AMPS 11th annual feature film winner announced

The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) has announced The Zone of Interest (A24) as the winner of the Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film 2024.

The winners of the 11^th annual AMPS Feature Film Award are:

• Johnnie Burn AMPS
• Tarn Willers AMPS
• Mateusz Stasiak
• James Ogden

The prestigious polished bronze AMPS trophy is awarded annually for EXCELLENCE IN SOUND FOR A FEATURE FILM. The winners will each receive a trophy, which will be presented to them at a later date.

On the winning film AMPS Chair Andrew Wilson said: “The Zone of Interest is a compelling piece of filmmaking and a truly remarkable achievement in the artistry of Film Sound.  The grotesque picture of happy family life next to the horror of Auschwitz is stark, disturbing, and visceral, and it is here that the power of the soundtrack excels. The sonic storytelling is of the highest standard, and the film’s narrative is driven by its creative and crafted sound. AMPS is delighted to recognise the work of Johnnie, Tarn, Mateusz, James and their teams.

“The Association of Motion Picture Sound is proud to have one of 2024’s most diverse lists of titles and nominees for its Film Sound Award. We are proud to recognise some of the less well-known roles in both Production and Post-production sound, and to have so many of our talented members on the list of nominees.”

On receiving news of the win, The Zone of Interest Sound team said: Johnnie Burn: “We are deeply honoured to receive the AMPS Film Sound Award. This accolade is a testament to the hard work, creativity, and dedication that we, along with our incredible team of Brendan Feeney, Simon Carroll, Max Behrens, and everyone at Wave Studios, pour into every project. I feel so grateful to work with Jonathan Glazer on such extraordinary projects. It truly is beyond a privilege to see our commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound in cinema being recognized by my peers.”

Tarn Willers added, “Collaborating with Jonathan Glazer, and Johnnie, was an enriching experience. The work was incredibly challenging but thoroughly rewarding. This award not only celebrates our partnership but also the dedication and craft of my team of Mateusz Stasiak, Jimi Ogden and Filip Sulima and underscores the importance of sound in storytelling. We’re grateful to AMPS for this recognition and feel particularly honoured to receive such recognition from our peers.”.”

Listen to the AMPS Podcast with Johnnie Burn AMPS and Tarn Willers AMPS discussing their work on The Zone of Interest here.

In their annual awards AMPS recognise multiple facets of the Sound industry.  Alongside Supervising Crew members, AMPS honours Key 1st Assistant Sound/Boom Operators and Supervising Dialogue/ADR Editors.

The awards are often a pre-cursor to the BAFTA and Academy Awards; of the previous ten award winners, nine have gone on to win at BAFTA and six won the Oscar.

The UK-based Craft Guild is made up of over 500 award-winning creative talents working in the fields of sound for Film, TV and Games. The announcement of the winners contributes to the ongoing legacy of AMPS Awards, marking another milestone in recognising outstanding achievements in film sound.