Mychael Danna

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Lore & Background

Mychael Danna's career is marked by frequent collaboration with his brother, Jeff Danna. The brothers first co-wrote the score for *Cold Comfort*, which was nominated for a Genie award. They later co-composed the score for *The Good Dinosaur* (2015), which received a BMI Film and TV Award for Film Music and an Annie nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production. For *The Breadwinner* (2017), the brothers' score won the Best Original Music Award from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and the Canadian Screen Award for Film Score of the Year. Their work on *The Addams Family* (2019) earned a BMI Film & TV Award for Film Music, and their score for *Onward* (2020) received an Annie nomination for Best Music for a Feature. The brothers also co-composed the score for *My Father's Dragon* (2022).

In Their Own Story

In 2017, Mychael and Jeff Danna undertook scoring Nora Twomey's *The Breadwinner*, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production, won the Best Original Music Award from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France, and won the Canadian Screen Award for Film Score of the Year.

Reader's Guide

Mychael Danna's approach to scoring animated films often involves blending traditional orchestral elements with unique cultural textures. For *The Breadwinner*, set in Afghanistan, the score incorporated local instruments and melodies to reflect the story's setting. In *The Good Dinosaur*, the brothers used sweeping orchestral themes to convey the emotional journey of a non-speaking protagonist. Their work on *Tales of Arcadia* involved creating a cohesive musical identity across multiple series, including *3Below*, *Wizards*, and *Rise of the Titans*. The brothers' collaboration on *Onward* required balancing fantasy elements with a modern, suburban setting, resulting in a score that earned an Annie nomination.

Did You Know?

• Mychael Danna and his brother Jeff have received Emmy nominations for their work on *Camelot* (2011), *Tyrant* (2014-2016), and *Alias Grace* (2017).
• The Danna brothers' score for *The Breadwinner* won the Best Original Music Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
• Mychael and Jeff Danna co-composed the score for *The Good Dinosaur* (2015), which received an Annie nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production.
• The brothers' first co-writing venture, *Cold Comfort*, was nominated for a Genie award.
• Mychael Danna co-composed the music for the DreamWorks Animation series *Guillermo Del Toro's Tales of Arcadia* (2019-2021).