Oscar Isaac is paying homage to his Guatemalan roots through song…
The 44-year-old Cuban-Guatemalan actor has joined voices with Gaby Moreno to release a stripped-down rendition of the classic waltz anthem, “Luna de Xelajú.”
The lead single off Moreno’s upcoming album was released on Friday alongside a music video directed by Diego Contreras, which sees the two guitarists and singers performing the track in one take at the Palace Theater in Los Angeles.
“‘Luna de Xelajú’ is considered the 2nd anthem of my country, Guatemala. Written by Paco Pérez in the 1940s,” explains Moreno. “I’ve been singing it since I was a teenager and more recently have been performing this song live in my concerts, usually as an encore. I invited my dear friend and incredible artist, Oscar Isaac, to sing it with me for this very special acoustic version…Just two voices with two guitars, singing together this timeless, sweet, and nostalgic song from our motherland.”
Isaac is no stranger to displaying his musical prowess on screen.
The Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated actor played a struggling folk musician in the Coen Brothers-directed Inside Llewyn Davis, and also co-wrote an original song for the 2011 film 10 Years. However, “Luna de Xelajú” is particularly notable because it sees Isaac singing in Spanish.
“My grandmother Graciela Argentina Nicolle de Estrada would perform ‘Luna De Xelajú’ in the concert halls of Guatemala. Growing up it was always hummed or sung as a lullaby by my mother Eugenia, and was a favorite of my uncle Guillermo’s,” Isaac says. “I’m grateful to Gaby for asking me to share this song as a way of honoring my family and all of Guate.”
Since moving to the U.S. from her native Guatemala, Moreno has put out seven albums with her 2022 record Alegoría earning a Grammy nomination for best Latin rock or alternative album. She was previously nominated in 2017 in the best Latin pop album category for her Spanish-folk album, Ilusión.
In addition to her music, Moreno has a long list of credits in TV and film. She co-wrote the theme song for Parks and Recreation, and most recently collaborated on Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix show Cabinet of Curiosities.
Moreno also received a 2023 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards nomination for her song “A Song In My Heart” in the Eugenio Derbez-starring film, The Valet.
“Luna de Xelajú” is the first single from Moreno’s “X Mí (Vol. 1)” EP (pronounced “Por Mi”), slated for release on May 5 via Cosmica Artists.
The new record — a blend of songs in both English and Spanish — “will house a collection of rich and soulful acoustic songs that have remained dear to Gaby’s heart,” per the press release.
The Latina music supervisor was among the winners at Sunday’s 13th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards.
Garcia picked up the award for Best Music Supervision in a Trailer – Film for the teaser “Leaders” for the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The ceremony, held at the Wiltern Theatre, celebrated outstanding achievement in the craft across film, television, documentaries, games, advertising and trailers. It also honored Paul Williams with the guild’s Icon Award, and Pilar McCurry who was posthumously awarded the Legacy Award.
Here’s the full list of winners:
FILM
Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted Over $25 Million Anton Monsted
Elvis
Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted $25 Million and Under Lauren Marie Mikus, Bruce Gilbert
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted $10 Million and Under Rob Lowry
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Best Music Supervision For A Non-Theatrically Released Film Rob Lowry
Do Revenge
Best Song Written and/or Recorded for a Film “This Is A Life” from Everything Everywhere All At Once
Songwriters: Ryan Lott, David Byrne, Mitski Miyawaki
Performers: David Byrne, Mitski, Son Lux
Music Supervisors: Lauren Marie Mikus, Bruce Gilbert
TELEVISION
Best Music Supervision – Television Drama Nora Felder
Stranger Things Season 4
Best Music Supervision – Television Comedy or Musical Kier Lehman
Insecure Season 5
Best Music Supervision – Reality Television Adam Brodsky, Rivka Rose
The Come Up Season 1
Best Song Written and/or Recorded for Television “Perfect Day” from Better Call Saul – Season 6 Ep. 9 – “Fun and Games”
Songwriter: Harry Nilsson
Performers: Dresage, Slow Shiver
Music Supervisor: Thomas Golubić
DOCUMENTARIES
Best Music Supervision for a Documentary Allison Wood
Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall Off
Best Music Supervision in a Docuseries Amanda Krieg Thomas
The Andy Warhol Diaries
TRAILERS
Best Music Supervision in a Trailer – Film Evelin Garcia
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Teaser “Leaders”
Best Music Supervision in a Trailer – Series Deric Berberabe, Jordan Silverberg
The White Lotus Season 2
Best Music Supervision in a Trailer – Video Game & Interactive Lindsey Kohon, Naaman Snell
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen – Launch Trailer
ADVERTISING
Best Music Supervision in Advertising (Synch) Abbey Hendrix, Jonathan Wellbelove
Apple – The Greatest
Best Music Supervision in Advertising (Original Music) Sunny Kapoor, Mike Ladman, Brad Nayman, Brandy Ricker
Meta – Good Ideas Deserve to be Found: A (Slightly) Life-Changing Story
VIDEO GAMES
Best Music Supervision in a Video Game (Synch)
Dylan Bostick, Josh Kessler
Saint’s Row V
Best Music Supervision in a Video Game (Original) Steve Schnur
Battlefield 2042 DLC – Season 1 – Zero Hour, Season 2 – Master of Arms, Season 3 – Escalation
Composers: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Sam Slater
Joe Rodríguez & Javier Nuño are celebrating their latest recognition…
The Guild of Music Supervisors has announced the nominees for its 11th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, with the Latino music supervisors earning a nod.
Rodríguez and Nuño were nominated in the Best music supervision for film budgeted under $5 million for their work on Netflix’s Mexican Spanish- language musical drama film I’m No Longer Here (Ya No Estoy Aquí), which was written and directed by Fernando Frías de la Parra.
Last year, Rodríguez and Nuño were named to Variety’s Music Supervisors to Watch after rocketing from obscurity by providing the soundtrack to Fred Armisen, Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega’s cult HBO hit Los Espookys.
The Guild of Music Supervisors Awards nominations recognize the craft of music supervision in film, television, games, advertising and trailers.
The awards will be presented virtually on April 11.
Here’s a complete list of nominees:
FILM Best song written and/or recorded for a film
“Turntables” from All In: The Fight for Democracy
Writer: George “George 2.0” A. Peters II, Janelle “Django Jane” Monáe, Nathaniel Irvin III
Performed By: Janelle Monáe
Music Supervisor: Andrew Gross
“Love Myself” from The High Note
Writer: Greg Kurstin, Sarah Aarons
Performed By: Tracee Ellis Ross
Music Supervisor: Linda Cohen
“Make It Work” from Jingle Jangle
Writer: John Stephens
Performed By: Forest Whitaker, Anika Noni Rose
Music Supervisor: Julia Michels
“Carried Me With You” from Onward
Writer: Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth
Performed By: Brandi Carlile
Music Supervisor: Tom MacDougall
“Hear My Voice” from The Trial of Chicago 7
Writer: Celeste Waite, Daniel Pemberton
Performed By: Celeste
Music Supervisor: Peter Afterman, Alison Litton
Best music supervision for film budgeted over $25 million
Jonathan Leahy – Bill & Ted Face The Music
Becky Bentham – Eurovision
Julia Michels – Jingle Jangle
Tom MacDougall – Soul
Angela Leus (uncredited) – Trolls World Tour
Best music supervision for film budgeted under $25 million
Season Kent – Happiest Season
Linda Cohen – The High Note
Dan Wilcox – I’m Your Woman
Kevin Edelman – I Still Believe
Dawn Sutter Madell – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best music supervision for film budgeted under $10 million
Tracy McKnight – The Half Of It
Liz Gallacher – Military Wives
Robin Urdang – Palm Springs
Susan Jacobs – Promising Young Woman
Best music supervision for film budgeted under $5 million
Jessica Moore – Babyteeth
Greg Danylyshyn – Burden
Dondrea Erauw, Michael Perlmutter – The Cuban
Joe Rodríguez & Javier Nuño – I’m No Longer Here (Ya No Estoy Aquí)
Adèle Ho, Graham Kurzner – Yellow Rose
TELEVISION Best song written and/or recorded for television
Title: “Build It Up”
Songwriter: Ingrid Michaelson
Artist: Ingrid Michaelson
Program: Little Fires Everywhere
Episode: #108 “Find a Way”
Music Supervisor: Mary Ramos
Title: “Memorized”
Songwriters: Taylor Goldsmith, Siddhartha Khosla
Artist: Blake Stadnik
Program: This Is Us
Episode: #401 “Strangers”
Music Supervisors: Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe
Title: “One Less Angel”
Songwriters: Thomas Mizer, Curtis Moore
Artist: Darius de Haas
Program: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Episode: #301 “Strike Up the Band”
Music Supervisor: Robin Urdang
Title: “The Way It Used to Be”
Songwriters: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Artists: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Program: Watchmen
Episode: #106 “This Extraordinary Being”
Music Supervisor: Liza Richardson
Title: “The Whole of the Moon”
Songwriter: Michael Scott
Artist: Fiona Apple
Program: The Affair
Episode: #511
Music Supervisor: Michael Hill
Best music supervision – television drama
Ashley Neumeister – American Soul – Season 2
Thomas Golubić – Better Call Saul – Season 5
Amanda Krieg Thomas, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ryan Murphy – Hollywood – Season 1
Sarah Bromberg, Stephanie Diaz-Matos – P-Valley – Season 1
Liza Richardson – Watchmen – Season 1
Best music supervision – television comedy or musical
Andrea von Foerster – Daybreak – Season 1
Manish Raval, Alison Rosenfeld, Tom Wolfe – High Fidelity – Season 1
Kier Lehman – Insecure – Season 4
Robin Urdang – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Season 3
Matt Biffa – Sex Education – Season 2
Best music supervision – reality television
Robin Kaye, Ashley Viergever – American Idol – Season 4
Cathy Duncan – America’s Most Musical Family – Season 1
Matthew Hearon-Smith – Legendary – Season 1
Meryl Ginsberg – The Masked Singer – Season 3
Best music supervision – television movie
Mandi Collier, Frankie Pine – Patsy & Loretta
Liz Gallacher – The Sleepover
Marius de Vries – Stargirl
Warren Fischer, Laura Webb, Lindsay Wolfington – To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
DOCUMENTARIES Best music supervision for a documentary
Liz Gallacher – Belushi
Aminé Ramer – Crip Camp
Ian Neil – Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan
Chris Robertson – Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President
Ed Gerrard – Mr. Soul!
Best music supervision in a docuseries
Jon Ernst – Cheer (Note: Everyone on the committee is aware of current legal allegations going on against some of the cast members of the show. However, we decided to push this docuseries through, because the Doc Committees’ job was to analyze the music supervision done in this docuseries.)
Willa Yudell – Helter Skelter: An American Myth
Rudy Chung – The Last Dance
Dan Wilcox – Street Food: Latin America
TRAILERS Best music supervision in a trailer
Mike Lynn – Judas And The Black Messiah
Brian Murphy – Jungleland
Gregory Sweeney – Land
Chase Casanova – Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Mike Lynn – Pieces of A Woman
ADVERTISING Best music supervision in advertising (synch)
David Lapinsky – Procter & Gamble “The Choice”
Andy Hamm – Apple “A Journey Into The Valley Of Fire – Shot on iPhone”
Mike Ladman – New York Times “Life Needs Truth”
Mike Ladman – Facebook “Never Lost”
Andrew Kahn, Morgan Thoryk – Zillow “The Real Value of Home”
Best music supervision in advertising (original music)
Rebecca Grierson – JaxJox “The All-In-One Interactive Studio”
Andrew Kahn, Morgan Thoryk – Xfinity Mobile “Go Your Own Way”
Jessie Kalikow – Apple – “The Magic Of Mini feat. Tierra Whack”
Jonathan Wellbelove – Apple iPhone 12 Pro – “Make Movies Like The Movies”
Mike Ladman – Hennessy “Maurice And The Black Bear School”
VIDEO GAMES Best music supervision in a video game
Karyn Rachtman – “BEYOND BLUE”
Eric Craig – “Cyberpunk 2077”
Cybele Pettus – “FIFA 21”
Eric Kalver – “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2”
Mary Ramos – “Wasteland 3”
There’s no reason for Stephanie Diaz-Matos to get down…
The Latina music supervisor picked up two Guild of Music Supervisors Awards.
The awards recognize outstanding music supervisors in 14 categories, representing movies, television, games and trailers.
Diaz-Matos, who served as the music supervisor on Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix series The Get Down, won in both categories she was nominated in: Best Music Supervision in a Television Musical or Comedy and Best Song/Recording Created for Television for the track “Set Me Free,” performed by Herizen Guardiola (feat. Nile Rodgers & The Americanos).
Here’s the complete list of winners:
Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Over $25 Million Steven Gizicki for La La Land
Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $25 Million Chris Douridas for Captain Fantastic
Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $10 Million Howard Paar for 20th Century Women
Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $5 Million Joel C. High for Of Mind and Music
Best Song/Recording Created for a Film “City of Stars” performed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (La La Land)
Steven Gizicki (Supervisor)
Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul (Songwriters)
Best Music Supervision in a Television Drama Nora Felder for Stranger Things (Season 1)
Best Music Supervision in a Television Comedy Stephanie Diaz-Matos for The Get Down (Season 1)
Best Music Supervision in a Docuseries or Reality Television Clyde Lieberman and Jill Meyers for The Voice (Season 10)
Best Music Supervision in a Television Limited Series or Movie PJ Bloom for The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Best Song/Recording Created for Television “Set Me Free” performed by Herizen Guardiola (Feat. Nile Rodgers & The Americanos) (The Get Down: Episode 105)
Stephanie Diaz-Matos (Supervisor)
Louie Rubio, Alexander Shultz, Raja Kumari, Baz Luhrmann, Elliott Wheeler(Songwriters)
Best Music Supervision for a Documentary Iain Cooke and Ian Neil for Oasis: Supersonic
Music Supervision for Trailers
Lana Bui and Naaman Snell for Suicide Squad (Trailer #2 “Rhapsody”)
Music Supervision for Video Games Cybele Pettus for FIFA 17
Best Use of Music by a Music House Sam Spiegel (Squeak-E Clean) for Kenzo The New Fragrance
Best Use of Music by a Brand Apple iPhone 7 “Dive”
Stephanie Diaz-Matos has plenty of reason to get down…
The Latina music supervisor has received two Guild of Music Supervisors Award nominations.
Diaz-Matos, who served as the music supervisor on Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix series The Get Down, earned nods in the Best Music Supervision in a Television Musical or Comedy and Best Song/Recording Created for Television for the track “Set Me Free,” performed by Herizen Guardiola (feat. Nile Rodgers & The Americanos).
Jojo Villanueva also received two Guild of Music Supervisors Award nominations.
He’s up for Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Over $25 Million for his work on Sing, as well as Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $10 Million for his work alongside Dave Jordan on Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life.
The awards recognize outstanding music supervisors in 14 categories, representing movies, television, games and trailers.
The Guild of Music Supervisors Awards will take place on February 16 at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.
FILM NOMINATIONS
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR FILMS BUDGETED OVER $25 MILLION John Houlihan for Deadpool Steven Gizicki for La La Land Jojo Villanueva for Sing Becky Bentham for Sing Street Julia Michels and Julianne Jordan for Trolls
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR FILMS BUDGETED UNDER $25 MILLION Julia Michels for Bad Moms Chris Douridas for Captain Fantastic Karen Elliott for Florence Foster Jenkins Linda Cohen and Zohran Kwame Mamdani for Queen of Katwe Gabe Hilfer for Sausage Party
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR FILMS BUDGETED UNDER $10 MILLION Howard Paar for 20th Century Women Joel C. High for Boo! A Madea Halloween Jason Markey for Edge of Seventeen Dave Jordan and Jojo Villanueva for Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life Ed Gerrard for Miles Ahead
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR FILMS BUDGETED UNDER $5 MILLION Robin Urdang for Elvis & Nixon Rob Lowry for The Intervention Joel C. High for Of Mind and Music
BEST SONG/RECORDING CREATED FOR A FILM “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” performed by Justin Timberlake (Trolls)
Julia Michels and Julianne Jordan (Supervisors)
Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Karl Johan Schuster (Songwriters)
“City of Stars” performed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (La La Land)
Steven Gizicki (Supervisor)
Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul (Songwriters)
“Drive It Like You Stole It” performed by Sing Street Cast (Sing Street)
Becky Bentham (Supervisor)
Gary Clark (Songwriter)
“Heathens” performed by Twenty One Pilots (Suicide Squad)
Season Kent and Gabe Hilfer (Supervisors)
Tyler Joseph (Songwriter)
“Just Like Fire” performed by P!nk (Alice Through The Looking Glass)
Mitchell Leib and Kaylin Frank (Supervisors)
Alecia Moore, Max Martin, Karl Johan Schuster, Oscar Holter (Songwriters)
TELEVISION NOMINATIONS
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Thomas Golubić and Yvette Metoyer for Halt and Catch Fire (Season 3) Heather Guibert for Rosewood (Season 1) Nora Felder for Stranger Things (Season 1) Liza Richardson for The Leftovers (Season 2) Lindsay Wolfington for The Royals (Season 2)
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A TELEVISION MUSICAL OR COMEDY Jen Ross and Dave Jordan for Empire (Season 2) Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe, and Jonathan Leahy for Girls (Season 5) Kevin Edelman for Jane the Virgin (Season 2) Zach Cowie and Kerri Drootin for Master of None (Season 1) Stephanie Diaz-Matos for The Get Down (Season 1)
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A DOCUSERIES OR REALITY TELEVISION Meryl Ginsberg for America’s Got Talent (Season 11) Robin Kaye for American Idol: The Farewell Season (Season 15) Carrie Hughes for Follow the Rules (Season 1) Matthew Hearon-Smith for Noisey (Season 1) Clyde Lieberman and Jill Meyers for The Voice (Season 10)
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE Madonna Wade-Reed for American Crime (Season 2) PJ Bloom for American Horror Story: Hotel Tony Scudellari for Mother, May I Sleep With Danger? PJ Bloom for The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
BEST SONG/RECORDING CREATED FOR TELEVISION “Powerful” performed by Jussie Smollett and Alicia Keys (Empire: Episode 210)
Jen Ross and Dave Jordan (Supervisors)
JR Rotem, Talay Riley, Alexander Izquierdo, Jussie Smollett (Songwriters)
“Set Me Free” performed by Herizen Guardiola (Feat. Nile Rodgers & The Americanos) (The Get Down: Episode 105)
Stephanie Diaz-Matos (Supervisor)
Louie Rubio, Alexander Shultz, Raja Kumari, Baz Luhrmann, Elliott Wheeler(Songwriters)
“Life On Mars” performed by Aurora (Girls: Episode 505)
Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe, and Jonathan Leahy (Supervisors)
David Bowie (Songwriter)
“Does She Love” performed by Gabrielle Dennis (Rosewood: Episode 119)
Heather Guibert (Supervisor)
Gabriel Mann, Rebecca Kneubuhl, Jeannie Lurie (Songwriters)
“Half Light” performed by Banners (The Royals: Episode 210)
Lindsay Wolfington (Supervisor)
Daniel Smith, Justin Parker (Songwriters)
DOCUMENTARY
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR A DOCUMENTARY Iain Cooke and Ian Neil for Oasis: Supersonic Mirna Maddox for The Tower Gary Welch for I Called Him Morgan Dan Wilcox for Gleason
Heather Kreamer for Where To Invade Next
TRAILERS
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR TRAILERS Toddrick Spaulding for The Accountant (Teaser #1) Jordan Silverberg for The Lego Batman Movie (Teaser #1 “Batcave”) Lana Bui and Naaman Snell for Suicide Squad (Trailer #2 “Rhapsody”)
Danny Exum for Kubo and the Two Strings (Trailer #1) Marcy Bulkeley for The Girl on The Train (Trailer #1)
VIDEO GAMES
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A VIDEO GAME Steve Schnur for Battlefield 1 Brandon Young and Katie Byam for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Cybele Pettus for FIFA 17 Maya Halfon and Kyle Hopkins for Forza Horizon 3 Jonathan Mayer and Scott Hanau for Uncharted 4
ADVERTISING
BEST USE OF MUSIC BY A MUSIC HOUSE Ryan Wines (Marmoset) for Secret “Ladies Room” Ring The Alarm for Lincoln “Crafted” Peter Gannon (Walker) for Heinz “Weiner Stampede” Sam Spiegel (Squeak-E Clean) for Kenzo The New Fragrance Dawn Sutter Madell (Agoraphone) for Audi “Commander” Beth Urdang and Brienne Rose (Noiseracket) for Spotify “Moving”
BEST USE OF MUSIC BY A BRAND Apple iPhone 7 “Dive”
Nike “Unlimited Together”
LG / HitRECord LG V20 “Everyday, Spectacular”