Pharrell Williams has been appointed to supervise the music at this year’s Oscars, alongside veteran composer Hans Zimmer.
The pair will act as ‘music consultants’ for the 84th Academy Awards; a role created specifically for this year’s ceremony.
In announcing the appointment, Oscar Producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer said: “Hans is one of the most accomplished and creative film composers of our time, and Pharrell is a phenomenal songwriter with an amazing list of credits. This is an exciting and prestigious collaboration that promises to take the audience on a musical journey.”
It remains to be seen exactly what the job entails, as past Academy Award ceremonies have rarely included musical performances outside of nominated songs or tributes to notable musicians of the past.
Hans Zimmer has composed music for many critically acclaimed films, including ‘Gladiator’, ‘Crimson Tide’, and ‘Inception’. Zimmer also won the Oscar for ‘Best Original Score’ in 1995 for his work on Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ before being nominated for eight more Oscars in subsequent years.
Grammy Award winning rapper and producer Pharrell Willams recently composed his first film soundtrack for 2010 animated movie ‘Despicable Me’, following years of success producing tracks on some of the most notable albums of the past decade.
Eddie Murphy was originally confirmed to host this year’s Oscars, however the comedian and actor resigned when friend and co-worker, Brett Ratner, stepped down as the producer of the ceremony. Billy Crystal has been confirmed as his replacement.
The 84th Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on February 26, 2012.
Listen to the ‘Despicable Me’ theme song below:
