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James Horner

James Horner

Composer · Died June 22, 2015, aged 61 · Los Angeles, California, USA

2 Oscars · 2 Golden Globes · BAFTA Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953–June 22, 2015) was an American film composer and conductor. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside traditional orchestrations and for his use of motifs associated with Celtic music. Horner won two Academy Awards for his musical composition to James Cameron's Titanic (1997), which became the best-selling orchestral film soundtrack of all time. He also wrote the score for the highest-grossing film of all time, Cameron's Avatar (2009). Horner's other Oscar-nominated scores were for Aliens (1986), An American Tail (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), Apollo 13 (1995), Braveheart (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), and House of Sand and Fog (2003). Horner's other notable scores include Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Willow (1988), The Land Before Time (1988), Glory (1989), The Rocketeer (1991), Legends of the Fall (1994), Jumanji (1995), Casper (1995), Balto (1995), The Mask of Zorro (1998), Deep Impact (1998), The Perfect Storm (2000), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Troy (2004), The New World (2005), The Legend of Zorro (2005), Apocalypto (2006), The Karate Kid (2010), and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). Horner collaborated on multiple projects with directors including James Cameron, Don Bluth, Ron Howard, Joe Johnston, Edward Zwick, Walter Hill, Mel Gibson, Vadim Perelman, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Nicholas Meyer, Wolfgang Petersen, Martin Campbell, Phil Nibbelink, and Simon Wells; producers including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, David Kirschner, Brian Grazer, Jon Landau, and Lawrence Gordon; and songwriters including Will Jennings, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. Adding to his two Academy Awards wins, Horner also won six Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, and was nominated for three BAFTA Awards. Horner, who was an avid pilot, was killed in a single-fatality crash while flying his Short Tucano turboprop aircraft. He was 61 years old. The scores for his final three films, Southpaw (2015), The 33 (2015), and The Magnificent Seven (2016), were all completed and released posthumously. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Horner, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 14, 1953
Died
June 22, 2015 (aged 61)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Composer
Titles
131 on MovieCove · 149 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What are James Horner's films like?

Across their 121 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action35 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama26 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure17 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Animation9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Biography7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
29%
Morality
19%
Self
17%
Survival
15%
Society
8%
Power
6%
Ideas
5%
Family bonds42 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival25 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice20 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity19 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship13 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty12 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity11 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief12 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 121 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 41 · Serious 33 · Dark 47

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 54 · Stylized 47 · Heightened 20

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 18 · Charged 52 · Intense 51

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 45 · Shifting 63 · Whiplash 13

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 71 · Some laughs 40 · Funny 10

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 37 · Even-paced 71 · Relentless 13

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 56 · Engaged 52 · Full focus 13

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 34 · Affecting 42 · Heavy 45

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 98 · Open-ended 17 · Ambiguous 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
72
Melancholic
47
Hopeful
46
Thrilling
29
Warm
26
Other
118

How their films linger

Hopeful59 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet45 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good28 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy49
  • Bittersweet50
  • Tragic11
  • Ambiguous10
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Horner's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 84 of their 131 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (32).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Horner's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

149 credits, 131 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Stjepan Hauser plays Bach and Morricone @ Château de Neuschwanstein 2025 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Composer

  • Willow: Behind the Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Composer

  • Willow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

  • Avatar Flight of Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Composer

  • Hacksaw Ridge(2016)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Magnificent Seven(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The 33(2015)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Southpaw(2015)

    Composer · In Memory Of

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Living in the Age of Airplanes(2015)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Wolf Totem(2015)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Reflections on Titanic(2012)

    Composer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Spider-Man(2012)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada(2012)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Day of the Falcon(2011)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Karate Kid(2010)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Avatar(2009)

    Composer · Songs

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Boy in the Striped Pajamas(2008)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Spiderwick Chronicles(2008)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Destination Imagination(2008)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Life Before Her Eyes(2007)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Apocalypto(2006)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • All the King's Men(2006)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The New World(2005)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Legend of Zorro(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Flightplan(2005)

    Composer · Conductor · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Chumscrubber(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Forgotten(2004)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Troy(2004)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius(2004)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • House of Sand and Fog(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Superior Firepower: The Making of 'Aliens'(2003)

    Composer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Missing(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Radio(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Beyond Borders(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Making of 'Sneakers'(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Four Feathers(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Windtalkers(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • A Beautiful Mind(2001)

    Composer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Iris(2001)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Raptor(2001)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Unmasking Zorro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer · as Self

  • Enemy at the Gates(2001)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Maybe It's Better not to Win - Scoring Searching for Bobby Fischer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • The Perfect Storm(2000)

    Composer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Freedom Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • Bicentennial Man(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Michelle Kwan Skates to Disney's Greatest Hits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Composer

  • Mighty Joe Young(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Mask of Zorro(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Deep Impact(1998)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Titanic(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Devil's Own(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Ransom(1996)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday(1996)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Spitfire Grill(1996)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Courage Under Fire(1996)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Balto(1995)

    Composer · Songs

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Jumanji(1995)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Jade(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Apollo 13(1995)

    Composer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Casper(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Braveheart(1995)

    Composer · Musician · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Legends of the Fall(1994)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Pagemaster(1994)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Clear and Present Danger(1994)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story(1993)

    Composer · Songs

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Pelican Brief(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Bopha! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Composer

  • The Man Without a Face(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Searching for Bobby Fischer(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • House of Cards(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Forest(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Jack the Bear(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • A Far Off Place(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Swing Kids(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Sneakers(1992)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Unlawful Entry(1992)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Patriot Games(1992)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Thunderheart(1992)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Fish Police (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • An American Tail: Fievel Goes West(1991)

    Composer · Songs

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Rocketeer(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Class Action(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Once Around(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Extreme Close-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Composer

  • Another 48 Hrs.(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • I Love You to Death(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Glory(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Dad(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • In Country(1989)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Honey, I Shrunk the Kids(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Tummy Trouble(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Crypt(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Field of Dreams(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Land Before Time(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Cocoon: The Return(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Young Guns(1988)

    Additional Music

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Vibes(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Red Heat(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Willow(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Andy Colby's Incredible Adventure(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • *batteries not included(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Project X(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • P.K. and the Kid(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • An American Tail(1986)

    Composer · Songs

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Name of the Rose(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Where the River Runs Black(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Captain EO (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer

  • Aliens(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Off Beat(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Ninja Terminator(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Barbarian Queen(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Commando(1985)

    Composer · Conductor · Music Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Amazing Stories(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Journey of Natty Gann(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Volunteers(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Cocoon(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Pied Piper of Hamelin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • Surviving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • Heaven Help Us(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock(1984)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Stone Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Composer

  • Uncommon Valor(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Gorky Park(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Dresser(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Testament(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Brainstorm(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Between Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Composer

  • Krull(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Space Raiders(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Something Wicked This Way Comes(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Journey to Krull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Composer

  • 48 Hrs.(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan(1982)

    Composer · as Enterprise Crewman

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Sorceress(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • A Piano for Mrs. Cimino(1982)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • A Few Days in Weasel Creek(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Deadly Blessing(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Wolfen(1981)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Hand(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Angel Dusted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Composer

  • Battle Beyond the Stars(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Humanoids from the Deep(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Lady in Red(1979)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Up from the Depths(1979)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 148 titles from 1979 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Avatar (2009)

$2.9B worldwide

Highest rated

Aliens (1986)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Titanic (1997)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 148: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleMusic147 of 148: 125 only music, 22 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thOther crew22 of 148: 1 only other crew, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rd

148 titles, 22 with more than one role — music and other crew overlap on 21 of them.

By decade

1970s2 · crew1980s58 · 1 acting · 58 crew1990s43 · crew2000s30 · crew2010s12 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes and 6 other major awards from 38 major nominations, 1987–2011.

WinNomination
  1. 2011
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
  2. 2010
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
  3. 2006
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Composer
  4. 2004
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Music, Original Score
  5. 2003
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
  6. 2002
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Music, Original Score
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
  7. 1999
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television
    • Grammy Award, won · Record of the Year
    • Grammy Award, won · Song of the Year
  8. 1998
    • Oscar, won · Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
    • Oscar, won · Best Music, Original Song
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
Show 7 earlier years
  1. 1996
    • Oscar, nominated ×2 · Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television
  2. 1995
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
  3. 1992
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
  4. 1991
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
  5. 1990
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Music, Original Score
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 2 nominations
      • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television
      • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Instrumental Composition
  6. 1988
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television
    • Grammy Award, won · Song of the Year
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television
  7. 1987
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Music, Original Score
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Music, Original Song
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Instrumental Composition

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do James Horner's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 129; across their 121 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 121

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 121

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 121

Midcredits score across 131 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up45
  • 50th to 74th51
  • 25th to 49th22
  • Below 25th13

Shape of the crowd

71 of their 131 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved22
  • Universally Panned2
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser71
  • Broadly Agreed16
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · composer

Ninja Terminator (1986)

86th percentile spread · 48% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Aliens (1986)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 66/100 in their films, across 109 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is James Horner's work okay for kids?

Across up to 84 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore74 titles29–86 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity84 titles8–65 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity70 titles19–77 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs67 titles9–46 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense71 titles33–77 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does James Horner work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Horner's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Steven Spielberg shares the most, 12.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles