Christopher Gordon receives Distinguished Services honour
Multi-award-winning composer behind Mao’s Last Dancer and Master and Commander recognised for outstanding contribution to screen music
Previous recipients include Bruce Beresford, Nerida Tyson-Chew, Nigel Westlake, Rachel Perkins and Robert Connolly
The remaining 15 award categories will be announced on the night, including Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas
Christopher Gordon, one of Australia’s most acclaimed screen composers, will be honoured with the Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen award at the 2025 Screen Music Awards on Tuesday 28 October at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall.
No stranger to the Awards, Gordon is best known for his evocative scores for major feature films including Mao’s Last Dancer and Master and Commander, which have earned him three of his five previous APRA and Screen Music Award titles.
Born in London and raised in Australia, his musical journey began in the 1960s with the Australian Boys Choir in Melbourne. It was there he discovered a passion for composition, inspired by classical music and the legendary Benjamin Britten.
Gordon’s first foray into screen music was for television, with his breakthrough score for Moby Dick in 1998 earning him his first APRA Award for Best Television Theme. His prolific television work continued, culminating in an Emmy nomination in 2005 for Salem’s Lot in the category of Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore).
His transition to major feature films saw him working on the score for blockbuster hits such as the Academy Award-winning Master and Commander (2003), and AACTA Award-winning Ladies In Black (2018), for which he took out Best Original Music Score.
Beyond the screen, Gordon has also worked on major commissions for classical ensembles including the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra and created ballet scores for the likes of The Australian Ballet and The Royal New Zealand Ballet.
His music has also featured in landmark national events, including the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2003 Rugby World Cup, the official celebration of the Centenary of Federation of Australia in 2001 and the Millennium Eve global telecast.
On receiving the accolade, Gordon said: “This is an incredible honour. My thanks to the APRA Board for this recognition which, by extension, goes to the community of composers who work tirelessly in their hermit caves and the many musicians who make such a vital contribution, usually uncredited, to screen storytelling.”
Previous recipients of the Distinguished Services to the Australian Screen Award include Bruce Beresford, Nerida Tyson-Chew, Nigel Westlake, Rachel Perkins and Robert Connolly.
The remaining 15 award categories will be announced on the night, including Most Performed Screen Composer – Australia and Most Performed Screen Composer – Overseas.
Presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), the annual Screen Music Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in screen composition across 16 categories, recognising outstanding contributions in short film, television series, documentaries, children’s programming, feature films and more.
2025 SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS
Tuesday 28 October 2025
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Hosted by David Wenham AM with guest presenters Mark Coles Smith and Nathalie Morris
Music Director Erkki Veltheim
