Composer George Fenton has signed a global administration deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG).
Fenton’s extensive works include music credits for Gandhi, BBC’s Planet Earth, Groundhog Day, Cry Freedom, The Madness of King George, Shadowlands and Dangerous Liaisons, among many others.
Throughout his career, Fenton has received numerous awards including from the Emmys, BAFTAs, Ivors, Classic Brit Awards, BMI Awards, and many more.
Fenton has authored scores for numerous natural history television programs such as The Trials of Life, Life in the Freezer, The Blue Planet, Frozen Planet and more.
These live film scores have been turned into concert works that continue to be performed by orchestras worldwide.
In his early career, he wrote the music for a variety of TV series such as Hitting Town, The Jewel in the Crown, The Monocled Mutineer and Alan Bennett’sTalking Heads.
He also penned the well-known themes for Newsnight, The Money Programme, Omnibus, Bergerac, and nearly all of the BBC’s news output in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
His theatrical composition work spans all of Peter Gill’s productions at Riverside Studios to Alan Bennett’s Hymn and Cocktail Sticks.
Fenton also wrote the musical Mrs Henderson Presents, which was produced in the West End in 2016.
“Mike McCormack and everyone in the team in London (and those that I’ve met in LA too) have been so positive and so creative.”
George Fenton
Said Fenton: “I’m excited. Signing with Universal, I was happily anticipating all the benefits of being with a company as large as they are and with as much reach as they have.
“What I wasn’t at all prepared for was the level of personal involvement. The array of individual talent and commitment that drives the machine.
“Mike McCormack and everyone in the team in London (and those that I’ve met in LA too) have been so positive and so creative – not only about what’s come before – the catalogue – but also about what’s next. That’s a really great feeling for a writer.”
“The UMPG team looks forward to creating new opportunities for him creatively as well as administering his extraordinary body of work over the past 40 years.”
Mike McCormack, UMPG
UMPG UK MD Mike McCormack added: “One of the great moments you get doing this job is that you occasionally meet a few of your idols that you’ve admired from a distance and from meeting them, you’re even more enamoured with their talent than you were just as a fan.
“Working with George is one of those rare moments.
“We initially became friends and I was blown away by the volume and quality of the movies, TV and theatre work that he has composed throughout his career.
“I felt honoured when he chose us as his new publishing partner for his company, Shogun Music.
“The UMPG team looks forward to creating new opportunities for him creatively as well as administering his extraordinary body of work over the past 40 years.”Music Business Worldwide
