2024 composition contest

Young composers are the future of the film music industry, but rarely get the chance to showcase their talent to a (non-)professional (live) audience. Therefore, the World Soundtrack Academy each year offers screen composers under the age of 36 the chance to participate in the WSA Film Music Composition Contest and to win the Sabam Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer (worth €2.500) at the World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert.

Each year, the World Soundtrack Academy (an initiative of NPO International Film Fest Gent) organises a composition contest for young international film composers with the support of Sabam, the Belgian Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers. The contest provides young talents under the age of 36 with the chance to demonstrate their skills as a screen composer by writing a symphonic score for a selected film or TV series excerpt. Chosen by a professional jury, the winner will be honoured with the Sabam Award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer, worth €2,500. The jury will select three finalists, whose compositions will be performed live in world premiere by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé during the World Soundtrack Awards Concert in the Capitole, Ghent Belgium on 16 October 2024.

The finalists will also be invited to attend the film music events at Film Fest Gent, such as the WSA networking dinner and the WSA talks programme. At these events the finalists will have the chance to meet professionals from the international film music industry. This year, the film music composition contest celebrates its 23rd edition.