ONTD

Warner/Chappell Music (WCM), the global music publishing arm of Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG), today announced a worldwide publishing agreement with singing/songwriting duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, winners of the "Best Original Song" Oscar for "Falling Slowly" from the critically acclaimed independent Irish musical film, "Once," at the 80th Academy Awards, held in Los Angeles on February 24. Under the agreement, Warner/Chappell Music will administer Hansard's and Irglova's catalog of work, including songs written by Hansard as a member of the band The Frames, music from Hansard's and Irglova's debut album, "The Swell Season" and songs from the "Once" soundtrack, as well as their future compositions.



Their Oscar victory was the latest in a string of awards the pair have captured in the wake of "Once." Most recently, the film "Once" won the Independent Spirit Award for "Best Foreign Film" on Saturday, February 23 and in January, "Falling Slowly" was named "Best Song" at the Critics' Choice Awards. In December the "Once" soundtrack was voted "Best Music From A Film" by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The album also garnered two Grammy nominations this year. In 2007, the film won the "World Cinema Audience Award" at the Sundance Film Festival.

In making the announcement, Glen Brunman, Executive Vice President and Head of Creative (U.S.) for Warner/Chappell Music, said, "Glen's and Mar's songs have touched so many who have seen the film 'Once.' Now that they have joined the Warner/Chappell family, we are excited to help their songwriting partnership flourish. Glen's work with The Frames will continue to rock and we'll make sure that it reaches an even wider audience."

Hansard began busking on local Dublin streets at the age of 13 while, Irglova, a Czech singer, songwriter, musician and actress, began playing music at the age of seven. Hansard first came to widespread public attention as guitar player Outspan Foster in the Alan Parker film, "The Commitments." In 2006, Hansard and Irglova released "The Swell Season" to critical acclaim. Both singer/songwriters appeared on the "I'm Not There" soundtrack with their version of Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," released on October 30, 2007.

Twenty-year-old Marketa Irglova began taking music lessons as a child on a piano her parents bought for her. When she was nine, her father bought her a guitar and she immediately began playing and learning songs by ear, cultivating her songwriting skills and developing a talent for playing multiple instruments.


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