One of the most influential figures in film music, Kathy Nelson has not only pioneered and defined the movie and television soundtrack business, but has paved the way for other women to follow her into the highest ranks of the entertainment industry. She has served as President of Film Music for Universal Music Group (UMG) and Universal Pictures, a role that did not exist prior to Kathy’s tenure, and President of Film Music for The Walt Disney Motion Picture Group. Kathy has worked with the top directors in Hollywood including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Alan Parker, Jonathan Demme, Robert Redford, Adrian Lyne, Spike Lee, Stephen Frears, Ang Lee, John Waters, Quentin Tarantino, Robert DeNiro, Sam Mendes, Michel Gondry, Garry Marshall, Michael Mann and Alfonso Cuarón. She has also notably collaborated on dozens of films over the past 20 years for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, including those with his late partner Don Simpson. Many of her albums and films have had immense success achieving gold and platinum status and winning numerous awards including Grammys and Oscars.
Her most recent film Cries from Syria, premiered at Sundance to critical acclaim. Some of Kathy’s most notable projects as music supervisor or consultant include Repo Man, Beverly Hills Cop, Weird Science, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Dangerous Minds, Beverly Hills Cop II, Out Of Africa, An American Tail, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Thelma & Louise, Point Break, Con Air, Silence Of The Lambs, Fried Green Tomatoes, Ghostbusters, Black Hawk Down, High Fidelity, Remember the Titans, Pearl Harbor, Frida, Bad Boys 2, The Italian Job, Brokeback Mountain, The Kingdom, The Bourne Ultimatum, Wanted, Role Models, Frost/Nixon, Repo Men, Despicable Me, Fast & Furious and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
As an executive Kathy has helped to oversee music on countless films and TV series including Armageddon, The Parent Trap, The Sixth Sense, The Fast And The Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, A Beautiful Mind, Six Feet Under, 8 Mile, About A Boy, Seabiscuit, Love Actually, The Bourne Supremacy, Pride & Prejudice, Meet The Fockers, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, King Kong, Munich, United 93, The Motorcycle Diaries, The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift, Children of Men, Knocked Up, American Gangster, Charlie Wilson’s War, Hot Fuzz, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Atonement, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Couple Retreat, Pirate Radio, and Megamind.
With a combination of creative talent and business acumen that has resulted in projects of enormous commercial success and artistic acclaim, Kathy Nelson remains an inspirational role model for women and a much-honored executive who continues to lead the film music industry into the future.