Simon Russell is an EMMY Award winning freelance composer from the UK, composing music in a diverse range of styles for both Film and TV productions.
2014 EMMY Awards
Marc Bryan-Brown Photography.
® 2014 Marc Bryan-Brown.
Simon was awarded an EMMY in 2014 for his original soundtrack to “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer”, a documentary film by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin.
June 2021
Once Upon A Time in Iraq wins BAFTA for best factual series
composing for a new film about Ghislaine Maxwell
composing for a new series about Osama Bin Laden
May 2021
China Undercover nominated for a Peabody Award. Also nominated for a One World Media award
Battle For Hong Kong nominated for a Peabody Award
Once Upon A Time in Iraq wins Broadcast Award for best documentary series
April 2021
Pandemic 2020 (3 part series) made by the Once Upon A Time in Iraq team begins on BBC April 1st 9pm
Waldemar Januszczak’s The Michelangelo Code: Secrets of the Sistine Chapel – Sky Arts April 6th 9pm
F@ck This Job showing at Moscow’s Cinema Oktyabr on 9th April as part of the Artdocfest film festival
The Virus That Shook The World (2 part series – US version of Pandemic 2020) broadcasts on Frontline PBS 26th & 27th April
Once Upon A Time in Iraq nominated for best series in Broadcast Awards and nominated for 4 BAFTA’s
The Battle For Hong Kong nominated for a BAFTA in Current Affairs category
March 2021
Once Upon A Time in Iraq wins Best Documentary Series at the Broadcasting Press Guild awards and wins best doc series at the RTS awards
Joanna Lumley’s India series repeated on ITV 3 from 28th March 9pm
February 2021
composing for a new 3 part BBC series Pandemic
composing music for a feature doc about a Russian tv station
January 2021
Outbreak; The Virus That Shook the World documentary charting the spread of covid 19 across the world – ITV 19th January 9pm
December 2020
The Art Mysteries with Waldemar Januszczak 4 part series 7th December BBC Four
Once Upon A Time in Iraq wins Rose D’or for best documentary series
November 2020
Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag wins Grierson for Best Current Affairs Documentary
China Undercover broadcast on Frontline PBS 17th November
October 2020
How the Wild West Was Won with Ray Mears – 3 part series repeated on BBC 4 from 8th October
Big Sky, Big Dreams, Big Art: Made in the USA – 3 part series with Waldemar Januszczak repeated on BBC 4 from 15th October
Undercover; Inside China’s Digital Gulag wins Prix Italia best doc
September 2020
Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag nominated for a Grierson
composing music for a film about Sierra Leone
Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag wins International Emmy for Current Affairs
August 2020
final part of Once Upon A Time in Iraq broadcasts 10th August 9pm BBC2
Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag wins a BAFTA for best current affairs documentary
composing music for a new series made by the Once Upon A Time in Iraq team
July 2020
part 1 of Once Upon A Time in Iraq broadcasts on BBC 2 July 13th 9pm
Once Upon A Time In Iraq screens on PBS Frontline from July 14th