---
name: "Herbie Hancock"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/herbie-hancock"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "12 April 1940"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T06:45:06.543837+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Herbie Hancock

Composer. Born 12 April 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 12 April 1940, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Active:** 1984–present
- **Also known as:** Herbert Jeffrey Hancock, Herbert Hancock
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 1 acting, 2 crew
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 76 (1), 2000s 82 (1), 2020s 74 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbie_Hancock, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105875, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0359372/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15193

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*A Soldier's Story*](https://film.one/film/a-soldiers-story.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Herbie Hancock (born Herbert Jeffrey Hancock) is an American composer, pianist and bandleader. He began composing for film in the 1960s and has scored features including *Blow-Up* (1966), *Death Wish* (1974), *A Soldier's Story* (1984), *Colors* (1988) and *Harlem Nights* (1989).

Hancock won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for *'Round Midnight* (1986), in which he also appeared as an actor. His film work draws on his background as a jazz musician who performed with Miles Davis in the 1960s and later explored funk and electronic styles.

*Sources: imdb.com, letterboxd.com, herbiehancock.com, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

### Performed in (1)

- *Tuner* (2026), Fi1m 74, as Herbie Hancock — [page](https://film.one/film/tuner.md)

### Crew (2) — the average rests on these

- *Traffic* (2000), Fi1m 82, Musician — [page](https://film.one/film/traffic.md)
- *A Soldier's Story* (1984), Fi1m 76, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/a-soldiers-story.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Tuner* (2026), as Herbie Hancock — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/tuner.md)
- *Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets* (2017), as Defence Minister
- *River of Gold* (2016), as Narrator
- *Miles Ahead* (2016), as Live Concert Band
- *Charles Lloyd - Arrows Into Infinity* (2014), as Piano
- *Gustavo Dudamel and Herbie Hancock Celebrate Gershwin* (2011), Actor
- *The Girls in the Band* (2011), Actor
- *Miles Davis: Around Midnight* (2011), as Piano
- *On the Shoulders of Giants* (2011), as Original Music Composer
- *Herbie Hancock - The River Of Possibilities Tour - Jazz a Vienne* (2008), as Piano
- *Janet Jackson: From Janet. To Damita Jo: The Videos* (2004), Musical
- *Herbie Hancock Special* (2004), Actor
- *Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux* (2004), Actor
- *Hitters* (2002), as District Attorney
- *Herbie Hancock: Jazz Channel* (2001), as Herbie Hancock · Director
- *Traffic* (2000), Musician — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/traffic.md)
- *Wayne Shorter: Live at Montreux 1996* (1996), Actor
- *The Neville Brothers: Tell It Like It Is* (1991), as Music Director
- *Livin' Large!* (1991), Original Music Composer
- *Rabbit Ears - Koi and the Kola Nuts* (1991), Music
- *Dejohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny in Concert* (1990), Actor
- *Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland: Parallel Realities Live... (Live at Mellon Jazz Festival)* (1990), as Keyboards
- *Harlem Nights* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *The George McKenna Story* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *Colors* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *Action Jackson* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *Live at Munich Summer Piano Festiva* (1988), Actor
- *'Round Midnight* (1986), as Eddie Wayne · Original Music Composer, Conductor
- *Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling* (1986), Original Music Composer
- *A Soldier's Story* (1984), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/a-soldiers-story.md)
- *Death Wish* (1974), Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
- *PBS Soundstage 1974: Chick Corea & Return to Forever + Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters* (1974), Actor
- *The Spook Who Sat by the Door* (1973), Original Music Composer
- *Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert* (1969), Original Music Composer
- *Blow-Up* (1966), Original Music Composer
- *Herbie* (1966), Music
- *Miles Davis Quintet: Milan 1964* (1964), Actor
- *Herbie Hancock And The Rockit Band Live in London*, as Themself

## Gallery

- ![Glastonbury2022 (300 of 413)](https://film.one/media/person/296198/gallery-4123f7e39016.jpg) Glastonbury2022 (300 of 413) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Glastonbury2022_%28300_of_413%29_%2852182675979%29.jpg/1280px-Glastonbury2022_%28300_of_413%29_%2852182675979%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Herbie Hancock](https://film.one/media/person/296198/gallery-8b5b1cca3667.jpg) Herbie Hancock — pixgremlin: http://www.aworan.com c/o Pix Gremlin, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Herbie_Hancock.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/296198/gallery-e5eefdbc76e8.jpg) Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock (2015) — Paco Romero-Ferrero, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Chick_Corea_%26_Herbie_Hancock_at_EDP_Cool_Jazz_Festival%2C_Oeiras_%28Portugal%29_%2820207057768%29.jpg/1280px-Chick_Corea_%26_Herbie_Hancock_at_EDP_Cool_Jazz_Festival%2C_Oeiras_%28Portugal%29_%2820207057768%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Christoph Spendel mit Herbie Hancock](https://film.one/media/person/296198/gallery-51b48e4eff43.jpg) Christoph Spendel mit Herbie Hancock — CostaCalma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Christoph_Spendel_mit_Herbie_Hancock.jpg/1280px-Christoph_Spendel_mit_Herbie_Hancock.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Glastonbury2022 (289 of 413)](https://film.one/media/person/296198/gallery-080f78dbe48b.jpg) Glastonbury2022 (289 of 413) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Glastonbury2022_%28289_of_413%29_%2852182677204%29.jpg/1280px-Glastonbury2022_%28289_of_413%29_%2852182677204%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Glastonbury2022 (297 of 413)](https://film.one/media/person/296198/gallery-b5ef208c5d32.jpg) Glastonbury2022 (297 of 413) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Glastonbury2022_%28297_of_413%29_%2852182431213%29.jpg/1280px-Glastonbury2022_%28297_of_413%29_%2852182431213%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 1987: Best Original Score (won), for *Round Midnight*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1987: Best Original Music (nominated), for *Round Midnight*

### Golden Globes — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1986: Best Original Score (nominated), for *Round Midnight*

### Other awards — 28 won, 14 nominated

- Polar Music Prize 2025: Polar Music Prize (won)
- Kennedy Center Honors 2013: Kennedy Center Honors (won)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album 2013: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album (nominated)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group 2013: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group (nominated)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group 2011: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals 2010: Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance 2010: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals 2010: Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (won)
- Grammy Hall of Fame 2008: Grammy Hall of Fame (won), for *Head Hunters*
- Grammy Award for Album of the Year 2007: Grammy Award for Album of the Year (won), for *River: The Joni Letters*
- Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album 2007: Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album (won), for *River: The Joni Letters*
- Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals 2005: Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance 2005: Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance 2004: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance (won)
- NEA Jazz Masters 2004: NEA Jazz Masters (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album 2002: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (won), for *Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall*
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance 2002: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance (won)
- Soul Train Music Award for Best Jazz Album 1999: Soul Train Music Award for Best Jazz Album (won), for *Gershwin's World*
- Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals 1998: Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album 1998: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (won), for *Gershwin's World*
- Grammy Hall of Fame 1998: Grammy Hall of Fame (won), for *Maiden Voyage*
- Soul Train Music Award for Best Jazz Album 1997: Soul Train Music Award for Best Jazz Album (won), for *The New Standard*
- Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition 1996: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Music Video 1995: Grammy Award for Best Music Video (nominated)
- Soul Train Music Award for Best Jazz Album 1995: Soul Train Music Award for Best Jazz Album (nominated), for *A Tribute to Miles*
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album 1994: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (won), for *A Tribute to Miles*
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1994: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (won)
- César Award for Best Music Written for a Film 1987: César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (won), for *Round Midnight*
- Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition 1987: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance 1987: Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance 1984: Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance (won), for *Sound-System*
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction 1984: MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction (won)
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video 1984: MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video (won)
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing 1984: MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing (won)
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video 1984: MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video (nominated)
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects 1984: MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects (won)
- MTV Video Music Award for Most Experimental Video 1984: MTV Video Music Award for Most Experimental Video (won)
- MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year 1984: MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year (nominated)
- MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice 1984: MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance 1983: Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance (won)
- Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance 1979: Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance 1974: Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (nominated), for *Head Hunters*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/herbie-hancock