Biografía

In March 2002, Newman finally won his first Academy Award for writing the Best Song in Monsters, Inc. (2001). In his acceptance speech, he thanked the music branch of the academy for giving him all those chances "to be humiliated".

On February 12, 2002, he broke the all-time record for most Oscar nominations without any wins (the previous record was 15; Newman got two nominations for Monsters, Inc. (2001) and succeeded to 16). (This record has been surpassed. As of March 2011, sound re-recording mixer Kevin O'Connell has 20 nominations but not a single Oscar.).

Beside being a composer of film music and pop/rock songs, Newman is also is a singer and piano player. Many popular musicians made his songs more famous by doing their own versions: Joe Cocker sang "Guilty", Tom Jones sang "You Can Leave Your Hat On", Three Dog Night covered "Mama Told Me Not to Come", etc.

As a child, he was invited by a girl to a country club cotillion, but was subsequently asked not to come by the girl's father, who told him that no Jews were allowed at their club. After hanging up the phone, Newman had to go and ask his father what a Jew was.

Nephew of composers Alfred Newman, Emil Newman and Lionel Newman.

My music has a high irritation factor. I've always tried to say something. Eccentric lyrics about eccentric people. Often it was a joke. But I would plead guilty on the grounds that I prefer eccentricity to the bland.

[on the Bush administration] The US and the world just didn't deserve these people. They're a good deal worse. They don't even know the rules.

[on the underestimated value of compact discs and record stores, eclipsed by MP3's and the Internet] Did you ever try to autograph an I-Pod? I tried, once... which, for me, was plenty.

Thank God for the potholes on memory lane.

I think that Los Simpson (1989) is probably the funniest show in the history of television. Alf Clausen does a great job in a difficult situation. If I live long enough and they stay on the air they'll make fun of me some day.