Filipina composer Denise Santos brought pride to the Philippines after winning the “Outstanding Music Composition” in the 42nd edition of the News and Documentary Emmy Awards held on September 28, 2021.
The prestigious Emmy Awards recognizes the outstanding achievements in American television as voted by an academy represented by TV professionals and experts.
Together with her writing partner, Adam Lukas, the Los Angeles-based musician worked on the BBC-commissioned three-part documentary titled Primates, which puts a spotlight on the life of primates all over the world.
In an interview with CNN Philippines’ New Day, Denise shared that it took her three months to finish the scoring for the said series.
She explained, "With nature documentaries versus fictional shows, the main difference is these animals, these landscapes, there is no talking.
"You really have to hone in on what the narration is saying depending on the research that they have done. That's what the big difference is."
Denise and Adam are both part of the Bleeding Fingers Music, co-founded by the legendary composer Hans Zimmer and Extreme Music.
Describing her experience with the collective, she told Preview.ph in an exclusive interview, “It's life-changing… there's nothing like being surrounded by so many talented composers and producers.
“Everyone in the company is at the top of their game, and it is so inspiring to witness that day to day.
“The great part about it, too, is that people are so generous with their insights and resources, and that support keeps me going, especially on the toughest of writing days.”
After graduating from the Ateneo de Manila University with a bachelor’s degree in management, Denise worked on her professional certificate in music production at the Berklee College of Music, a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts.
She also studied film scoring at the University of California in Los Angeles Extension.
Aside from BBC’s Primates, Denise also worked on the scoring of Samantha Lee’s Baka Bukas htop-billed by Jasmine Curtis-Smith in 2016 and Billie and Emma in 2018, among many others.