Ben Please by Martin Tompkins

Ben Please is a British musician, film maker and producer. He has had a long-term song-writing collaboration with Beth Porter, as The Bookshop Band.[1]

Education

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Ben Please graduated with a first in Natural Sciences at Cambridge University and was awarded the Jacob Bronowski Prize for The History and Philosophy of Science.[2]

Collaborations and projects

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Please has released 19 studio albums, the majority of which are in collaboration with The Bookshop Band,[3] the most recent of which was in collaboration with Pete Townshend.[4]

Please and his brother, Mikey Please, have created musical scores such as Alan The Infinite (2024).[5] Notable film credits include composing the score for Aardman Animations' Oscar-nominated animated musical Robin Robin (2021)[6] and the BAFTA-winning animation The Eagleman Stag (2010).[7]

In addition to his work in film scoring, Ben Please is a film editor and documentary maker. Between 2001 and 2010, he co-produced, filmed and edited over 300 environmental films in East Africa. In 2022 Please was the director of photography and sound designer on the feature film, Stella.[8]

Awards and nominations

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Award Work Result
BAFTA Awards Best Short Animation for his work on The Eagleman Stag (2010) - composer and sound designer Winner[9][10][11]
Academy Awards Robin Robin (2022) - composer Nomination[12][13][14]
British Animation Awards Best Original Music for Robin Robin (2022) Winner[15]
Ivor Novello Awards Best Television Soundtrack for Robin Robin (2022) Nomination[16]
British Animation Awards Tweedy and Fluff (2024) Nomination[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Gardners - The Bookshop Band". www.gardners.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  2. ^ Thompson, David (2016-08-08). "Bronowski Prize". www.hps.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  3. ^ Charlé, Suzanne (2019-01-08). "The Bookshop Band: A British Institution". NYCITYWOMAN. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  4. ^ "Pete is producing a new album for The Bookshop Band!". Pete Townshend - News and History. 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  5. ^ "'Alan the Infinite' - Short Film". Blinkink. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  6. ^ Barraclough, Leo (2024-01-21). "Aardman Working on More Stories Set in the World of 'Robin Robin,' Netflix's Oscar Nominated Musical Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  7. ^ Smith, Kenny (2022-01-07). "The Bookshop Band's soundtrack for Netflix and Aardman film". Scottish Field. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  8. ^ Gillespie, Stuart (2022-11-29). "Awards for Galloway feature film". Daily Record. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  9. ^ "Short Animation Winner 2011 | The Eagleman Stag". guru.bafta.org. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  10. ^ "The Eagleman Stag". British Animation Awards. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  11. ^ Molnar, James A. "Oscars 2013: Shortlist announced for Animated Shorts". The Gold Knight - Latest Academy Awards news and insight. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  12. ^ "The Bookshop Band". Leeds Library. 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  13. ^ Hullender, Tatiana (23 September 2022). "Robin Robin Reveals Gorgeous Cover Art For Vinyl Soundtrack [EXCLUSIVE]". Screen Rant. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  14. ^ Barraclough, Leo (21 January 2024). "Aardman Working on More Stories Set in the World of 'Robin Robin,' Netflix's Oscar Nominated Musical Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Robin Robin". British Animation Awards. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  16. ^ "The Ivors 2022 nominees revealed including Inflo, Ed Sheeran, Little Simz, Cleo Sol and Adele". Music Week. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  17. ^ dreamabstract (2024-02-14). "BAA 2024 Nominations". British Animation Awards. Retrieved 2024-02-19.