Nigel Westlake is an Australian composer, musician and conductor. As a composer for the screen, his film credits include the feature films ''

Ali's Wedding ''Ali's Wedding'' is a 2017 Cinema of Australia, Australian romantic comedy feature film from Matchbox Pictures. It is directed by Jeffrey Walker (actor), Jeffrey Walker and written by Osamah Sami and stars Sami, Helana Sawires, Don Hany and Rya ...

'', '' Paper Planes'', ''

Miss Potter ''Miss Potter'' is a 2006 biographical drama film directed by Chris Noonan. It is based on the life of children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, and combines stories from her own life with animated sequences featuring characters from her ...

'', ''

Babe Babe or babes may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People Nickname * Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Maj ...

'', '' Babe: Pig in the City'', '' Children of the Revolution'' and '' The Nugget''.

Biography

Westlake was born in

Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

, the son of clarinettist Donald Westlake. Westlake studied the clarinet with his father, Donald (principal clarinettist,

Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music and known by the moniker "The Con") is a heritage-listed music school in Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the old ...

1961-1979) and subsequently left school early to pursue a performance career in music. By the age of 17, Westlake was touring Australia and the world, performing as a freelance clarinetist, bass clarinetist and saxophonist with ballet companies, a circus troupe, chamber music ensembles, fusion bands and orchestras. In 1983, Westlake studied bass clarinet and composition in the Netherlands and was appointed composer in residence for ABC Radio National in 1984. From 1987 to 1992 Westlake was resident clarinettist with The Australia Ensemble, and went on to join guitarist John Williams' group Attacca. In 2008, Westlake founded the ''Smugglers of Light Foundation'' in memory of his son Eli, to promote cultural awareness and empowerment through music and film in youth and

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

communities.

Personal life

Westlake is married to Jan Loquet Westlake, and together, they had two sons. Their son Eli was killed in a

road rage Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by motorists. These behaviors include rude and verbal insults, yelling, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted at other drivers, pedestrians or cyclists in an effort to intimi ...

incident on 7 June 2008, a few weeks before his 22nd birthday. Westlake composed ''Missa Solis - Requiem for Eli'' and dedicated it to Eli. It was premiered by the

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008. The MSO relies on f ...

at the

Myer Music Bowl The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor bandshell performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the lawns and gardens of Kings Domain on Linlithgow Avenue close to the Arts Centre and the Southbank entertainment precinct ...

in February 2011.

Filmography

* ''

Candy Regentag ''Candy Regentag'' is a 1989 Australian film directed by James Ricketson about a young woman who works in a brothel. The movie was fully funded by the Australian Film Commission The Australian Film Commission (AFC) was an Australian governm ...

'' (1989) * '' Act of Necessity'' (1991) * ''

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

'' (1991) * ''

Backsliding Backsliding, also known as falling away or described as "committing apostasy", is a term used within Evangelical Christianity to describe a process by which an individual who has converted to Christianity reverts to pre- conversion habits and/or ...

'' (1991) * ''

'' (1995) * '' Children of the Revolution'' (1996) * '' Wild Australia: The Edge'' (1996) * '' Babe: Pig in the City'' (1998) * '' A Little Bit of Soul'' (1998) * '' Solarmax'' (2000) * '' The Nugget'' (2002) * ''

Horseplay Horseplay may refer to: * ''Horseplay'' (2003 film), an Australian film * ''Horseplay'' (2014 film), a Hong Kong action comedy film * Horseplay humor Low comedy, also known as lowbrow humor, in association to comedy, is a dramatic or literar ...

'' (2003) * '' Hell Has Harbour Views'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) * ''

Stepfather of the Bride A stepfather or stepdad is a non-biological male parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepfather-in-law is a stepfather of one's spouse. Children from his spouse's previous unions are known as his stepchildren. Culture Though less comm ...

'' (2006) * '' Paper Planes'' (2015) * ''

'' (and

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

) (2017)

Awards and nominations

*In 1985: Westlake won Jazz Action Society Composition Competition. *In 1988: Westlake, won Gold Medal at the New York International Radio Festival. *In 2004, Westlake was awarded the HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellowship at the Australian National University. *In 2012, Westlake received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of New South Wales.

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards

* 2015 - AACTA Award Best Original Music Score - ''Paper Planes'' - nominated * 2017 - AACTA Award Best Original Score - ''Ali's Wedding '' - nominated

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. ! , - , 1992 , "Refractions at Summer Cloud Bay" , Contemporary Classical Composition of the Year , , , - , 1996 , ''Babe'' , Best Film Score , , , - , rowspan="2",

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

, ''The Edge'' , Most Performed Classical Work , , , - , Songs from the Forest , , Most Performed Classical Work , , , , , - , rowspan="2",

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

, , ''Babe: Pig in the City'' , , Best Film Score , , , , , - , "Laikan" (Australia Ensemble) , , Most Performed Contemporary Classical Composition , , , , , - , rowspan="2", 2003 , , ''Horse Play'' , , Best Feature Film Score , , , , , - , ''The Nugget'' , , Best Feature Film Score , , , , , - , rowspan="4", 2005 , , ''Piano Concerto'' – Michael Kieran Harvey , , Best Performance of an Australian Composition , , , , , - , ''Six Fish'' – Saffire Guitar Quartet , , Instrumental Work of the Year , , , , , - , ''Crystal Spheres'' – ''Solarmax'' film orchestra , , Orchestral Work of the Year , , , , , - , '' Hell Has Harbour Views'' , , Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie , , , , , - , rowspan="4", 2007 , , ''When the Clock Strikes Me'' - Rebecca Lagos (soloist),

Sydney Symphony The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and fir ...

, , Best Performance of an Australian Composition , , , , , - , rowspan="2", ''

'' , , Feature Film Score of the Year , , , , , - , Best Soundtrack Album , , , , , - , ''Stepfather of the Bride'' , , Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie , , , , , - , rowspan="2",

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, , ''Rare Sugar'' - The Australia Ensemble and Catherine McCorkill (clarinetist) , , Best Performance of an Australian Composition , , , , , - , ''Glass Soldier Suite'' –

, Geoffrey Payne (cornet), Jean-Louis Forestier (conductor) , , Orchestral Work of the Year , , , , , - , rowspan="2",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, , rowspan="2", ''Missa Solis – Requiem for Eli'' (with Sydney Symphony Orchestra) , , Work of the Year – Orchestral , , , , , - , Performance of the Year , , , , , - ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, , , ''Compassion'' (with Lior & Sydney Symphony Orchestra) , , Work of the Year – Orchestral , , , , , -

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. ! , - ,

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

, ''Road to Xanadu - The Genius That Was China''
(with Michael Askill) , Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album , , ARIA Award previous winners. , - ,

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

, ''Antarctica'' , Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album , , This nomination is not listed on the ARIA Award's website, but is in ARIA's March 1993 media release and list of nominees. , - , 1996 , ''Babe'' , Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album , , , - ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, ''Missa Solis: Requiem for Eli''
(with

) , rowspan="2" ,

Best Classical Album The Grammy Award for Best Classical Album was awarded from 1962 to 2011. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1962 to 1963, 1965 to 1972 and 1974 to 1976 the award was known as Album of the Year – Classical *In 1964 and 1977 it wa ...

, , rowspan="2" , ARIA Award previous winners. , - ,

, '' Compassion'' (with

Lior Lior Attar, better known simply as Lior, is an independent Australian singer-songwriter based in Melbourne. He is best known for his 2005 debut studio album ''Autumn Flow'' and for the song "Hoot's Lullaby". Early life and education Lior was bo ...

and Sydney Symphony Orchestra) , , - , 2015 , ''Paper Planes – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
(with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) , Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album , , , - ,

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

, ''

Ali's Wedding (soundtrack) ''Ali's Wedding (soundtrack)'' is the original motion picture soundtrack for the 2017 Australian romantic comedy Ali's Wedding, of the same name starring Osamah Sami and Don Hany. The soundtrack is credited to Nigel Westlake, Sydney Symphony Orc ...

''
(with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Lior, Joseph Tawadros &

Slava Grigoryan Slava Grigoryan (born 1976) is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist. He frequently collaborates and performs with his younger brother, fellow guitarist Leonard Grigoryan, performing as the Grigoryan Brothers. Early life He was ...

) , Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album , , , - ,

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, ''Nigel Westlake: Spirit of the Wild / Steve Reich: The Desert Music''
(with Diana Doherty, Sydney Symphony Orchestra & David Robertson, Synergy Vocals) , Best Classical Album , , , -

Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards

* 2018 - Best Original Music - ''Ali's Wedding'' - Nominee * 2016 - Best Music - ''Paper Planes'' - Nominee * 1997 - Best Original Music - ''Babe'' - Won

International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA)

* 2007 - Best Original Score for a Comedy Film - ''Miss Potter''

References

External links

* *
Rimshot MusicAir-Edel Associates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westlake, Nigel 1958 births APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners Australian film score composers Living people Male film score composers Musicians from Perth, Western Australia Sydney Conservatorium of Music alumni