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Simpsons composer Alf Clausen has tied arranger/musical director Ian Fraser for the record of most-nominated musician in the history of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Clausen scored his 26th and 27th Emmy nominations for "outstanding music composition for a series (dramatic underscore)" for the "Treehouse of Horror XV" episode of The Simpsons, and "outstanding music and lyrics" for the song "Always My Dad" in the "A Star Is Torn" episode of the popular animated series.

Since 1991-92, Clausen has been nominated 20 times for music on the Fox series, and has won twice, for songs in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. His previous nominations were for work on the Omnibus special and the Bruce Willis-Cybill Shepherd comedy Moonlighting.

Fraser's 27 nominations are all in the music-direction category (which involves arranging and conducting, usually on music specials). He is also the most-honored musician in Emmy history, having won 13 times for such classic television specials as America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His Music, Baryshnikov on Broadway and Julie Andrews: The Sound of Christmas. This year's nomination was for the TNT special Christmas in Washington.

Alf Clausen Michael Giacchino Bruce Broughton

• Michael Giacchino, who burst onto the film- and TV-music scene with his scores for Alias and The Incredibles, received his first two Emmy nods for original music on Lost and an original song in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.
• Danny Elfman received his second Emmy nomination ever for the main title theme music of Desperate Housewives (his first, 14 years ago, was for The Simpsons theme).
• Bruce Broughton, whose nine Emmys make him the most-awarded composer of original music in Emmy history, received his 20th prime-time nomination for the music of the HBO TV-movie about Franklin D. Roosevelt, Warm Springs.
• The TV-movie and miniseries score category took on an international flavor, with nominations for French composer Bruno Coulais (an Oscar nominee this year for Les Choristes) for the HBO movie Sometimes in April; Australia-based composers Christopher Gordon and Lisa Gerrard, for the music of TNT's Salem's Lot; and Britisher George Fenton (2002 winner for Blue Planet), for music in A&E's Pride.
• Oscar winner Rachel Portman (Emma) received her first Emmy nomination in the music-direction category for the PBS telecast of her opera The Little Prince.
• Previous Emmy winners honored with new nominations include Jeff Beal (2003 winner for the Monk theme) for music on Carnivale; Sean Callery (2003 winner for scoring 24), receiving his fourth nomination for 24; W.G. Snuffy Walden (2000 winner for his theme for The West Wing), nominated for the theme for Huff; and Michael McCuistion (2001 daytime Emmy winner for his Batman Beyond music), receiving his first prime-time Emmy nomination for the theme of Cartoon Network's Justice League Unlimited.

• Carnivale, episode "Lincoln Highway" / HBO
  Jeff Beal, Composer
• House, Pilot episode / FOX
  Christopher Hoag, Composer
• Lost / ABC
  Michael Giacchino, Music by
• The Simpsons, episode "Treehouse of Horror XV" / FOX
  Alf Clausen, Music by
• 24, episode "2:00 AM - 3:00 AM" / FOX
  Sean Callery, Composer

• Miracle Run / Lifetime Television
  Joseph Conlan
• Pride / A&E
  George Fenton
• Revelations, Part 1 / NBC
  Joseph Vitarelli
• Salem's Lot / TNT
  Lisa Gerrard, Christopher Gordon
• Sometimes In April / HBO
  Bruno Coulais
• Warm Springs / HBO
  Bruce Broughton

• Broadway: The American Musical / Oh, What A Beautiful Morning / PBS
  Matthias Gohl, Music Supervisor, Arranger and Producer
• A Christmas Carol / NBC
  Michael Kosarin, Music Produced and Adapted Underscore by
• Christmas In Washington / TNT
  Ian Fraser, Music Director
• Genius: A Night For Ray Charles / CBS
  Rickey Minor, Music Director
• The Little Prince (Great Performances) / PBS
  Rachel Portman, Music by

• Malcolm In The Middle / Dewey's Opera –
  Song: "The Marriage Bed" / FOX
  Charles Sydnor, Music by
  Eric Kaplan, Written by
• The Muppets' Wizard Of Oz –
  Song: "I'm With You' / ABC
  Michael Giacchino, Written by
  Jeannie Lurie, Written by
  Adam Cohen, Written by
  Debra Frank, Written by
  Steve Hayes, Written by
• Reefer Madness –
  Song: "Mary Jane/Mary Lane" / Showtime
  Dan Studney, Music by
  Kevin Murphy, Music by
• The Simpsons / A Star Is Torn –
  Song: "Always My Dad" / FOX
  Alf Clausen, Music by
  Carolyn Omine, Lyrics by
• Terror at Home: Domestic Violence in America –
  Song: "The Tears of the Angels" / Lifetime Television
  Michael Bolton, Written and Performed by

• Desperate Housewives / ABC
  Danny Elfman
• Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends / Cartoon Network
  James L. Venable
• Huff / Showtime
  W.G. "Snuffy" Walden
• Justice League Unlimited / Cartoon Network
  Michael McCuistion
• Stargate Atlantis / SCI FI
  Joel Goldsmith