFF Variety artisan award at the TIFF Tribute Awards, scheduled to air Sept. 15 on CTV.The news was announced Wednesday by Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, the co-heads of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorThe relationship between director Spike Lee and composer Terence Blanchard is rooted in collaboration, counting over 15 films together — most recently, “Da 5 Bloods.”“Terence is a great jazz musician and band player,” says Lee. “He brings that wealth of understanding of what music does with colors, shapes and feeling.”Blanchard, who moonlights as a trumpeter, credits the strength of their 30-year relationship to Lee’s self-assurance as an artist.

By Jon Burlingame

Raphael Saadiq will serve as executive music producer for the new National Geographic anthology series on Aretha Franklin. As Billboard notes, Terence Blanchard will serve as composer. Genius: Aretha is set to premiere on May 25 at 9 p.m. ET.