Star Wars Composer John Williams Wins 25th Grammy

There is not a more successful or iconic movie composer than John Williams, and it’s unlikely any other will ever come close. There are a ton of renowned and incredibly successful composers working today, but the career of Williams is unparalleled. He has created some of the most iconic scores in film history, including Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Superman, Jaws, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Just one look at the list of awards Williams has won and been nominated for over the years will tell you everything you need to know about the kind of career he’s had. Williams added to that impressive awards tally on Sunday night, taking home yet another Grammy.

The 2020 Grammy Awards took place on Sunday and much of the attention went to young sensation Billie Eilish, who won the four biggest prizes of the night. What many folks may not have realized is that Williams also had an award-winning outing, as he took home the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition. Williams has won a massive 25 total Grammys.

Like many of his other awards, Williams’ latest Grammy victory was due to his work with the Star Wars franchise, but this one didn’t actually come by way of the feature films. Williams won the award for Best Instrumental Composition, which is an award for an original composition that can only be released as a single or track, so full albums aren’t eligible. The award was given to the famed musician for “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite”, a track he created for the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attractions in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Williams beat out the likes of Fred Hersch, Brian Lynch, Vince Mendoza, and Christian McBride for the award.

Williams’ first Grammy victory arrived in 1978 after the release of Star Wars, and he ultimately took home multiple awards for the composition including Best Original Score, Best Instrumental Composition, and Best Pop Instrumental Performance. He went on to win additional Grammy Awards for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

John Williams has also been nominated for more than 50 Academy Awards, winning five of them.