Music+Sound Awards Announces 2023 Finalists

After meticulous evaluation by a prestigious international panel of judges, The Music+Sound Awards proudly unveil the finalists for their annual global competition.

Now in its 12th year, The Music+Sound Awards have firmly established themselves as a leading platform for recognising the profound impact of music and sound in the media. These awards honour the extraordinary talents of composers, sound designers, music supervisors, and sync teams who contribute their expertise to elevate storytelling in advertising and the rest of the media. 

“The calibre of entries this year demonstrates the relentless pursuit of excellence within our industry, and we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on these outstanding achievements”, remarks Emma Maguire, director of The Music+Sound Awards.

Going on to say, “This year's finalists have not only showcased exceptional skill but have also shown the growing global reach of the Music+Sound Awards community. As the competition continues to attract both familiar industry names and exciting newcomers, it reflects the ever-expanding influence of music and sound in shaping the world of advertising. Thank you to everyone who entered this year. A heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the 2023 finalists. Truly well-deserved!"

The jury this year included the following leading industry figures:

• Marisa Wasser, senior music supervisor at Deutsch, New York
• Jules Chalkley, chief executive creative director at Ogilvy, London
• Julian Krohn, director of Music + Audio at Scholz & Friends, Hamburg

Winners of 2023’s Awards will be announced on Thursday October 12th, 4pm (GMT), via The Music+Sound Awards’ X / Twitter feed, @MASawards, and on the Awards site and via media partner’s channels thereafter. 

Official Sponsors of The Music+Sound Awards: Machine and Lemon Wax.

Here follows a selection of finalists. A full list can be viewed here. 

Best Original Composition in Broadcast Advertising Finalists

• Coca-Cola 'Masterpiece'

Composer: Garth Neustadter at Yessian Music, Detroit

Agency: BLITZWORKS

• O2 'Can Do'
  

Composition: MassiveMusic

Music producer: Joss Brightwell

Agency: Serviceplan

• Telkom 'Made of Monate'

Composers: Christof Snyman + Ammo Moses at TigerFight, Johannesburg

Agency: Wunderman Thompson

• Vanish for Ambitious about Autism 'Me, My Autism & I'

Composer: Peter Raeburn at Soundtree Music, London

Agency: Havas London

• The New York Times: More of Life Brought to Life - Sneakers
  

Composer: Philip Kay at KO Music, Manchester

Music Producer: Andy Oskwarek

Agency: Droga5 NY

• KIA EV9
  

Composer: Tip Florijn van den Bos at MassiveMusic Berlin

Music Producer: Joss Brightwell

Agency: INNOCEAN

Best Original Composition in Online, Viral and Ambient Advertising Finalist

• BBC News 'Trust Is Earned'

Composer: Luis Almau at Soundtree Music, London

Agency: BBC Creative

• Amazon ‘STUFF!’ | A Holiday Classic Returns
  

Composer: Calvin Rezen at Mophonics, New York

Music Producers: Colette Huemer + Casey Gibson

• Mercedes IWD 'One Of Many'
  

Composer: Peter Raeburn + Luke Fabia at Soundtree Music, London

• Google Design - Design and Material Explorations (Zachary Darren Corzine)
  

Composers: Matthew Wilcock + Connor Duin at Zelig Sound, London

Music Producer: Breda Canning

• BetterMe 'Dance Into Confidence Collection 2.0'
  

Composer: Agata Solecka-Zimmer at MassiveMusic Warsaw

Music Producers: Christopher Sulenta + Mateusz Szmigiero

• Alexander McQueen 'Slash Bag ’23'
  

Composer: Peter Raeburn at Soundtree Music, London

Music Producers: Ben Jones + Luke Fabia

Best Sound Design in Broadcast Advertising Finalists

• Corteiz 'Da Skydive'

Sound Designers: George Castle + James Benn at No.8ldn, London

• Save The Children 'Save the Survivors'

Sound Designer: Sam Ashwell at 750MPH, London

Sound Producer: Olivia Ray

Agency: POL

• Coca-Cola 'Masterpiece'
  

Sound Designer: Jeff Dittenber at Yessian Music, Detroit

Agency: BLITZWORKS

• CALM 'The Invisible Opponent'
  

Sound Designer: Mark Hills at Factory Studios, London

Sound Producers: Deborah Whitfield + Ethan Day

Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

• Nike 'The Footballverse'

Sound Designers: Sam Ashwell + Jake Ashwell at 750MPH, London

Sound Producer: Olivia Ray

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy

• FIFA 'Match Day'

Sound Designers: Sam Ashwell + Mike Bovill at 750MPH, London

Sound Producer: Olivia Ray

Agency: Wieden+Kennedy

Best Sound Design in Online, Viral and Ambient Advertising Finalists

• Amazon Books 'That Reading Feeling Awaits'

Sound Designers: Joe Wilkinson, Culum Simpson + Lawrence Kendrick at String and Tins, London

Sound Producer: Olivia Endersby

Agency: Droga5

• BBC News 'Trust Is Earned'
  

Sound Designers: Henning Knoepfel + Graham Norman at Soundtree Music, London

Agency: BBC Creative

• Aston Martin - DBS 770

Sound Designer: Owen Hemming-Brown at Echoic Audio, Bristol

Agency: Superunion

• Cannondale Bikes 'Sculpted by Speed'
  

Sound Designer: Adam Smyth at String and Tins, London

Sound Producer: Alina Miroshnichenko

Agency: The Corner

• IWC Ingenieur
  

Sound Designer: Owen Hemming-Brown at Echoic Audio, Bristol

Agency: Superunion

• Nike Mercurial
  

Sound Designers: Matthew Wilcock + Connor Duin at Zelig Sound, London

Sound Producer: Breda Canning

Best Re-Record or Adaptation in Broadcast Advertising Finalists

• Camelot 'A Christmas Love Story'

Re-Record Arranger: Chris White at SIREN, London

Original Track: Faith by George Michael

Publisher: Warner Chappell Music International

• Child Poverty Action Group 'Imagine’
  

Re-Record Arrangers: Aaron James Williams + CW Jones for Wake The Town, London

Original Track: Food Glorious Food by Lionel Bart from Oliver The Musical

Publisher: Lakeview Music Publishing Co

Agency: Creature London

• Volvo 'For Life'
  

Re-Record Arrangers: Aaron James Williams + Seinabo Sey for Wake The Town, London

Original Track: Don't Stop Me Now by Queen (Freddie Mercury)

Publisher: EMI Music Publishing

Agency: Grey London

• Kids Help Phone 'Feel Out Loud'
  

Re-Record Arranger: Alexandra Petkovski at Beryl of Laughs, Ontario

Original Track: It's Oh So Quiet by Bjork

Agency: Berkeley Toronto

• Better Time Stories
  

Re-Record Arrangers: Joshua Petit, Mari Koning + Jelle Hoebee at Soundsright, Amsterdam

Original Track: Kotyku Sirenkyj (Traditional Ukrainian Nursery Rhyme)

Agencies: Publicis / Boomerang Agency / Mr. Frank

• McDonald's ‘Raise Your Arches’
  

Re-Record Arranger: Brice Cagan at Machine, London

Original Track: Oh Yeah by Yello (Boris Blank / Dieter Meier)

Agency: Leo Burnett

Best Re-Record or Adaptation in Online, Viral and Ambient Advertising Finalists

• Nike Jordan 'Beyond'

Re-Record Arranger: Teyana Taylor for The Elements Music, New York

Original Track: Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton (Charles Stepney / Richard Rudolph)

Publisher: Wise Music

• DYC (Detroit Youth Choir) 'Sweet Child O'Mine' - Public Service Announcement
  

Re-Record Arranger: Mark Chu at Yessian Music, Detroit

Original Track: Sweet Child O'Mine by Guns N' Roses (Axl Rose)

Publisher: Intersong Music

Agency: Imagination

• GoFundMe 'Help Changes Everything’
  

Re-Record Arranger: Stephan Altman at Mophonics, New York

Original Track: Garden Song by David Mallett

Publisher: BMG / Reservoir Media

Agency: AKQA

• Bombay Sapphire 'The World Is A Gallery'
  

Re-Record Arranger: Luis Almau at Soundtree Music, London

Original Track: Arabesque No.1 by Claude Debussy

Agency: AMVBBDO

• Deutsche Telekom - Angels (Beethoven AI)
  

Re-Record Arranger: Walter Werzowa at Musikvergnuegen, Los Angeles

Original Track: Angels by Robbie Williams

Publishers: UMPI, UMPG Publishing, LatinAutor, LatinAutorPerf, Exploration Group (Music Publishing)

• Benjamin Moore - Lovestruck Objects: What A Wall Wants
  

Re-Record Arranger: Justin Hori at Racket Club, New York

Original Track: What a Girl Wants by Christina Aguilera (Shelly Peiken / Guy Tevateua Roche)

Publishers: Sushi Too Music, Manuiti LA, Universal Music - MGB Songs

Agency: FIG

The Lemon Wax Award for Best Sync in Broadcast Advertising Finalists

• NRMA 'Runaway'

Supervisors: Anton Trailer + Steve Rogers for Trailer Media, London

Track: 'Paesaje Cuban Con Rumba' by Leo Brouwer

Publisher + Label: EMA Vinci di Scali Giuseppe & C. s.a.s

Agency: Bear Meets Eagle On Fire

• NatWest - Mettle 'Amped Up'
  

Supervisor: Scuta Salamanca at Studio Salamanca

Track: The Light by Florence Black

Agency: Fold7

• EE 'Not Her Problem'
  

Publisher: Bucks Music Group / Candid Music Publishing

Track: Deceptacon by Le Tigre (Hanna/Fateman)

Label: Beggars

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi

• Publicis 'Working with Cancer'
  

Supervisor: Alfonso Emilio Vélez at ˚Orbital, New York

Track: Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes by Beck (James Warren)

Publisher: Warner Chappell Music

Label: Universal Music Group

Agency: Le Truc

• John Lewis 'For All Life's Moments'
  

Supervisors: Colin McIlhagga + Neil Athale at Soundtree Music, London

Track: La La Lu by Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke

Agency: Adam&EveDDB

• Vets for Pets 'We're All for Pets'
  

Supervisors: Anne Booty + Joe Rice at SixtyFour Music, London

Track: I'll do Anything for Love (But I won't do that) by Meat Loaf

Agency: The&Partnership

Best Sync in Online, Viral and Ambient Advertising Finalists

• Libresse 'Periodsomnia'

Supervisor: Peter Raeburn at Soundtree Music, London

Track: Deep Inside 2020 by Matroda / Hardrive

Agency: AMV BBDO

• Greenpeace - The Lonely Shark
  

Supervisor: Harley Beckman-Hawksley for Theodore Music, London

Track: Bloom by Radiohead (Thom Yorke)

• Meta - Amani
  

Supervision: Sunny Kapoor at Curation, London

Track 1: New Gatanga Sound by Thoni Na Caki

Track 2: Bassala Hot by Verckys et l´Orchestre Vévé

Track 3: Agaba Kibati by Bamba Pana

Track 4: Kadodi by Nihiloxica

Track 5: Shing Scar by HHY & The Kampala Unit

• NatWest - Mettle 'Amped Up'
  

Supervisor: Scuta Salamanca at Studio Salamanca

Track: The Light by Florence Black

Agency: Fold7

• Amazon Fashion Holiday '22
  

Supervisor: Frederic Scheindler for Too Young Music, London

Track: Could Heaven Ever Be Like This by Idris Muhammad (David Matthews + Tony Sarafino)

Publisher: The Music Goes Round, B.V. d/b/a Publishing Two’s Music

Label: Sony Music Entertainment

• Google - Young Love (Director's Cut)
  

Publisher: Sentric Music Publishing, London

Track: Note To Self by Jim-E Stack Ft Empress Of (Clara La San, James Harmon Stack + Micah Gordon)

Label: AWAL Recordings America Inc.