History of Hans Zimmer in Timeline

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Hans Zimmer

Hans Zimmer is a highly acclaimed German film score composer and music producer, celebrated for his innovative and impactful contributions to numerous blockbuster films. He has received significant recognition for his work, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and five Grammy Awards. His influence extends beyond awards, as evidenced by his inclusion in The Daily Telegraph's list of Top 100 Living Geniuses in 2007. Zimmer's work is notable for blending electronic music with traditional orchestral arrangements, creating a distinctive and recognizable sound.

1984: Wonder Woman 1984

In 1984, Zimmer was announced as the composer for Wonder Woman 1984.

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1992: Divorce from Vicki Carolin

In 1992, Zimmer divorced his first wife, Vicki Carolin, with whom he has a daughter.

1994: Winning first Academy Award for The Lion King

In 1994, Zimmer won his first Academy Award for the film The Lion King.

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1995: Marriage to Suzanne Zimmer

In 1995, Zimmer married his second wife, Suzanne Zimmer, with whom he had three children.

1996: Receiving Richard Kirk Career Achievement Award

In 1996, Zimmer received the Richard Kirk Career Achievement Award from the BMI Film Music Awards.

2003: Receiving multiple awards

In 2003, Zimmer received the Career Achievement Award from the National Board of Review, the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing, and the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award.

2005: Scoring Batman Begins

In 2005, Hans Zimmer worked on the score for Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins.

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2006: Collaboration with other musicians

In 2006, Hans Zimmer discussed his approach to scoring with other musicians in an interview with Soundtrack.net, explaining his collaborative approach to film scores.

December 2008: Reversing The Dark Knight disqualification

In December 2008, Zimmer successfully reversed the Academy's decision to disqualify "The Dark Knight" from Best Original Score nominations, arguing for the collaborative nature of modern film scoring.

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2009: Scoring Sherlock Holmes with an out-of-tune piano

In 2009, for the film Sherlock Holmes, Zimmer purchased an out-of-tune piano for 200 dollars and used it throughout the scoring process because of its quirkiness.

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December 2010: Receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

In December 2010, Zimmer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, dedicating it to his publicist Ronni Chasen.

2010: Using electronic manipulation in Inception score

In 2010, Zimmer used electronic manipulation of the song "Non, je ne regrette rien" for the film Inception. The horn sound in the score became a popular feature in film trailers.

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2011: Incorporating Romani music in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

In 2011, for "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows", Zimmer and director Guy Ritchie incorporated authentic Romani music, researching in Slovakia, Italy, and France.

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July 2012: Release of The Dark Knight Rises and reaction to Aurora shooting

In July 2012, "The Dark Knight Rises" was released. Following the Aurora, Colorado shooting during a screening of the film, Zimmer recorded a track titled "Aurora" to raise money for the victims.

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March 2013: Scoring The Bible television series

In March 2013, Zimmer co-composed the music for the television series "The Bible" with Lorne Balfe and Lisa Gerrard.

2013: Discovery of asteroid Hanszimmer

In 2013, a main-belt asteroid was discovered by Polish astronomers Michał Kusiak and Michał Żołnowski. It was later named "Hanszimmer" in 2017.

March 2014: 12 Years a Slave wins Academy Award

In March 2014, the film "12 Years a Slave", for which Zimmer composed the score, won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

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July 2014: Composing Tomorrowland Hymn

In July 2014, Zimmer composed the Tomorrowland Hymn for the Tomorrowland festival to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

March 2016: Retiring from superhero film scores

In March 2016, Zimmer announced his retirement from composing music for superhero films, stating that working on Batman v Superman was difficult.

June 2016: Winning Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication

In June 2016, Zimmer was one of the inaugural winners of the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication.

2016: Composing Planet Earth II theme and releasing online course

In 2016, Zimmer composed the main theme for the BBC nature documentary Planet Earth II and released an online course teaching film scoring basics.

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November 2017: Asteroid named after Hans Zimmer

In November 2017, a main-belt asteroid, discovered in 2013, was named "Hanszimmer".

2017: Scoring Blue Planet II and Dunkirk

In 2017, Zimmer composed the score for the BBC nature documentary Blue Planet II and Christopher Nolan's film Dunkirk.

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August 2018: Announced as composer for Wonder Woman 1984

In August 2018, Zimmer was announced as the composer for Wonder Woman 1984.

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October 2018: Receiving Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

On 2 October 2018, Zimmer received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

2018: Receiving Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award

In 2018, Zimmer received the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award at Hollywood in Vienna.

March 2019: Scoring Dune

In March 2019, it was announced that Zimmer would be scoring Denis Villeneuve's Dune.

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June 2019: Creating sounds for BMW concept vehicle

In June 2019, Zimmer was hired to create warning sounds for BMW's concept vehicle, the Vision M Next, for both interior and exterior use to alert pedestrians of the electric car's approach.

2019: Induction as a Disney Legend

In 2019, Zimmer was inducted as a Disney Legend.

January 2020: Taking over as composer for No Time to Die

In January 2020, Zimmer took over as composer for the James Bond film No Time to Die after Dan Romer left the project.

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February 2020: Composing anthem for Major League Soccer

In February 2020, Major League Soccer released an anthem for its 25th season, composed by Zimmer.

March 2020: Composing score for Hillbilly Elegy

In March 2020, Zimmer composed the score for Hillbilly Elegy.

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April 2020: Filing for divorce from Suzanne Zimmer

On April 3, 2020, Zimmer filed for divorce from his second wife, Suzanne Zimmer.

2021: Winning second Academy Award for Dune

In 2021, Zimmer won his second Academy Award for Best Original Score for the film Dune at the 94th Academy Awards.

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October 2022: Reflection on impactful work

In October 2022, Zimmer reflected on his work, stating that his collaborations with David Attenborough on nature documentaries are the only works he's done that are worthwhile.

2022: Hans Zimmer's Academy Award nominations

As of 2022, Zimmer has received twelve Academy Award nominations for his work, with two wins.

2022: Collaborations on Frozen Planet II and Top Gun: Maverick

In 2022, Zimmer collaborated with Camila Cabello on "Take Me Back Home" for Frozen Planet II, worked with Aurora, and contributed to the main title credits for Top Gun: Maverick.

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June 2023: Proposal to Dina De Luca

On June 15, 2023, Zimmer proposed to his partner Dina De Luca on stage at London's O2 Arena.

2024: Scoring Dune sequel and F1 film

As of 2024, Zimmer has scored the sequel to Dune and is writing music for a potential third film. He also announced he will be scoring F1, a film starring Brad Pitt.

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2049: Blade Runner 2049

In 2049 Hans Zimmer worked on the score for Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049. Hans Zimmer and co-composer Benjamin Wallfisch took over scoring duties after Jóhann Jóhannsson left the project.

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