---
name: "Michael Nyman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-nyman"
fi1m_id: "michael-nyman"
imdb_id: "nm0006219"
tmdb_id: 10759
wikidata_id: "Q313639"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "23 March 1944"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-07T16:16:40.017429+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."
---

# Michael Nyman

## Identity

Michael Nyman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-nyman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-nyman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0006219
- **TMDB ID:** 10759
- **Wikidata ID:** Q313639
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Nyman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313639, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006219/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10759

Composer. Born 23 March 1944 in Stratford, London, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 23 March 1944, Stratford, London, England, UK
- **Active:** 1982–2018
- **Also known as:** Michael Laurence Nyman
- **Frequently works with:** [Peter Greenaway](https://film.one/person/peter-greenaway.md), [Kees Kasander](https://film.one/person/kees-kasander.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 80 (2), 1990s 84 (2), 2000s 73 (2), 2010s 67 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 72 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Romance 2, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Documentary 1, History 1
- **Screen time:** 13 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $77m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Nyman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313639, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006219/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10759

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Man on Wire*](https://film.one/film/man-on-wire.md) (90), [*The Draughtsman's Contract*](https://film.one/film/the-draughtsmans-contract.md) (82), [*Gattaca*](https://film.one/film/gattaca.md) (80), [*The Libertine*](https://film.one/film/the-libertine.md) (56)
- **AMC+:** [*Everyday*](https://film.one/film/everyday.md) (67)

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

## Biography

Michael Nyman is an English composer. He studied piano, harpsichord and music history at the Royal Academy of Music and musicology at King's College, London. In 1977 he founded the Michael Nyman Band.

Nyman is known for his film scores, many composed during a long collaboration with director Peter Greenaway that includes *The Draughtsman's Contract* (1982), *The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover* (1989) and *Prospero's Books* (1991). His score for Jane Campion's *The Piano* (1993) achieved wide commercial success. Other film work includes *Gattaca* (1997), *Ravenous* (1999) and *The End of the Affair* (1999).

He has also written operas, concertos and chamber music. Nyman was appointed CBE in 2008.

*Sources: imdb.com, classical-music.com, allmusic.com, udiscovermusic.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

- *Everyday* (2012), Fi1m 67, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/everyday.md)
- *Man on Wire* (2008), Fi1m 90, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/man-on-wire.md)
- *The Libertine* (2004), Fi1m 56, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-libertine.md)
- *Gattaca* (1997), Fi1m 80, Conductor, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/gattaca.md)
- *The Piano* (1993), Fi1m 88, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-piano.md)
- *The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover* (1989), Fi1m 78, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-and-her-lover.md)
- *The Draughtsman's Contract* (1982), Fi1m 82, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-draughtsmans-contract.md)

## Complete filmography (73)

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

- *Dance Dance Danseur* (2022), series, Music
- *The Hour* (2020), Music
- *McQueen* (2018), Music
- *The Black Legend of Mexican Cinema* (2016), Music
- *Juana Inés* (2016), series, Music
- *The Man Who Saw Too Much* (2015), Actor
- *Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words* (2015), Original Music Composer
- *War Work: 8 Songs with Film* (2014), Director
- *Eighteam* (2014), Music
- *Everyday* (2012), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/film/everyday.md)
- *White Elephant* (2012), Original Music Composer
- *Go Right* (2012), Music
- *Slow Walkers* (2011), Director, Original Music Composer
- *The Trip* (2011), Original Music Composer
- *NYman with a Movie Camera* (2010), Director
- *2 Graves* (2010), Original Music Composer
- *An Organization of Dreams* (2009), Original Music Composer
- *Man on Wire* (2008), Music — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/man-on-wire.md)
- *Never Forever* (2007), Original Music Composer
- *Theresa: The Body of Christ* (2007), Music
- *Detroit: Ruin of a City* (2005), Music
- *Close to Greenaway* (2004), Additional Music
- *The Libertine* (2004), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-libertine.md)
- *9 Songs* (2004), Thanks
- *Luminal* (2004), Music, Original Music Composer
- *Nathalie...* (2004), Original Music Composer
- *Kiállítás* (2004), Music
- *The Actors* (2003), Original Music Composer
- *24 Hours in the Life of a Woman* (2002), Original Music Composer
- *Surrealissimo: The Trial of Salvador Dali* (2002), as The Pianist
- *Act Without Words I* (2001), Music
- *The Claim* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *I Sold My Cadillac to Diana Dors: The Edmundo Ros Story* (2000), Director
- *Nabbie's Love* (1999), Music
- *The End of the Affair* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *Wonderland* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *Ravenous* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *Gattaca* (1997), Original Music Composer, Conductor — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/gattaca.md)
- *The Ogre* (1996), Original Music Composer
- *Anne Frank's Diary* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *Carrington* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *6 Days, 6 Nights* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Mesmer* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Desert Passion* (1993), as Guard
- *The Piano* (1993), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-piano.md)
- *The Michael Nyman Songbook* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *Prospero's Books* (1991), Original Music Composer
- *Not Mozart: Letters, Riddles and Writs* (1991), Original Music Composer
- *The Hairdresser's Husband* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover* (1989), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-and-her-lover.md)
- *Monsieur Hire* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Hubert Bals Handshake* (1989), Music
- *Drowning by Numbers* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat* (1987), Adaptation, Music
- *Miracle Healing* (1987), Original Music Composer
- *The Disputation* (1986), Original Music Composer
- *A Zed & Two Noughts* (1985), Original Music Composer
- *Making a Splash* (1984), Music
- *The Cold Room* (1984), Original Music Composer
- *The Sea in Their Blood* (1983), Music
- *Nelly's Version* (1983), Original Music Composer
- *The Draughtsman's Contract* (1982), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/the-draughtsmans-contract.md)
- *Brimstone & Treacle* (1982), Original Music Composer
- *The Falls* (1982), Original Music Composer, Still Photographer, Conductor, Musician
- *The Pledge* (1982), Music
- *Zandra Rhodes* (1981), Music
- *Act of God* (1980), Music
- *Vertical Features Remake* (1978), Original Music Composer
- *A Walk Through H* (1978), Original Music Composer
- *Keep It Up Downstairs* (1976), Music
- *1-100* (1976), Music
- *Goole by Numbers* (1976), Music
- *Love Love Love* (1968), Director

## Gallery

- ![66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 10ème jour (11/09/2009) Tapis rouge avec Jared Leto, Diane Kruger, Sarah Polley et le réalisateur Jaco Van Dormel p](https://film.one/media/person/82413/gallery-aed68b8a90ca.jpg) 66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 10ème jour (11/09/2009) Tapis rouge avec Jared Leto, Diane Kruger, Sarah Polley et le réalisateur Jaco Van Dormel p — nicolas genin from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_%2843%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_%2843%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Composer Michael Nyman (and his daughter Molly ?). (2009)](https://film.one/media/person/82413/gallery-3ee37ebf3ae1.jpg) Composer Michael Nyman (and his daughter Molly ?). (2009) — nicolas genin from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_%2883%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_%2883%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Composer Michael Nyman at Odessa International Film Festival in July 2015](https://film.one/media/person/82413/gallery-99443d1388be.jpg) Composer Michael Nyman at Odessa International Film Festival in July 2015 — Anton V. Shpigunov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Michael_Nyman.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Michael Nyman preparing for a performance in the "Klangpark", at the 1999 Ars Electronica Festival,on the bank of the Danube.](https://film.one/media/person/82413/gallery-6494ca9a9a1a.jpg) Michael Nyman preparing for a performance in the "Klangpark", at the 1999 Ars Electronica Festival,on the bank of the Danube. — Dave Pape, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Michael_Nyman_-_Klangpark_-_Ars_Electronica_99.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Michael Nyman](https://film.one/media/person/82413/gallery-8e51c58f5f08.jpg) Michael Nyman — Josep Renalias, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Michael_Nyman_Sant_Cugat.jpg/1280px-Michael_Nyman_Sant_Cugat.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won

- Lucie Award 2010: Lucie Award (won)
- AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score 1993: AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score (won), for *The Piano*

*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/michael-nyman