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Surprise of the Year
 

Christopher's Cue	The Affair of the Necklace (David Newman)
Matt's Cue	Ararat (Mychael Danna)
Steve's Cue	The Time Machine (Klaus Badelt)

Disappointment of the Year
 

Christopher Coleman	Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (John Williams)
Matt Peterson	Die Another Day (David Arnold)
Steve Townsley	The Sum of All Fears (Jerry Goldsmith)

Best Orchestra Performance

Christopher Coleman	London Symphony Orchestra - LOTR: The Two Towers
Matt Peterson	London Symphony Orchestra - Minority Report
Steve Townsley	London Symphony Orchestra - LOTR: The Two Towers

Best Score Forgotten by the Academy

Best Cue as Heard in Film

Christopher's Cue	"Swing Away" Finale from Signs
Matt's Cue	Flying High from We Were Soldiers
Steve's Cue	Gandalf and the Riders of Rohan charging down the hill in The Two Towers. (Forth Eorlingas)

Best Cue as Presented on Album

Christopher's Cue	The Uruk-Hai (track 5), LOTR: TTT
Matt's Cue	The White Rider (track 9), LOTR:  TTT
Steve's Cue	John Williams’ concert-arrangement of the “Fawkes the Phoenix” theme from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (track 2)

Best Score as Heard in Film

Christopher's Cue	Signs
Matt's Cue	Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers
Steve's Cue	Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers

Best Score as Presented on Album

Christopher's Cue	Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers
Matt's Cue	Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers
Steve's Cue	Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers

Christopher's Notes:

• Klaus Badelt easily nabs my Cue for composer of the year with notable efforts for The Time Machine, K-19:  The Widowmaker, and Invincible (w/ Hans Zimmer).  Further, when sheer volume is considered Badelt adds his work for both Equilibrium and The Recruit.
   
• While David Julyan really isn't "brand new" to the world film music, his effort for Insomnia certainly qualifies him for "break out composer of the year," and since there is no such category (this year), he gets this auspicious award! 
   
• Howard Shore's work for The Two Towers lived up to my lofty expectations set by The Fellowship of the Ring. 
   
• As wonderful as Shore's work for the Two Towers was, James Newton Howard's music for Signs within the context of the film, was the most impacting and memorable for 2002. 
   
• On the flip side, aside from "Across the Stars"  the music for Star Wars: Attack of Clones eventually becomes excruciatingly "vanilla." In part due to my Star-Wars-lofty-expectations and, in part, due to some of the worst music editing I've heard in years, Attack of the Clones earns the biggest disappointment of the year. 
   
• Varese Sarabande's cover for Green Dragon just edges the colorful design of Spy Kids 2. 
   
• Finally, Michael Giacchino's Medal of Honor: Frontline easily earns the Cue for best Video Game Score of 2002, but unfortunately, it appears it is his last for the Medal of Honor franchise.

Matt's Notes:

• Surprise of the year Honorable Mention:  Hart’s War – Rachael Portman.
   
• Best Score Forgotten by the Academy Honorable Mentions: Minority Report – John Williams, Signs – James Newton Howard.
   
• Best Dramatic Score-Honorable Mentions: Ararat – Mychael Danna, Insomnia – David Julyan.
   
• Best Action Score -Honorable Mention:  Signs – James Newton Howard.
   
• Best Cue as Heard in Film - Honorable Mention:  Everybody Runs, Minority Report – John Williams.
   

Steve's Notes:

• Klaus Badelt’s The Time Machine was a very pleasant way to kick off the year, a strong score, and very accessible for new listeners. Where’s Hans been hiding this guy? Let Klaus come out and play!

• Jerry Goldsmith’s real disappointment was in the botchy The Sum of All Fears CD release. Sorry.

• “Gollum’s Song” (Emilia Torrani) from The Two Towers, stays in the mood of the album, and segues nicely in the music, making it a good, non-obtrusive English-language song.

• Jerry Goldsmith’s training montage from Rudy in the trailers of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron -- seems like that score should have been there all the time. (Runner-up: Requiem for a Dream re-orchestration for The Two Towers.)

• Though probably not originally intended as an “in memoriam”, I chose Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore on a variant cover of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for best cover art--one of the great actors lost this past year.

• Truly, Varese Sarabande is the CD label of the year. I don’t always like their releases, I may take issue with the comparative length vs. price of their albums—but they do what nobody else does, with music that other labels wouldn’t touch, and you gotta respect that.

• Joe Hisaishi’s Spirited Away - Exciting, emotional without being drippy, one of the best scores you’ll hear for any movie, animated or otherwise.

• In spite of the mediocre adaptation of James Gurney’s wonderful books, Trevor Jones’ score for the Dinotopia miniseries elevated the fantasy.

Discuss the Cue Awards Here!

The Big Winners of 2002:

• Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers (Howard Shore) received 14 total Cue Awards!
   
• Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers was the unanimous winner for BEST SCORE AS PRESENTED ON ALBUM
   
• Thomas Newman's Road to Perdition was unanimous choice for BEST DRAMATIC SCORE (3 total Cue Awards)
   
• Michael Giacchino's Medal of Honor:  Frontline was unanimous choice for BEST VIDEO GAME SCORE (3 total Cue Awards)
   
• John Williams' Minority Report received 3 total Cue Awards
   
• Composer Klaus Badelt received 3 total Cue Awards.
   
• Varese Sarabande releases received 7 Cue Awards including LABEL OF THE YEAR.

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