Terence Blanchard To Receive TIFF Variety Artisan Award at 2020 TIFF Tribute Awards

TORONTO — Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey, Co-Heads of TIFF, announced today that Academy Award–nominated and six-time Grammy Award–winning composer Terence Blanchard will be honored with the TIFF Variety Artisan Award at this year’s TIFF Tribute Awards. The award recognizes a distinguished creative who has excelled at their craft and made an outstanding contribution to cinema and entertainment. The TIFF Tribute Awards will be broadcast on Tuesday, September 15, at 8pm ET/PT on CTV and everywhere CTV content can be found, during the 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, and will be streamed to a global audience by Variety, the exclusive trade media partner of the event. Last year’s Variety Artisan Award was given to Academy Award–winning cinematographer Roger Deakins.

Blanchard was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for 2018’s BlacKkKlansman, directed by Spike Lee. He was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for his original music in the film, and won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for a track from the film. His additional, expansive work includes composing scores for Spike Lee’s Malcolm X and When the Levees Broke; Kasi Lemmons’ Eve’s Bayou, Talk to Me, and Harriet; George Lucas’ Red Tails; Tim Story’s Barbershop; and the HBO drama series Perry Mason, among many other titles. Most recently, Blanchard has composed the scores for Regina King’s feature directorial debut, One Night in Miami, which will screen at TIFF and be released by Amazon Studios; Halle Berry’s directorial debut, Bruised, which will have its World Premiere at TIFF; and Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, which was released by Netflix this summer.

“For over 25 years Terence Blanchard has composed some of the most breathtaking and moving scores in film and television,” said Vicente. “From his frequent work with Spike Lee on 25th Hour, BlacKkKlansman and most recently Da 5 Bloods, and Kasi Lemmons on Eve’s Bayou and last year’s Harriet, he has created musical wonders for audiences and helped to elevate every project he has been a part of. We are thrilled to be honouring him with the TIFF Variety Artisan Award and to showcase his dynamic work, including One Night in Miami and Bruised, both of which we look forward to sharing with our TIFF audiences this September.”

“Terence Blanchard has a musical genius that is just unparalleled — his scores have amplified the energy, sincerity, and drama of each of the incredible projects in his mesmerizing body of work,” said Steven Gaydos, EVP of Content at Variety. “His groundbreaking craft has changed musical appreciation as we know it. He continues time and time again, through sound, to change the way in which stories are told to audiences. He is well deserving of the TIFF Variety Artisan Award and we look forward to honouring him in September.”

TIFF previously announced that Academy Award–winning actress Kate Winslet and Academy Award–winning actor S​ir Anthony Hopkins​ will receive TIFF Tribute Actor Award​s; director C​hloé Zhao​ will receive the ​TIFF Ebert Director Award​; and Academy Award–nominated filmmaker Mira Nair ​will be honoured with the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media​.

Last year the inaugural TIFF Tribute Gala celebrated the remarkable talents and contributions of Meryl Streep, Taika Waititi, Mati Diop, and Joaquin Phoenix. TIFF continues to work closely with the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, and public health officials on the safe execution of the Festival, with its number-one priority being the health and well-being of both Festival filmgoers and the residents of the entire community. Additional honourees for 2020 will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 2020 TIFF Tribute Awards are produced by Bell Media Studios in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival. Emmanuel Groneveldt is Director of Entertainment Production, Bell Media Studios and Executive Producer. Chris Perez is Executive Producer, Bell Media Studios. Nanci MacLean is Vice-President, Bell Media Studios and President, Pinewood Toronto Studios. Mike Cosentino is President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Bell Media.

The 45th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10–19, 2020.

About TIFF
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.