Oscar nominated British composer George Fenton dies at age 76

British composer George Fenton has died at the age of 76, according to the Guardian and BBC News. A statement from his family confirmed that his death was unexpected, but they did not provide a cause. He scored music for more than 100 films alongside major television projects. [1][2][3]

The Guardian and BBC News report that Fenton earned five Oscar nominations during his career. His film work included scores for films such as Gandhi, Groundhog Day, Dangerous Liaisons, The Fisher King, and Cry Freedom. He also collaborated on 18 films with director Ken Loach. [1][2]

In television, Fenton created famous scores for natural history series including Blue Planet and Planet Earth, as reported by BBC News. His Blue Planet music earned BAFTA, Emmy, and Ivor Novello awards. BBC News added that he composed theme music for news programmes including Newsnight and Breakfast Time. [1][2]

Fenton was born George Hawes in Bromley, Kent, in 1949 and grew up in a working class family. He took his mother's surname in 1968 to join Actors' Equity. He became one of 18 songwriters and composers named a Fellow of the Ivors Academy, and received a Classic BRIT award along with multiple BAFTA, Golden Globe, and BMI honours. [8][10]