Ghostwriting occurs when a composer contributes creatively to a soundtrack by writing or significantly shaping cues, but remains invisible because their work is not disclosed by the lead composer to the production. As a result, ghostwriters often receive no screen or IMDb credit and are excluded from cue sheets, meaning they lose the royalties they are legally entitled to.
Pledge to end ghostwriting
The End Ghostwriting campaign encourages composers to commit to changing industry practice by signing a pledge, which calls on them to:
- Be fully transparent with productions about who will compose the music.
- Ensure that all contributing composers are credited on cue sheets, on screen where possible, and on IMDb.
- Accurately submit work for awards consideration that fairly credits everyone involved in the composition.
Campaign supporters
The campaign has been developed by acclaimed media composers with The Ivors Academy. Among them are Aisling Brouwer (The Buccaneers, White Riot), Anna Phoebe (The Buccaneers, Savage Waters), Ben Foster (Happy Valley, Torchwood), Daisy Coole and Tom Nettleship (The Pay Day, The Wives), David Arnold (Casino Royale, Sherlock), Jessica Jones (The Tinder Swindler, Our Universe), Nick Foster (Renegade Nell, In My Skin), Peter Gregson (Lost Boys and Fairies, A Little Chaos), Sam Thompson (JFK: One Day in America, Britain and the Blitz), Sheridan Tongue (Silent Witness, Wonders of the Universe), Sofia degli Alessandri-Hultquist (Dickinson, Red, White and Royal Blue), along with and Jenna Fentimen, Head of Agency at Manners Faber.
Sheridan Tongue, composer behind Silent Witness and Wonders of the Universe and member of The Ivors Academy Media Council, said: “It’s about drawing a line and saying that from this point forward, ghostwriting will no longer be accepted as standard practice. Our focus is on looking ahead and working collectively to create a fairer, more transparent and respectful industry for everyone. No composer should be invisible on a production.”
David Arnold, Fellow and Board Member of The Ivors Academy and the composer behind Casino Royale and Sherlock said: “Our Industry is changing rapidly. Budgets and schedules are becoming more compressed and workloads are becoming more complicated to manage. So sometimes we need help. This campaign is here to ensure that help doesn’t go unrecognised and unrewarded. It’s only decent and it’s only fair.”
Aisling Brouwer, composer behind The Buccaneers and White Riot and member of The Ivors Academy Media Council said: “By ending ghostwriting, we can recognise and celebrate the full diversity of creative voices behind every score. True collaboration means crediting every composer who contributes and ensuring that fairness and creativity remain at the foundation of our industry.”
Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, said: “We’re calling time on ghostwriting, where talented media composers can work on high-profile productions without ever being acknowledged. Thanks to our Media Council of composers, we’re bringing transparency, integrity and fairness back to the heart of audio-visual music. We must give composers credit where credit is due.”
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivors Academy celebrates the craft and exceptional achievements of songwriters and composers through the presentation of Ivor Novello Awards. Judged by songwriters and composers, for songwriters and composers, an Ivor Novello Award recognises excellence in craft and creativity. For screen composition award categories, production cue sheets for the entire broadcast or production must be submitted at entry, clearly marking the percentage of cues written by each composer.
From 2026, entrants will also be asked to confirm that cue sheets list all composers who wrote a cue from scratch or made a significant new creative contribution. Entries that do not include all qualifying writers will be ineligible for consideration.
Championing media composers
The End Ghostwriting campaign builds on The Ivors Academy’s wider work to protect, empower and celebrate media composers. It complements initiatives such as Fair Score, which calls for fairer commissioning practices and Credits Due, which ensures songwriters and composers receive proper recognition for their work. The Academy also honours excellence in media composition through the Ivor Novello Awards, with more announcements to follow soon.
