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Grammys Finally Recognize Daft Punk for Their 'Tron Legacy' Score

by Ethan Anderton
December 1, 2011
Source: Grammys

Despite the fact that the 83rd annual Academy Awards honored some spectacular composers and their scores for the five films The Social Network, 127 Hours, The King's Speech, Inception and How to Train Your Dragon, one exclusion seemed almost offensive. Daft Punk and their phenomenal score for Tron Legacy was not nominated for an Oscar, and while plenty of people have praised the electronic and orchestral fusion of music, big accolades just haven't lived up to expectations. Thankfully, outside of the realm of cinema awards, the Grammys have nominated them for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media.

Here's just a taste of the Tron Legacy soundtrack in the form of my favorite track, Fall:

Of course, Daft Punk is again up against some stiff competition including Alexandre Desplat's scores for both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II and The King's Speech, Clint Mansell's beautiful score for Black Swan (which was ineligible for the Oscars because there was so much non-original music), and what seems to be a dark horse coming from composer Ryan Shore and his work on the horror film The Shrine. It would be quite fantastic for Daft Punk to end up winning this award, but frankly, I'm just glad to hear their debut as composers getting the recognition it deserves. Agreed?

Filed under Awards, Movie News, Tron Legacy

From around the web:

Big Boss

It's about damn time.
Voice of Reason

The score might've been the only decent thing in that movie—and I stand by the word "decent" as nothing in the movie was beyond that, the soundtrack included. Asked if I agree, I'll be in honest in saying that I didn't see Daft Punks premiere as composers as anything that noteworthy, especially compared to the competition. Clint Mansell, Trent Reznor, Danny Elfman, to name a few, have truly transcended their roles as musicians to be respected and revered as composers for movies...something I don't think Daft Punk has done with their score for Tron: Legacy. But, hey, this is over a Grammy....I'm sure Daft Punk could use a new paper weight.
- Moviematinees
  
  "Voice of Reason?" More like "Smug Hater".
- James123
  
  Voice of Reason defenitely has not transcended as a critic with any visual or musical taste and if asked I would agree with with me that VOR can go post somewhere else.
  - Lebowski
    
    Dear James123, please learn how to correctly use the word transcended.
- Anonymous
  
  I was about to criticize (word of the day!) the others about their knee-jerk reactions to VoR's post... until he referred to a Grammy as a paper weight. Looks like everyone here is almost correct. Tron Legacy's soundtrack was good, but not great; VoR wasn't hating, just being smug; and VoR can post here, taste is not a requirement, besides I've seen much worse garbage posted before.
  - Moviematinees
    
    "Looks like everyone here is almost correct." Now that's smug.
- Guest
  
  The movie and soundtrack are excellent. Of course, if you can understand them, you can like them. Maybe they're not the bests ones, but are the other soundtracks really good? At least Harry Potter's and The-Black-Swan's have nothing new on them, they only picked fragments from previous soundtracks or compositions. In my opinion Tron's soundtrack is excellent since it brings you back to the 80's in some parts, while in others, it drives you to another world. And some tracks are melancholic and soothing. It goes hand by hand with the movie's plot.
- Chris Amaya
  
  I don't know man. Not a big fan of Reznor's score for the social network. Yes it was good but I didn't find it to be award worthy.
- Neuromancer
  
  The names you mentioned are definitely great composers. However, it seems to me that you're looking at their whole body of work on deciding that only they are worthy of an Oscar nomination while only the score of the actual movie should matter. Of course opinions will differ, but my opinion is that Tron's score could compete against the other nominees. While Tron Legacy as a movie wasn't in the same league as The Social Network or The King's Speech, its score most definitely reached me while viewing the movie just as the scores of the other films did.
- bigjeep35
  
  I'ma just say that Danny Elfman hasn't been original for a decade.
Emile Eid

As composers no matter what they should be nominated their work is brilliant.
Anonymous

It's more the fact that it's them than it is about the score, imo...
http://senzafine.net/ Yahzee

... they should correct this to Daft Punk and Hans Zimmer & RCP...
Blue Silver

This is AWESOME! The Grammys have, at least, recouped some cred by recognizing Daft Punk. The Grammys should also recognize Duran Duran's new album, "All You Need Is Now", too as it's the 30 yr old band's best release in 2 decades and is getting noticed and gaining popularity nearly a year after it's release!
geez, opinion much?

It was truly the snub of snubs at the Oscars last year, or was it this year, for them to not even be nominated. They typecast actors and actresses, why not musician-turn-composers (for the movie) Daft Punk? They look the part and we perfect for the job. When I heard they got the gig for the soundtrack, I got all geeked up for the movie all over again. And boy did they deliver! Nothing against Mr. Reznor but the fact that the stinkfest know as The Social Network got nominated for anything still blows my mind...to this day! Atleast I got a chance to gawk at one of my tv angels: Rashida Jones...she is so dreamy! Opinion, out.
Anonymous

Although I liked the soundtrack/score... whatever you want to call it... I didn't strike me as Oscar worthy. Worthy as in the score/songs add to the depth and emotion of the scene(s) and elevate the movie as (for a lack of a better term) a work of art. As dull as the Social Network was, the score did add to the overall quality of the movie, and was the only memorable thing about it.
- Guest
  
  But Tron's soundrack does!!! It doesn't matter if it's kind of repetitive, you can feel emotions through it! The problem is that if you don't understand the movie, you can't relate the soundtrack to it's feelings. That's all.
  - Anonymous
    
    I understood the movie just fine. Big fan of the original, and own a few Daft Punk albums, so none of this is nothing new. Which might be my problem, none of it was nothing new.
Annonymous

Adagio for Tron was the most beautiful track on the album in my opinion. I think they did an amazing job for their big screen debut.
- Guest
  
  Completely agree! I can listen to it hundreds of times, and I don't get tired of it! I also like Father and son, nice track.
rennmaxbeta

Music composed by Daft Punk, orchestrated by Joseph Trapanese, conducted by Gavin Greenaway. A fine soundtrack to an average movie. Looked fantastic, but the writing (as usual) was lacking.
RobOh

Crying over Daft Punk's exclusion from an Academy nod is much like crying over spilt milk. Let's assume they DID get nominated... they still would have lost to Reznor and Ross. Nothing to see here, move along people...
Jackmooney9

The reason Daft Punk was not nominated for best score in oscars is because trent reznor.
Chad

Best track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASlQp0d6xv4
Shane

Screw Oscar, Grammy, Tony. All of em. My friend and I went out the day after seeing Tron: Legacy and bought this soundtrack. Not only because of our love of the movie, but our love for Daft Punk. See, I don't care if the industry gives Daft Punk their accolades. I will and so will the squillion others who, like me, saw fit to add this awesome album to their collection. I'm cool with that.
Luna

I found it extremely offensive and blammed how out of control the grammys are in recognizing whats actually a good score and whats not. In my opinion, a score need to connect with the movie and bring something new. It is impossible to say that Daft Punk did not do this. No other movie has ever fused perfectly electronic with orchestra. TRON: Legacy was built according to the soundtrack! How mch of a connection can a soundtrack have with a movie when the entire movie went according to Daft Punk's score.
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