Beating Bluey and Moana did come as a surprise for alumnus film composer Finn Clarke. But it also shows the talent waiting to be unearthed in Tasmania, he says.
Finn won Best Soundtrack Album at the prestigious 2025 Screen Music Awards - backed by peak bodies APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers – for his work on documentary The Raftsmen.
Making Finn’s achievement even more monumental, the other nominees included Bluey: Rug Island and Moana 2. He was also the only composer in the category not backed by an entertainment giant like Disney, Universal or Sony.
“It’s surreal and a real honour to be recognised alongside projects and composers I admire so much,” he said.
“I created the music on a shoestring budget and submitted it on a bit of a whim, so to be nominated and win is incredible.
“I hope it highlights the depth of talent in regional areas like Tasmania, which simply needs opportunities to shine.”
Shining is what Finn has been doing, even before beginning his Bachelor of Music in 2018. He began composing on the piano at 14 before earning a swag of scholarships during his time at the University’s Conservatorium of Music.
He played violin in the Tasmanian Youth and University orchestras, folk bands and a dubstep duo and freelanced as a sound recordist on Australian productions Deadloch, Bay of Fires and Muster Dogs before getting a break composing for programs on SBS and the ABC.
After linking with Dr Chadden Hunter on his ABC documentary The Platypus Guardian, Finn was hired again for the director’s next project, the true story of 12 men who set out to cross the South Pacific on three log rafts in the 1970s.
“The Raftsmen celebrates the endurance, courage and strength of the human spirit, set against the vast, unpredictable Pacific Ocean,” he said.
“Through the score, Chadden and I aimed to capture the awesome power of the ocean and the raftsmen’s emotional journeys, while reflecting on humanity’s deeper connection to the planet.”
Support from the Brian May Scholarship and Ian Potter Cultural Trust means Finn is now in Los Angeles completing a Masters in Screen Scoring at the University of Southern California’s famed Thornton School of Music.
There he’s recording new compositions every fortnight in Hollywood studios, building his network at the same time.
“Many of my favourite composers studied here, so it’s been amazing to be able to attend,” he said.
“It’s already helping me strengthen my connections within the Hollywood film and TV industry and has led to some exciting new collaborations, which I hope continue.”
Finn says his grounding at the Conservatorium has helped him build a career in the field that is his passion.
“I’m forever grateful for the training I received at UTAS,” he said.
“My Bachelor’s gave me a strong technical and artistic foundation, and I met lifelong friends and collaborators there – I even worked with one of them on The Raftsmen soundtrack (the amazing Kenneth King).
“I’m especially grateful to the incredible faculty at the Con, for going above and beyond and being so dedicated to our learning.”
His tips for up-and-coming film composers? Three simple suggestions:
- Apply for every opportunity; you never know where it could lead.
- Find mentors and collaborators; you can’t do it all alone.
- Put yourself out there. You might be Mozart 2.0, but no one will hire you if they don’t know you exist.
For now, he’s fully focused on his ‘pretty intense’ studies but is also excited about what doors might open next.
“I can’t say much yet, but there are also some exciting projects in the pipeline for after I graduate,” he said.
If you’d like to study film composition in our state-of-the-art facilities at The Hedberg, learn more here.