Carter Burwell, a three-time Oscar nominee for best original score, has been elected to the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He joins two returning governors — Lesley Barber and Richard Gibbs — in representing the music branch. Burwell replaces Charles Fox, who was the third governor representing the music branch.
Burwell, 70, has received Oscar nominations for scoring Todd Haynes’ Carol (2015) and two films directed by Martin McDonagh: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).
Burwell, who was born in New York City, has scored most of the films made by Joel and Ethan Coen. He has also scored films by such other directors as Bill Condon, Spike Jonze, James Foley, Brian Helgeland and John Lee Hancock.
Burwell received two Primetime Emmy nominations in 2011 for his work on HBO’s Mildred Pierce, winning for outstanding music composition for a miniseries, movie or a special (original dramatic score).
Burwell is one of four pros who were elected to the board of governors for the first time, along with Peter Kujawski (Executives Branch), Gigi Williams (Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch) and Andrew Roberts (Visual Effects Branch).
Ten incumbent governors were reelected to the board: Marlee Matlin (Actors Branch), Marlon West (Animation Branch), Richard Hicks (Casting Directors Branch), Dion Beebe (Cinematographers Branch),Jason Reitman (Directors Branch), Chris Hegedus (Documentary Branch), Nancy Richardson (Film Editors Branch), Jason Blum (Producers Branch), Missy Parker (Production Design Branch) and Peter Devlin (Sound Branch).
Three governors are returning to the board after a hiatus: Isis Mussenden (Costume Designers Branch), Christina Kounelias (Marketing and Public Relations Branch) and Larry Karaszewski (Writers Branch).
Returning governors, in addition to Barber and Gibbs, are Pam Abdy, Wendy Aylsworth, K.K. Barrett, Rob Bredow, Brooke Breton, Paul Cameron, Patricia Cardoso, Eduardo Castro, David Dinerstein, Ava DuVernay, Linda Flowers, Jennifer Fox, Jinko Gotoh, Lynette Howell Taylor, Kalina Ivanov, Simon Kilmurry, Laura C. Kim, Ellen Kuras, Hannah Minghella, Andy Nelson, Daniel Orlandi, Lou Diamond Phillips, Gerald Quist, Stephen Rivkin, Howard A. Rodman, Terilyn A. Shropshire, Dana Stevens, Mark P. Stoeckinger, Chris Tashima, Kim Taylor-Coleman, Jean Tsien, Rita Wilson and Debra Zane.
The Production and Technology Branch and Short Films Branch did not hold elections. New governors-at-large will be elected and announced later this month.
The board of governors sets the academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission. The newly elected 2025-26 board will take office at the first scheduled board meeting of the new term.
The academy has 19 branches, each represented by three governors, except for the Animation Branch, represented by two governors; the Short Films Branch, represented by one governor; and the Production and Technology Branch, also represented by one governor. Governors, including the board-elected governors-at-large, may serve up to two three-year terms (consecutive or non-consecutive), followed by a two-year hiatus, after which eligibility renews for up to two additional three-year terms for a lifetime maximum of 12 years.
For a list of the current 2024-25 academy governors, visit the the academy’s website.
