John Powell is an English composer known above all for his richly thematic scores for animated and action films. Born in London and trained as a violinist before studying at Trinity College of Music, he worked on commercials and as a scoring assistant in Britain before moving to Los Angeles in 1997, where he joined Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions and quickly established himself.
His first major Hollywood score was Face/Off (1997), followed by a run of animated features — several co-composed with Harry Gregson-Williams — including Antz, Chicken Run, and Shrek. Powell became a defining voice in animation with propulsive, emotionally expansive scores for the Ice Age, Rio, and Kung Fu Panda films, earning his first Academy Award nomination for How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and a second for Wicked (2024). In live action he is closely associated with directors Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass, scoring the first three Bourne films and United 93.
In 2018 Powell scored Solo: A Star Wars Story, sharing the project with John Williams, who contributed Han Solo's theme. Alongside his screen work he has composed concert music, including the oratorio A Prussian Requiem (2016). Powell is regarded as one of the most melodically inventive orchestral composers working in film today.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Powell
Germany / 2009-06-23
Colosseum Music Entertainment CVS 6978.2
1xCD (Album) / 44 Tracks / 73:02 m:s
Jason Bourne
United States / 2016-07-29
Back Lot Music
1xCD (Album) / 16 Tracks / 62:00 m:s
Jason Bourne
United States / 2016-07-29
Back Lot Music
Digital (Album) / 16 Tracks / 61:06 m:s
Jumper
United States / 2008-02-12
Lakeshore Records LKS 33987
1xCD (Album) / 21 Tracks / 44:19 m:s
Knight and Day (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Powell
United States / 2010-07-13
Varèse Sarabande 302 067 034 2
1xCD (Album) / 17 Tracks / 54:45 m:s
Knight and Day (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Powell
Germany / 2010-07-13
Colosseum Music Entertainment CVS 7034.2
1xCD (Album) / 17 Tracks / 54:45 m:s
Kung Fu Panda 2 (Music From the Motion Picture)
Hans Zimmer
United States / 2011-05-24
Varèse Sarabande 302 067 092 2
1xCD (Album) / 17 Tracks / 64:26 m:s
Kung Fu Panda 2 (Music From the Motion Picture)
Hans Zimmer
Germany / 2011-05-24
Colosseum Music Entertainment CVS 7092.2
1xCD (Album) / 17 Tracks / 64:26 m:s
Mars Needs Moms
United States / 2011-03-08
Walt Disney Records
Digital (Album) / 14 Tracks / 49:01 m:s
Migration (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Powell
United States / 2023-12-15
Back Lot Music
Digital (Album)
Hi-Res
/ 29 Tracks / 72:24 m:s
Minions & Monsters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Variant: Yellow / Turquoise Vinyl
John Powell
Netherlands / 2026-09-04
Music On Vinyl (At the Movies) MOVATM470
2xLP (Album) / 31 Tracks
Minions & Monsters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Powell
Netherlands / 2026-09-04
Music On Vinyl
1xCD (Album) / 31 Tracks
Minions & Monsters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Powell
Worldwide / 2026-07-01
Back Lot Music
Digital (Album)
Hi-Res
/ 31 Tracks / 78:58 m:s
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Original Motion Picture Score)
John Powell
United States / 2005-06-28
Lakeshore Records LKS 33828
1xCD (Album) / 19 Tracks / 44:13 m:s
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Various Artists
United States / 2005-06-07
Lakeshore Records LKS 33827
1xCD (Album)
P.S. I Love You
United States / 2008-04-22
Varèse Sarabande 302 066 891 2
1xCD (Album) / 25 Tracks / 50:17 m:s
P.S. I Love You
Germany / 2008-04-22
Colosseum Music Entertainment CVS 6891.2
1xCD (Album) / 25 Tracks / 50:17 m:s
Paycheck: The Deluxe Edition (Music From The Motion Picture)
John Powell
United States / 2021-06-11
Varèse Sarabande (CD Club)
2xCD (Album) / 30 Tracks / 95:40 m:s
Paycheck (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Powell
United States / 2004-01-13
Varèse Sarabande 302 066 535 2
1xCD (Album) / 14 Tracks / 48:06 m:s
Paycheck (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Powell
Germany / 2004-01-13
Colosseum Schallplatten CVS 6535.2
1xCD (Album) / 14 Tracks / 48:06 m:s
Rio (Original Motion Picture Score)
John Powell
United States / 2011-04-19
Varèse Sarabande 302 067 084 2
1xCD (Album) / 19 Tracks / 47:11 m:s