John Powell is a film score composer from East Sussex, England. His first score was in 1990 for ‘Stay Lucky’, and his career began to soar after moving to Los Angeles in 1997 and scoring the blockbuster ‘Face / Off’. He is critically acclaimed for his music to over fifty motion pictures and revered in particular for his work on animated films.

Scores by John Powell include those of ‘Shrek’, ‘Antz’, ‘Chicken Run’, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, the series of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, ‘Bourne’, ‘Ice Age’, ‘Rio’, ‘Happy Feet’ and ‘Kung Fu Panda’, and many more box office hits. His work has been nominated for Oscars, BAFTAs, Academy awards, and Grammy awards, and has won ASCAP, Annie, Ivor Novello, HMMA, and IFMCA awards. 

He has collaborated with other distinguished composers including Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, Gia Farrell, and David Buckley.

Being a proponent of digital technology in the composition process, Powell is highly skilled in the use of sample libraries, virtual instruments and DAWs. He is an advocate of collaboration, and maintains a close working relationship with his assistants, recording engineers and mixers.