---
name: "Stephen Gallagher"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/stephen-gallagher-1457367"
roles: ["Music editor"]
born: "7 March 1974"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 58
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-19T15:36:31.340727+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."
---

# Stephen Gallagher

Music editor. Born 7 March 1974 in Auckland, New Zealand.

## Details

- **Work:** Music editor
- **Born:** 7 March 1974, Auckland, New Zealand
- **Active:** 2013–present
- **Also known as:** Steve Gallagher
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 60 (2), 2020s 55 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 58 to 60 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 3, Adventure 3, Fantasy 3, Animation 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,935m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106816238, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0302498/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1457367

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim.md) (55)

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

## Biography

Stephen Gallagher is a New Zealand composer and music editor. Born in Auckland in 1974, he is based in Wellington and has worked extensively in film and television.

He composed the score for *The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim* (2024) and wrote the song "Blunt the Knives" for *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey* (2012). Gallagher has served as music editor on the *Hobbit* trilogy, *District 9* (2009), *Avatar: The Way of Water* (2022) and other productions. He won an Emmy Award for music editing on *The Beatles: Get Back* (2021) and, with David Long, the Children's & Family Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition on *Secrets at Red Rocks* (2026).

His other composing credits include the series *INSiDE* and *Mystic*, and the feature *Puppet Killer*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, stephen-gallagher.com, imdb.com, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim* (2024), Fi1m 55, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim.md)
- *The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies* (2014), Fi1m 54, Music Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-battle-of-the-five-armies.md)
- *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug* (2013), Fi1m 65, Music Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug.md)

## Complete filmography (39)

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

- *New Zealand Spy* (2026), series, Original Music Composer
- *A Mother’s Love* (2025), Music
- *Secrets at Red Rocks* (2025), series, Original Music Composer
- *The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim* (2024), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim.md)
- *Conquering Skin Cancer* (2024), Original Music Composer
- *Morning Hate* (2024), Original Music Composer
- *Attachment Theory* (2024), Original Music Composer
- *Earthlings* (2024), Original Music Composer
- *Mother Tongue* (2024), Original Music Composer
- *Sleep Tight* (2023), Music
- *Live the Life You Please* (2023), Original Music Composer
- *Avatar: The Way of Water* (2022), Music Editor
- *Super Giant Robot Brothers* (2022), series, as Other
- *The Beatles: Get Back* (2021), series, Music Editor
- *Witches Midnight* (2021), Original Music Composer
- *Zealandia* (2020), Original Music Composer
- *Mystic* (2020), series, Original Music Composer
- *VAKA* (2019), Original Music Composer
- *Puppet Killer* (2019), Original Music Composer
- *Golden Boy* (2019), series, Music, Original Music Composer
- *CAPCOM GO! The Apollo Story* (2019), Music Editor
- *The Breath Connection* (2019), Original Music Composer
- *Mortal Engines* (2018), Music Editor
- *Human Traces* (2017), Original Music Composer
- *Kitten Witch* (2016), Original Music Composer
- *The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies* (2014), Music Editor — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-battle-of-the-five-armies.md)
- *Cub* (2014), Original Music Composer
- *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug* (2013), Music Editor — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug.md)
- *The Sorrows* (2013), Original Music Composer
- *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey* (2012), Music Editor — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey.md)
- *Ice* (2011), Music Editor
- *Panic at Rock Island* (2011), Additional Music
- *District 9* (2009), Music Editor — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/district-9.md)
- *Kissy Kissy* (2007), Original Music Composer
- *Holly's Heroes* (2005), series, Sound Assistant
- *Murmurs* (2004), Original Music Composer
- *Latin Boys Go to Hell* (1997), Executive Producer
- *Conquering Cancer*, Original Music Composer
- *Conquering Breast Cancer*, Original Music Composer, Music Producer

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 2022: Primetime Emmy Award (won), for *The Beatles: Get Back*

### Other awards — 3 won

- Golden Reel Awards 2022: Golden Reel Awards (won), for *The Beatles: Get Back*
- New Zealand Screen Awards 2022: New Zealand Screen Awards (won)
- Best Original Score 2019: Best Original Score (won)

*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/stephen-gallagher-1457367