Yesterday the Society of Composers and Lyricist hosted their annual reception to honor the Academy Award nominees in the music categories. Held at the Beverly Hills home of John Cacavas, in attendence to celebrate were many members of the SCL, including composers John Scott, Vic Mizzy, Stu Phillips, and Alex Wurma. Also present were Richard Sherman, Stan Freberg, Ray Evans, Stanley A. Smith, Kurt Farquhar, Steve Bramson, Ryan Shore, Carlo Siliotto (from Italy), Jacquie Sullivan, and Mervyn Warren.

Charles Bernstein, Best Song nominee Dolly Parton ("Travelin' Through" from Transamerica), and SCL President Dan Foliart

(from the right) Charles Bernstein, Red Buttons, Alan Bergman, and unknown

Academy Music Branch Governors Charles Bernstein, Arthur Hamilton, and Bruce Broughton

Score Nominee Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain) with Song Nominee Michael Becker (Crash)

Score Nominee Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain) with John Williams (Memoirs of a Geisha / Munich)

Composer Paul Hepker, artist Zola, and composer Mark Kilian from Tsotsi

All the music nominees had planned on making an appearance. Michael Becker's song partner, Best Song Nominee Kathleen "Bird" York, apparently had a last minute emergency and ended up not attending. Dolly Parton (nominated for Best Song from Transamerica) showed up - but had to leave early due to another engagement, Still, she worked the room and got a chance to say hi to everyone who was there at the time.

Gracious host John Cacavas

SCL President Dan Foliart introduced the nominees, SCL Executive Director Laura Dunn presented each nominee with a special SCL gift bag that included gifts from the Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL), the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (AMPAS), ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Some special guests were on hand to help celebrate the occasion, including acclaimed violinist Itzhak Perlman, who performed on the nominated score to Memoirs of a Geisha, and Hollywood legend Red Buttons. In all, over 300 people attended the event, making it one of the most successful in SCL history.

SCL President Dan Foliart introduces the nominees

Best Song nominee Michael Becker ("In the Deep" from Crash) with Laura Dunn and Dan Foliart

Best Song nominees Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard ("It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from Hustle & Flow) with Charles Bernstein

Best Score nominee Dario Marianelli (Pride & Prejudice) with ASCAP's Nancy Knutsen, and fellow nominees Michael Becker and Alberto Iglesias (The Constant Gardener)

Itzhak Perlman and John Williams (Memoirs of a Geisha)

Best Score nominees Gustavo Santaolalla, Alberto Iglesias, Dario Marianelli, and John Williams

Best Song nominees Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard, and Michael Becker

John Williams and SCL President Dan Foliart

The Academy Awards air tonight at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific on ABC. Be sure to check out SoundtrackNet's exclusive podcast from the SCL Reception available now at http://www.soundtrack.net/podcast/

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Special thanks to Publicist Ray Costa of Costa Communications and SCL Executive Director Laura Dunn. Photography by Jackie Sallow and Dan Goldwasser.

Related Composers: John Williams Dario Marianelli Alberto Iglesias Gustavo Santaolalla