Daniel Pemberton

Daniel Pemberton (born 3 November 1977) is an English composer and songwriter. Primarily working in film, television, and video games, he is best known for composing the scores for the films Project Hail Mary and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as well as its sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the latter of which earned him a number of award nominations, including at the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Awards. He has received recognition for his work in films such as Steve Jobs, Motherless Brooklyn, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Being the Ricardos, The Rescue, Enola Holmes and its sequel Enola Holmes 2 (the latter of which also featured a cameo from Pemberton, portraying an orchestra conducter), as well as the first two entries in the LittleBigPlanet series of games and The Bad Guys film franchise (2022–present). For The Trial of the Chicago 7, Pemberton was nominated for the Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Film Score as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song alongside Celeste for the song "Hear My Voice".

Early life Pemberton grew up in East Molesey and attended Hampton School. At the age of 12, he completed work experience for the video game magazine Zero. Following the launch of Game Zone, at age 13 Pemberton ran PG Tips, the cheats and tips section for the magazine. He subsequently bought a keyboard and a tape player with his earnings.

Career In 1994, at the age of 16, Pemberton recorded his debut album, Bedroom, on a multitrack cassette recorder, which caught the attention of ambient musician Pete Namlook and was released on the latter's Fax label as part of its sub-label series. This album impressed TV director Paul Wilmshurst, who asked 17-year-old Pemberton to score a TV documentary on which he was working. Following this, he became a very in-demand composer for British television eventually segueing into feature film with his debut score of The Awakening from director Nick Murphy.

In 2013, Pemberton completed his breakthrough score of director Ridley Scott's film The Counselor, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

In 2021, he was named "Film Composer of the Year" by the World Soundtrack Awards and International Film Music Critics Association.

Pemberton was originally named the "Discovery of the Year" in 2014 at the World Soundtrack Awards and nominated as "Film Composer of the Year" in 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Pemberton has been nominated for an Academy Award, won an Emmy Award and been nominated four times for a Golden Globe award and three times for a BAFTA Award. In 2021 he was nominated for the Academy Award For Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for the song "Hear My Voice" from the film The Trial of the Chicago 7 which was performed and co-written with Celeste. Pemberton and Celeste performed the song during the 2021 Oscars Ceremony from the roof of the newly opened Academy Museum in Hollywood. A new arrangement of the song was also used as a central part of the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games featuring a 1,000-piece choir and guitar solos from Black Sabbath founder Tony Iommi.

In 2016 his score for Steve Jobs was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. In 2017 he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for the song Gold from the film of the same name which he co-wrote with Iggy Pop, Danger Mouse and the director Stephen Gaghan. In 2019 his score for Motherless Brooklyn was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. He won an Emmy for his work on the acclaimed Paralympic documentary Rising Phoenix creating a score and song working alongside numerous musicians and artists with disabilities.

Pemberton's other notable works include the Ridley Scott-directed The Counselor (2013) and All the Money in the World (2017); the Danny Boyle-directed Steve Jobs (2015) and Yesterday (2019); the Guy Ritchie-directed The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017); the Aaron Sorkin-directed Molly's Game (2017), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), and Being the Ricardos (2021); Cuban Fury (2014); the French film Mal De Pierres (2016); the score to the American 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, as well as the score to its 2023 sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Ocean's 8 (2018); Enola Holmes (2020); and The Rescue (2021), for which Pemberton won a Critics' Choice Award for Best Score.

Earlier work includes The Awakening (2011); the live-action short Ghost Recon: Alpha (2012), directed by Francois Alaux and Herve De Crecy and edited by Pietro Scalia; Blood (2012); and In Fear and the television film Complicit (both 2013). Pemberton also scored director Gareth Edwards' breakthrough sci-fi short film Factory Farmed.

Pemberton has composed title tunes and incidental music for several television series including The Game, Prey, Ambassadors, Peep Show, Desperate Romantics, Space Dive, Occupation, Prisoners' Wives, Black Mirror, My Mad Fat Diary, Suburban Shootout, Hell's Kitchen, Great British Menu, and the first series of the 2010 revival of Upstairs Downstairs. He has composed music for video games such as LittleBigPlanet, Kinect Adventures, LittleBigPlanet 2, The Movies and TrackMania Turbo. Using the alias The Daniel Pemberton TV Orchestra, some of his television themes were released on the album TVPOPMUZIK in 2007, while his video game work—primarily that from LittleBigPlanet—was released on the album LittleBIGMusic.

For the 2020 Paralympics documentary film Rising Phoenix as well as working with disabled musicians on the score Pemberton collaborated with disabled rappers Toni Hickman, Georgetragic and Keith Jones to create the end credits song "Rising Phoenix". which was used in the closing ceremonies of both the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Pemberton has co-written songs such as "Jokes on You", the title track performed by Charlotte Lawrence from the film Birds of Prey; "Good Tonight" performed by Anthony Ramos and "Brand New Day" performed by the Heavy from the animated DreamWorks feature film The Bad Guys; and the title theme "Come With Me" performed by Yola from the second Netflix series of Green Eggs And Ham. He co-wrote and produced the end titles song "Time" from the movie Amsterdam with Drake and performed by Giveon which was shortlisted for the 2023 Oscars.

In 2022 Pemberton co-wrote and produced the title song "Strange Game" with Mick Jagger for the Apple TV series Slow Horses.

On July 26, 2025 during the San Diego Comic-Con Project Hail Mary directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller announced Daniel Pemberton as the music composer and producer. However a later interview with Soundsphere Magazine revealed that he had been contracted to compose the film's soundtrack in 2024.

Filmography Feature film Year Title Director(s) Studio(s) Notes 2009 Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin Thet Sambath Old Street FilmsInternational Film Circuit 2011 The Awakening Nick Murphy StudioCanalBBC Films 2012 Blood Momentum PicturesBBC Films 2013 In Fear Jeremy Lovering StudioCanal The Counselor Ridley Scott Scott Free Productions20th Century Fox 2014 Cuban Fury James Griffiths StudioCanal Big Talk Productions 2015 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Guy Ritchie Guy Ritchie/Lionel Wigram FilmsRatPac-Dune EntertainmentDavis EntertainmentWarner Bros. Pictures Steve Jobs Danny Boyle Universal Pictures Legendary PicturesScott Rudin Productions The Mark Gordon Company Entertainment 360 Decibel Films Cloud Eight Films 2016 From the Land of the Moon Nicole Garcia StudioCanal Gold Stephen Gaghan The Weinstein CompanyDimension 2017 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Guy Ritchie Warner Bros. PicturesVillage Roadshow PicturesWeed Road PicturesSafehouse PicturesRitchie/Wigram ProductionsRatPac-Dune EntertainmentMark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House Peter Landesman Sony Pictures Classics Scott Free Productions Molly's Game Aaron Sorkin STXfilms All the Money in the World Ridley Scott Imperative EntertainmentScott Free ProductionsRedRum Films TriStar Pictures 2018 Ocean's 8 Gary Ross Warner Bros. PicturesVillage Roadshow PicturesReplaced Nicholas Britell Scarborough Barnaby Southcombe Embargo FilmsPoisson Rouge PicturesKaleidoscope Entertainment Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Bob PersichettiPeter RamseyRodney Rothman Columbia PicturesSony Pictures AnimationMarvel EntertainmentArad ProductionsLord Miller ProductionsPascal Pictures2019 Yesterday Danny Boyle Universal Pictures Motherless Brooklyn Edward Norton Warner Bros. Pictures2020 Birds of Prey Cathy Yan DC FilmsWarner Bros. Pictures Enola Holmes Harry Bradbeer Legendary PicturesPCMA ProductionsNetflix The Trial of the Chicago 7 Aaron Sorkin Paramount PicturesCross Creek PicturesMarc Platt ProductionsDreamWorks PicturesShivHans PicturesNetflix Rising Phoenix Ian BonhotePeter Ettedgui Netflix2021 The Rescue Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Jimmy Chin National Geographic Documentary FilmsGreenwich Entertainment Being the Ricardos Aaron Sorkin Amazon StudiosEscape Artists2022 The Bad Guys Pierre Perifel Universal PicturesDreamWorks AnimationBrian and Charles Jim Archer Focus Features (United States)Universal Pictures (International)See How They Run Tom George DJ Films Searchlight PicturesAmsterdam David O. Russell 20th Century StudiosRegency Enterprises Replaced Hildur Guðnadóttir Enola Holmes 2 Harry Bradbeer Legendary PicturesPCMA ProductionsNetflix Cameo appearance as orchestra conductor 2023 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Joaquim Dos SantosKemp PowersJustin K. Thompson Columbia PicturesSony Pictures AnimationMarvel EntertainmentArad ProductionsLord Miller ProductionsPascal Pictures Ferrari Michael Mann NEON 2024 Fly Me to the Moon Greg Berlanti Apple StudiosColumbia Pictures 2025 Materialists Celine Song 2AMKiller FilmsA24Stage 6 Films Eddington Ari Aster A24 co-composed with Bobby Krlic The Bad Guys 2 Pierre Perifel Universal PicturesDreamWorks Animation 2026 Project Hail Mary Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Amazon MGM StudiosPascal PicturesGeneral AdmissionLord Miller ProductionsWaypoint Entertainment The Drama Kristoffer Borgli A24 Masters of the Universe Travis Knight Amazon MGM StudiosMattel StudiosEscape Artists 2027 Bob PersichettiJustin K. Thompson Columbia PicturesSony Pictures AnimationMarvel EntertainmentArad ProductionsLord Miller ProductionsPascal Pictures

Short film Year Title Director 2008 Factory Farmed Gareth Edwards 2012 Ghost Recon: Alpha Francois AlauxHerve de Crecy

Television Year Title Notes 2002–2006 Bad Lads' Army Broadcast on ITV 2003–2006 That'll Teach 'Em Broadcast on Channel 4 2003–2015 Peep Show Broadcast on Channel 4 2004–2009 Hell's Kitchen Broadcast on ITV 2006 Great British Menu Theme music for season 1, broadcast on BBC Two Prehistoric Park Broadcast on ITV2009 Commanders at War Broadcast on the Military Channel The Lost World of Communism Episode: "The Kingdom of Forgetting" Runaway Serial, broadcast on CBBC Best: His Mother's Son TV movie, broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Northern Ireland Occupation Serial, broadcast on BBC One Desperate Romantics Broadcast on BBC Two Wildest Dreams 2 episodes, broadcast on BBC One 2010–2012 Dirk Gently Broadcast on BBC 4 2010 Upstairs Downstairs Series 1, broadcast on BBC One 2012 Public Enemies Broadcast on BBC One 2012–2013 Prisoners' Wives Broadcast on BBC One 2012 Pramface Episode: "Like Narnia But Sexy" 2013 Complicit TV movie, broadcast on Channel 4 Ambassadors Serial, broadcast on BBC Two 2014–2015 Prey Broadcast on ITV 2014 The Game Serial, broadcast on BBC Two 2017; 2025 Black Mirror Episodes: "USS Callister", "Bête Noire", "USS Callister: Into Infinity" 2018 One Strange Rock Miniseries, broadcast on National Geographic 2019 Brexit: The Uncivil War TV movie, broadcast on Channel 4 and HBO The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Netflix miniseries, co-composer with Samuel Sim Original Dark Crystal theme by Trevor Jones 2021 Welcome to Earth Disney+ series 2022–2023 The Afterparty Apple TV+ series, co-composer with David Schweitzer for season 2 2022 Slow Horses Apple TV+ series, co-composer with Toydrum Green Eggs and Ham Netflix series, season 2 theme with Gary GoPerformed by YolaScore composed by David Newman

Video games

Discography

Bedroom (Fax +49-69/450464, 1994) Octopus 3 [with Charles Uzzell-Edwards] (Fax +49-69/450464, 1998) Enhanced Environments [with Charles Uzzell-Edwards] (Subversal Records, 1999)

Soundtrack releases

Project Hail Mary (Milan Records, 2026) The Bad Guys 2 (Back Lot Music, 2025) Ferrari (Milan Records, 2023) The Afterparty: Season 2 (Madison Gate Records, 2023) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Classical, 2023) Slow Horses: Season 2 (Apple Video Programming, 2023) Enola Holmes 2 (Milan Records, 2022) Amsterdam (Hollywood Records, 2022) See How They Run (Hollywood Records, 2022) Brian and Charles (1812 Recordings, 2022) The Bad Guys (Back Lot Music, 2022) The Afterparty: Season 1 (Madison Gate Records, 2022) Welcome to Earth (National Geographic Partners, 2021) Being the Ricardos (Lakeshore Records, 2021) The Rescue (National Geographic Partners, 2021) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Varèse Sarabande, 2020) Enola Holmes (Milan Records, 2020) Rising Phoenix (1812 Recordings, 2020) Birds of Prey (WaterTower Music, 2020) Motherless Brooklyn (WaterTower Music, 2019) The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Vol. 1 (Cutting Edge Music, 2019) The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Vol. 2 (Cutting Edge Music, 2019) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Classical, 2018) Ocean's 8 (WaterTower Music, 2018) Molly's Game (Sony Classical, 2018) Black Mirror: USS Callister (1812 Recordings, 2017) All The Money in the World (Sony Classical, 2017) Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House (Filmtrax Ltd., 2017) King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (WaterTower Music, 2017) Gold (BMG, 2017) From The Land Of The Moon (Mal De Pierres) (Les Productions Du Tresor, 2017) Steve Jobs (Back Lot Music, 2015) The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Watertower, 2015) The Game (MovieScore Media, 2015) Cuban Fury (Decca Records, 2014) The Counselor (Milan Records, 2013) Blood (MovieScore Media, 2013) Space Dive (1812 Recordings, 2012) Dirk Gently (Moviescore Media, 2012) The Awakening (Moviescore Media/Screamworks, 2012) Desperate Romantics (1812 Recordings, 2012) LittleBIGMusic (1812 Recordings, 2011) The Haunted Airman (1812 Recordings, 2011) Upstairs Downstairs (1812 Recordings, 2010) Kinect Adventures (1812 Recordings, 2010) Monster Moves: Songs + Sounds (1812 Recordings, 2009) Heroes and Villains: Attila the Hun / Napoleon (Moviescore Media, 2009) TVPOPMUZIK (1812 Recordings, 2007) Prehistoric Park (1812 Recordings, 2006)

Awards and nominations