Benson Taylor
English composer and producer (born 1983)
title: "Benson Taylor" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["living-people", "english-film-score-composers", "english-male-film-score-composers", "english-male-classical-composers", "21st-century-classical-composers", "english-classical-composers", "english-electronic-musicians", "british-ambient-musicians", "english-video-game-composers", "english-experimental-musicians", "english-record-producers", "ucla-school-of-the-arts-and-architecture-alumni", "english-roman-catholics", "people-educated-at-bradford-grammar-school", "musicians-from-bradford", "1983-births", "21st-century-british-male-musicians"] description: "English composer and producer (born 1983)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benson_Taylor" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary English composer and producer (born 1983) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Benson Taylor |
| honorific_suffix | |
| image | Benson Taylor Composer.png |
| caption | Taylor in 2014 |
| birth_name | Mark Davison |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Bradford, West Yorkshire, England |
| alma_mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| children | 2 |
| occupation | Composer, songwriter, remixer, DJ, record producer, label owner |
| module | {{Infobox musical artist |
| embed | yes |
| instrument | Trumpet, piano, synthesizers, music sequencer, drum machine |
| genre | Ambient, classical, film score, electronic, dark ambient, hip hop, Post-industrial, experimental music, alternative rock |
| years_active | 2009–present |
| label | Decca, Universal Music, EMI Music Publishing, Warner Music Group, Sony/ATV |
| associated_acts | David Bowie, The Hallé, Bat for Lashes, The New Mastersounds, Pulled Apart By Horses, Meshell Ndegeocello, Temples, Ken Duro Ifill, CeeLo Green, Sami Yusuf |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Benson Taylor | honorific_suffix = | image = Benson Taylor Composer.png | caption = Taylor in 2014 | birth_name = Mark Davison | alias = | birth_date = | birth_place = Bradford, West Yorkshire, England | alma_mater = University of California, Los Angeles | spouse = | children = 2 | occupation = Composer, songwriter, remixer, DJ, record producer, label owner | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | instrument = Trumpet, piano, synthesizers, music sequencer, drum machine | genre = Ambient, classical, film score, electronic, dark ambient, hip hop, Post-industrial, experimental music, alternative rock | years_active = 2009–present | label = Decca, Universal Music, EMI Music Publishing, Warner Music Group, Sony/ATV | associated_acts = David Bowie, The Hallé, Bat for Lashes, The New Mastersounds, Pulled Apart By Horses, Meshell Ndegeocello, Temples, Ken Duro Ifill, CeeLo Green, Sami Yusuf | website =
Benson Taylor (born Mark Davison 10 September 1983) is an English composer, songwriter, record producer, and humanitarian. He is best known for his music in The Big Bang Theory, Orange is the New Black, London Fields, and the eighth highest-grossing Mexican film of all time The Perfect Dictatorship. In November 2016, Taylor was awarded an honorary doctorate for services to humanitarian causes and music.
He founded A Remarkable Idea in 2017, a sub label of Universal Music, located in Santa Monica, California & London. Taylor has collaborated with, and produced a range artists for the label, including MOBO-winning jazz quartet Kairos 4Tet, The Halle Orchestra, Mercury Prize-nominated Maxïmo Park and Kele Okereke, Bloc Party, Good Charlotte's Billy Martin, Pulled Apart by Horses, Robot Koch, Lack of Afro, Benoît Pioulard, Freddie Cowan, Bo Ningen, James Brown, and Menace Beach.
Taylor won the "Best Original Music" award at the 2014 Monaco International Film Festival. In 2018, he scored and produced the music to Mathew Cullen's thriller adaptation of the Martin Amis novel, London Fields, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Amber Heard, Jason Isaacs, Cara Delevingne, Theo James and Johnny Depp. In 2020, he scored the music for the film, Chick Fight, starring Bella Thorne, Alec Baldwin, and Malin Akerman. He co-wrote original songs with Bones UK and he served as the film's executive producer.
Taylor is a goodwill ambassador for the UK aid agency CAFOD, part of Caritas Internationalis, and a goodwill ambassador for the Cambodian Children's Trust. He is patron of the British based charity, Music and the Deaf. Taylor was appointed the first ambassador of the Leeds Conservatoire in the United Kingdom.{{cite web|url= https://www.hud.ac.uk/news/2021/november/benson-taylor-composer-in-residence/ |title=Benson Taylor named as Composer in Residence |publisher=University of Huddersfield|website=hud.ac.uk |access-date=10 November 2021}}
He is a resident DJ on Los Angeles based radio station Dublab, and a guest DJ on NTS Radio in London.
Life and career
Born in Brontë Country, Bradford, Taylor later studied composition at the University of California, Los Angeles. After UCLA, he mentored with American composer, Mark Mancina, and studied privately with orchestrator, Hummie Mann. His style of music has a British influence, often working a classic film score sound amongst electronics, and other musical settings.
He began writing music at a young age as a trumpet player. Whilst working as a jingle producer at Key 103 in Manchester, England he opened a studio producing scores for American television, including Two and a Half Men, 30 Rock, 90210, and The Big Bang Theory, as well as producing music for the Super Bowl between 2010 and 2014. Taylor's music has been widely used across international advertising campaigns, including Nissan in 2017, McDonald's in 2018, Jose Cuervo's 2015 campaign and a collaboration in 2011 with CeeLo Green for the Las Vegas Tourist Board.
In 2011, Taylor made his London West End theatre debut co-composing the electronic music for Derek Bond's production of the play Many Moons.
In June 2013, music publishers Fairwood Music announced that they had added Taylor to their roster of artists which includes David Bowie, U2, The Selecter, Cat Stevens, The Average White Band, Bob Marley, and J.J. Cale. Taylor told British magazine Music Week, "I'm extremely humbled to join their roster, amongst some of the most recognised talents in the world. Here's hoping some of it will rub off on me!"
In November 2014, Taylor was a Grand Juror at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival alongside director Tomasz Wasilewski.{{cite web|author=Bruno Chatelin |url= http://www.filmfestivals.com/blog/editor/black_nights_inaugural_international_competition_brings_record_number_of_premieres_to_tallinn |title=2014 Benson Taylor Juror|website=Filmfestivals.com |access-date=5 November 2014}}
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Benson_Taylor_at_the_Tallinn_Black_Nights_Film_Festival_in_November_2014.jpg" caption="Pöff]] in Tallinn in 2014."] ::
In 2016, Taylor produced soundtracks for US talk shows, including, Late Night With Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel Live. He has twice contributed music to the Netflix produced series, Orange Is the New Black. Taylor's music has also appeared in the sixth series of Justified, the first series of How to Get Away with Murder, the second series of Ray Donovan, and in the 2015 Kroll Show.
Taylor scored and produced the music to Mathew Cullen's thriller, London Fields in 2015, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Theo James, Cara Delevingne, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Due to legal problems between the director and producers, the film was not released until September 2018, three years after Taylor had finished the musical score. As well as writing the musical score, Taylor collaborated with Toydrum and Bat for Lashes to cover Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight", and also with James Bagshaw from the British band Temples, covering "How Do You Sleep" from John Lennon's Imagine album, both tracks were recorded specifically for the film.
In December 2021, Taylor's music was performed live by an orchestra and the Italian Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, in a returning Christmas tradition celebrating the city and its residents. The concert took place in the Salone Dei Cinquecento in Florence's Palazzo Vecchio.
In September 2023, Taylor collaborated with Los Angeles-based electronic artist Daedelus under the moniker Tuscan Junk Food. The duo released the project FOURTH THIRD TWENTY THREE, marking Taylor's move into experimental electronic music outside scores.
Taylor is a professional member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. He was styled as the "New Sound of Hollywood" by MovieScope magazine in its 24th issue in 2011.
Taylor has a monthly show on the Los Angeles based Dublab, and he is a guest DJ on NTS Radio in London.
Business ventures
In 2017, Taylor established A Remarkable Idea, a music label based in Santa Monica in Los Angeles, and in London. The label produces music for film, television and video games. Taylor has collaborated with artists for A Remarkable Idea including The Halle orchestra, Maxïmo Park and Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, Pulled Apart by Horses, Robot Koch, Lack of Afro, Kairos 4Tet, Bo Ningen, Good Charlotte's Billy Martin, and ambient artists such as Benoît Pioulard. Taylor co-founded, Insidious Music, which is now defunct since 2015 after being acquired.
Taylor frequently records with the British orchestra, The Hallé, and they regularly perform his works in concert. As part of his commercial recordings in 2015, he developed a short term education programme for students.
Personal life
Taylor splits his time between Tuscany, Yorkshire, and Los Angeles. He is married and has two children, who have dual citizenship in both the United Kingdom and Italy.
His third great grandfather, George Davison, was the maternal uncle of John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil. Taylor is Roman Catholic.
Humanitarian and activism work
Taylor supports several charities globally, including and was one of the founding committee members of the homeless charity Emmaus Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. He is also a goodwill ambassador for the Cambodian Children's Trust in Battambang, which works towards freeing children from severe poverty, and alongside the Cambodian government to end orphan tourism. Taylor is the patron of the charity, Music and the Deaf, based in Britain.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Matthew_Burton,_Benson_Taylor,_Jodie_Whittaker_at_Hospice_Fundraiser.jpg" caption="Taylor being interviewed with newscaster [[Nina Hossain]], reality TV star Matthew Burton and ''[[Doctor Who]]'' actress [[Jodie Whittaker]], at the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice Charity Fundraiser in 2014."] ::
He is an ambassador for the international aid agency for the catholic church, CAFOD, working to raise global awareness and fight poverty and injustice in communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Benson_Taylor_in_Bidi_Bidi_refugee_settlement_in_Uganda.jpg" caption="Taylor speaking with South Sudanese refugees at the [[Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement]] in Uganda with the [[United Nations]] [[World Food Programme]]."] ::
Taylor is a known supporter of the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières, and the United Nations Refugee Agency, producing music to support their awareness campaigns. He has worked alongside the World Food Programme for several years promoting zero hunger in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Cambodia, and on the African continent. In June 2018, he travelled to the Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda with the WFP to raise awareness for World Refugee Day. Whilst in Uganda, he worked alongside refugee musicians from South Sudan.
On 26 June 2018, Alzheimer's Research UK released an educational film produced by Aardman Animations. The film was narrated by Simon Pegg and the music was produced by Taylor. It went viral the morning of its release after being shared by the British actor Stephen Fry, former British prime minister, David Cameron, Jeff Bridges, Richard Branson, film director Ron Howard and actors Andy Serkis & Bryan Cranston.
Recognition and honors
In 2014, Taylor became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London, and in November 2016 was also honoured with an honorary degree from University of Bradford for his services to humanitarian causes.
In 2016, he was appointed the first ambassador of the music conservatoire, Leeds College of Music in the United Kingdom.
Musical works
Film scores
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Studio(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Brooklyn Rules | Composer | ||
| (Additional Music) | Michael Corrente | Southpaw Entertainment | ||
| The Weinstein Company | ||||
| 2009 | Hellbilly 58 | Composer | ||
| (Additional Music) | Russ Diaper | Sledge Films | ||
| 2010 | Cocaine Saints | Composer | Matt Reiker | Reiker Respect Entertainment |
| Miramax | ||||
| 2014 | Fear of Water | Composer | Kate Lane | KL Dream Pictures |
| M4West Media | ||||
| 2014 | Dark House | Composer | Victor Salva | Charles Agron Productions |
| Paladin | ||||
| 2014 | The Perfect Dictatorship | Composer | Luis Estrada | Bandidos Films |
| 2018 | London Fields | Composer | Mathew Cullen | Muse Productions |
| Lionsgate | ||||
| 2020 | You See Me | Composer | ||
| Gray Hughes | Ridley Scott | |||
| Scott Free Productions | ||||
| 2021 | Chick Fight | Composer | ||
| Executive Producer | Paul Leyden | Yale Productions | ||
| Idiot Savant Pictures | ||||
| :: |
Recent TV scores
::data[format=table]
Video games
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Studio(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 | CSI: Deadly Intent | Additional Music Composer | CBS Television Network |
| Ubi Soft | |||
| :: |
Awards and honors
In November 2016, Kate Swann awarded Taylor with an honorary doctorate from the University of Bradford for his services to music and humanitarian causes, making him the youngest person to date to receive the award.
Taylor was honoured with a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in 2015.
He won Best Original Music for his score to Fear of Water at the 2014 Monaco International Film Festival as judged by film director Roland Joffé.
::data[format=table]
| Year | Work | Category | Festival/Event | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Fear of Water | Best Original Music | Monaco International Film Festival | |
| :: |
References
References
- Meena Shamaly. "Benson Taylor Interview".
- Scott Roxborough. (2014-12-22). "Box Office: 8 International Hits That Challenged the Studio Tentpoles". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
- (31 May 2016). "Las 10 cintas mexicanas más taquilleras". Grupo Milenio.
- (30 November 2016). "University honours five at winter graduations". University of Bradford.
- (30 November 2016). "Benson Taylor receives Honorary Doctorate". Telegraph & Argus, Bradford.
- "University to honour figures from world of health and music". Telegraph & Argus.
- "University of Bradford Winter Commencement 2016". Clark University.
- "A Remarkable Idea & Universal Music Publishing Group". Simon Davies.
- "Taylor signs mercury prize nominated artists". Garth Hellier.
- "Benson Taylor Artist Profile". Wall of Sound PR.
- (9 June 2014). "Benson Taylor to Score London Fields film". Film Music Reporter.
- "London Fields Movie at TIFF 2015". Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
- "Composer Benson Taylor appointed celebrity ambassador". CAFOD Aid Agency.
- "Our celebrity ambassadors".
- (4 November 2014). "Benson Taylor Becomes Goodwill Ambassador". Cambodian Children's Trust.
- (6 January 2017). "Benson Taylor appointed Film Music ambassador at LCoM". [[Leeds College of Music]].
- "Dublab".
- "Tuscan Junk Food – Dublab, 15 Oct 2024". Mixcloud.
- David Connolly. "Benson Taylor NTS Radio Show". NTS.
- "Benson Taylor Award Winning Film Composer".
- "Official website".
- (23 April 2012). "Fired Earth Music Interviews "Spirited" Composers". APM Music.
- (12 March 2014). "Q&A with composer Benson Taylor". Future Composer.
- (29 July 2023). "News".
- Benson Taylor. (17 November 2011). "Benson Taylor: The New Sound of Hollywood".
- Roveet Amun. (14 November 2017). "Nissan Sentra 舒適鑑賞篇 完整版". Nissan.
- Felipe Ascacibar. "McDonald's – 'Lucky summer'".
- "McDonald's – Lucky Summer". [[YouTube]].
- Concerned Customer. (23 March 2015). "2015 Jose Cuervo Global Advertising Campaign". [[YouTube]].
- (31 January 2012). "5 minutes with Benson Taylor".
- Imran Hussain. "Big Bang Theory Music".
- Ian Foster. (22 May 2011). "Many Moons – Theatre503, London". The Public Reviews.
- "Benson Taylor".
- (20 May 1964). "Lulu, Full Official Chart History". [[Official Charts Company]].
- Simon Bicks. "Fairwood Signs Taylor…". Music Week.
- Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. "2014 POFF Grand Jury". POFF.
- (5 November 2014). "2014 Black Nights announces diverse International Competition".
- (5 October 2014). "Orange Is The New Black".
- (5 October 2014). "INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PROGRAMME JURY". POFF.
- Child, Ben. (18 September 2015). "Toronto cancels London Fields premiere after director Mathew Cullen sues producers".
- Buchanan, Kyle. (5 June 2018). "Watch the NSFW Trailer for the Controversial Amber Heard–Johnny Depp Movie ''London Fields''".
- "ЛОНДОНСКИЕ ПОЛЯ".
- "Benson Taylor London Fields Interview". Meena Shamaly.
- "British Council Film: London Fields".
- (16 December 2021). "Christmas kicks off in Florence with official Palazzo Vecchio concert".
- (12 April 2025). "Benson Taylor Music Credits on Spotify".
- "Tuscan Junk Food & Daedelus – Fourth Third Twenty Three". Qobuz.
- Oscar Wilde. "Benson Taylor". BASCA.
- (6 January 2017). "Benson Taylor appointed Film Music ambassador at LCoM".
- (4 June 2025). "Benson Taylor's label a remarkable idea".
- "Insidious Music".
- "Benson's Concert". twitter.com.
- Taylor, Benson. (12 April 2017). "Storm.pic.twitter.com/MS1Eyuiu8a".
- "Halle".
- (18 March 2021). "At the pub (When we could) with Benson Taylor".
- (19 December 2021). "Why I Love Huddersfield". Huddersfield Hub.
- (12 March 2017). "Acclaimed composer so proud to be a CAFOD ambassador". Catholic News.
- Debbie Matthews. (4 September 2014). "Celebrity Charity Chinwag". Halifax Courier.
- (4 November 2014). "Benson Taylor Becomes Goodwill Ambassador in Cambodia". Cambodian Children's Trust.
- (12 March 2017). "Acclaimed composer so proud to be a CAFOD ambassador". 24/7 Catholic News.
- Taylor, Benson. (27 October 2018). "I did some music in support of @UNHCRUSA. Please watch and share. #WithRefugees …".
- "United Nations Support".
- Dickinson, Michael. (20 June 2018). "UK Composer & Producer BENSON TAYLOR Joins the UNITED NATION'S World Food Programme in Uganda to highlight World Refugee Day".
- (25 June 2018). "Simon Pegg narrates new dementia awareness film".
- (2018-06-26). "Simon Pegg narrates new dementia awareness film | BT".
- "AlzheimersResearchUK (@ARUKnews)".
- (26 June 2018). "Huge thanks to @_bensontaylor for composing and kindly donating the soundtrack to our latest dementia awareness film #DementiaUncovered …". AlzheimersResearchUK.
- Bridges, Jeff. (11 July 2018). "Dementia takes so much from us. We must support research to beat the diseases that cause it. Help @ARUKnews by watching and sharing this film they made with @SimonPegg and @ricoheurope. #DementiaUncovered".
- Serkis, Andy. (9 July 2018). "Dementia affects so many families around the world, yet many people don't truly understand what it is. This film from @SimonPegg, @ARUKnews and @ricoheurope can help change this. Please watch and share #DementiaUncovered".
- Cranston, Bryan. (2 July 2018). "One in three people born today will develop dementia. That's really shocking. We must support @ARUKnews and their research. Please watch and share this film they made with @ricoheurope and the wonderful @SimonPegg #DementiaUncovered".
- Chloe Glover. (15 April 2015). "Birkby film composer Benson Taylor honoured with fellowship into Royal Academy of Arts for selfless volunteer work". Huddersfield Examiner.
- Stephan Lurie. "Taylor enters Royal Society".
- "Angel Film Awards – Monaco International Film Festival 2013". Monaco Film Festival.
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