Composers Diversity Collective to receive the 2025 WSA Industry Award
15 October 2025, 25th edition World Soundtrack Awards
14 - 16 October 2025, WSA Film Music Days during Film Fest Gent
The 2025 WSA Industry Award by Film Fest Gent and the World Soundtrack Academy will be presented to the Composers Diversity Collective, in recognition of the organisation’s mission to create a safer, more inclusive and representative film music industry.
The WSA Industry Award celebrates individuals or organisations whose efforts have made a notable and lasting contribution to the film music industry. By eliminating the often-cited industry challenge of “not being able to find” music creators from diverse backgrounds, the Composers Diversity Collective (CDC) is dismantling barriers and broadening access for underrepresented voices across the creative spectrum—including composers, music supervisors, sound engineers, and musicians.
The award will be presented on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, during the WSA Nominees Celebration Reception (event on invitation only), held the evening before the 25th anniversary edition of the World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert at Music Centre De Bijloke in Ghent. Michael Abels, Sandro Morales-Santoro and Amritha Vaz will accept the award in person.
About the Composers Diversity Collective
Founded by acclaimed American composer Michael Abels, and led by co-presidents Sandro Morales-Santoro and Amritha Vaz, the Composers Diversity Collective (CDC) is a community of music creatives who actively envision an entertainment industry as diverse as our society.
“We are committed to repairing systemic underrepresentation through advocacy, education and collaborative engagement, because we believe equitable career opportunities for all will create a stronger, thriving community of storytellers” - Michael Abels, Sandro Morales-Santoro and Amritha Vaz (CDC).
The CDC’s vision is threefold: to increase the visibility of its members through networking and performance opportunities; to mentor and educate emerging composers from underserved communities; and to serve the broader community through music. The Collective also works to highlight the breadth of diversity within the field of composing for screen and to dispel misconceptions about the stylistic range of any minority composer.
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