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Alumni Award

Nicholas Britell

Winner of 2023 Alumni Award: 
Honored for His Musical Genius in Film and Television
Nicholas Britell ’96

The New Canaan Country School Alumni Award is presented to honor an alumna or alumnus who has had the courage and confidence to make a positive contribution to the world. This year, that distinction goes to Nicholas Britell ’96, a composer whose innovative scores have shaped some of the most critically acclaimed films and television shows of the past decade.

Following his time at Country School, Nicholas attended Hopkins School and went on to further his education at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, where he studied piano and composition. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he also explored his passion for blending classical music with modern genres like hip-hop.

Nicholas has gained international recognition for his scores in films such as Moonlight (2016), If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), and Don't Look Up (2021). He earned Academy Award nominations for all three, and his work on the HBO series Succession won him an Emmy Award in 2019 for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. His ability to combine emotion and complexity in his compositions has established him as one of the most sought-after composers in Hollywood today.

In addition to his film work, Nicholas’s music career extends into production, collaborating with a diverse range of artists and projects. His multifaceted approach to composing reflects his deep understanding of musical theory and his passion for storytelling through sound.
Nicholas lives in New York City with his wife, Caitlin Sullivan, and their son.

The Alumni Award recognizes Nicholas's artistic achievements and his powerful contribution to the world of film and television music, continuing to inspire audiences worldwide.

Alumni Award Recipients

List of 29 items.

  • 2025: Jonathan Isham '75

  • 2024: Lucy Adams Billings '63

  • 2023: Nicholas Britell '96

  • 2022: Lisa Pike Sheehy ’83

  • 2021: AJ Mleczko ’90

  • 2020: Eric Woolworth ’80

  • 2019: Allison Kessler Vear ’00

  • 2018: Topsy Post ’66

  • 2017: Mo Vaughn ’82

  • 2016: G. David Forney ’54

  • 2015: Zach Iscol ’94

  • 2014: Katherine Ward ’79

  • 2013: Liz Barratt-Brown ’74

  • 2012: Matt Heineman ’98

  • 2011: Rick Ackerly ’60

  • 2010: Edward Hoagland ’47

  • 2009: Patricia Gates Lynch Ewell ’41

  • 2008: Hardy Jones ’58

  • 2007: Elizabeth Spelke ’64

  • 2006: L. Paul Bremer ’56

  • 2005: Edmund L. Resor ’66

  • 2004: William A. Shutkin ’80

  • 2003: Emily Mead ’41

  • 2002: Keith H. Brodie ’54

  • 2001: Samuel Sachs ’50

  • 2000: Elizabeth S. Crow ’61

  • 1999: Hedrick Smith ’47

  • 1998: Jonathan B. O’Brien ’53 & Joan Dominick O’Brien ’53

  • 1997: Peter Goldmark ’55

New Canaan Country School

635 Frogtown Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: (203) 972-0771

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New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.