Kelowna composer wins pair of Canadian Screen Music Awards

Photo: Contributed

A Kelowna-based composer has won two Canadian Screen Music Awards.

Amanda Cawley received the awards at the annual ceremony Sept. 25 in Toronto, winning Best Original Score in an Animated Series or Special (Ostinato), and Best Original Score for Games and Interactive Media (Siegebreaker).

“It is a true honour to be recognized amongst Canadian composers, many of whom have inspired and mentored me,” said Cawley.

“Both projects are very special to me. Siegebreaker was my first video game score, and I enjoyed exploring interactive media composition. Ostinato, created by a team of eight women supported by the Women in Animation Accelerator Program, further highlights the collaborative spirit of this industry. I am grateful to the creative teams for entrusting me with the music for their projects.”

Siegebreaker is a tower defense strategy game available on Steam, featuring over two-dozen handcrafted levels set in a magical world. The game required diverse musical palettes for its four biomes: forest, desert, arctic, and volcanic.

Ostinato is a short animation depicting a composer grappling with tinnitus. It follows Nuha, who perceives the world as a vibrant soundscape, as she learns to incorporate a mysterious Tone that disrupts her music into her life. Notably, some music was composed before the animation, with animators using videos of Cawley’s piano performances to guide their work.

Cawley composed and produced the scores for both projects from her studio in Kelowna, collaborating with the London-based string quartet Brookspeare Music, cellist Ben Trigg, violinist Damian Bolotin, and flutist Josh Plotner.

The scores were mixed and mastered by Vancouver-based producer Andy Dixon. Both scores are available for listening on all music streaming platforms.