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Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir continued her winning streak, claiming top honors for both her “Joker” and “Chernobyl” scores at Tuesday night’s inaugural awards of the Society of Composers & Lyricists at Los Angeles’ Skirball Cultural Center.

Her music for “Joker” was named outstanding original score for a studio film and her score for HBO’s “Chernobyl” was cited as outstanding original score for a television or streaming production. They followed her Golden Globe win Sunday night for “Joker” and BAFTA nomination earlier Tuesday. She won the Emmy in September for her score to the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl.”

Guðnadóttir is among the most talked-about newcomers in film music, first for her “Chernobyl” score (built largely on sounds she recorded while visiting the nuclear power plant where it was shot) and more recently her “Joker” music (her electro-acoustic cello providing the accompaniment for star Joaquin Phoenix’s on-screen dancing). She...

Open mic legend Ron Grant has died after a battle with lung cancer. Known for his unmistakable voice and huge stage presence, Grant was well known in the New York music scene and touched many lives. On Sunday, a friend of Grant’s announced on Facebook that the beloved singer had passed. After fighting a battle with lung cancer, he succumbed to the disease, leaving behind many grief-stricken friends and family. “***Gone Too Soon*** After a valiant battle with lung cancer, it is with a heavy heart that I share the news of my friend Ron Grant’s passing,” Dedra Tate wrote. “Ron was […]

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New York -- Time Warner has decided to rely on a Web pro instead of a TV veteran to help it decide the future of its AOL unit, naming experienced Google executive Tim Armstrong to run AOL as chairman and CEO.

Armstrong replaces Randy Falco, who was brought in from NBC in November 2006 and whose contract at AOL wasn't up yet.

Observers on Thursday took the appointment of the Internet veteran Armstrong as a sign that the experiment with Falco, who never managed to light up AOL with the magic of his Madison Avenue connections, has failed.

The reshuffle could also be a sign that Tw won't sell AOL outright. Instead, the company seems likely to spin it off and leave it in the hands of a Web professional. Hanging on to it or finding a merger or alliance partner in a structure that would benefit from Armstrong's leadership is also an option.