Ludwig Göransson is probably a name you've been hearing more and more in recent years, as he makes his way up the film composing ranks and captures the attention of awards juries and film music fanatics. Here, we introduce you to the Swedish film composer – and explain a little about his background in music production and collaborations with major artists.
Who is Ludwig Göransson?
Ludwig Göransson is a composer and producer, who has worked across genres and with both acoustic and electronic instruments and effects. As a record producer, he is particularly known for his work with Childish Gambino on his albums Camp, Because the Internet and 'Awaken, My Love!'. He is also a hugely well respected composer for film and TV, writing scores to shows including The Mandalorian and New Girl, and films including the Rocky franchise, Creed and Creed II, Black Panther, Tenet and Oppenheimer.
Which films has he scored?
While studying at the University of Southern California, Ludwig Göransson met filmmaker Ryan Coogler, who went on to co-write and direct the Rocky spinoff, Creed and the Marvel film Black Panther, all of which Göransson collaborated on.
He leapt to fame with his dynamic score to the 2018 Marvel film Black Panther, the success of which helped launch him into Hollywood's inner sanctum. It was for this film he won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Score. The score combined traditional superhero movie tropes with traditional African instrumentation and techniques. The following year he created the score for Disney +'s Star Wars series, The Mandalorian.
In 2020, Göransson collaborated with Christopher Nolan on the soundtrack to Tenet to great acclaim. Nolan's most frequent composing partner is Hans Zimmer, but clearly he enjoyed the process of working with Göransson because the pair went on to develop the score to Oppenheimer in 2023. This score won Göransson a Golden Globe for Best Original Score in early 2024, his first Golden Globes win following nominations for Black Panther and Tenet, as well as a nomination in the same year for Best Original Song for 'Lift Me Up' from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Which composers, songwriting partners and artists has he collaborated with?
As a record producer, he has worked on studio albums for Childish Gambino and has collaborated with other artists including Rihanna, Adele, Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, Haim, Justin Timberlake and Travis Scott.
He worked with Moses Sumney on the soundtrack to Creed.
As a young composer, Göransson assisted Theodore Shapiro, the composer behind films including Along Came Polly, The Devil Wears Prada and Tropic Thunder.
Where is Ludwig Göransson from?
Göransson was born in Linköping in Sweden to a Polish mother and Swedish father. In 2007, he moved to Los Angeles to study at the University of Southern California. He still lives there with his wife, the American violinist Serena McKinney.
Where did he study?
Ludwig Göransson studied at the Stockholm Royal College of Music, before moving to Los Angeles for further study at the University of Southern California in its Scoring for Motion Picture and Television programme.
What's his composing process?
Ludwig Göransson spoke to Spitfire Audio about his approach to composing, saying, 'I can take an instrument, and record it into my modular synth, you can tweak the buttons and create unique manipulating sounds. For Oppenheimer, one of the first ideas that I needed to build was a flurry of unique sounds. I had my sound guy record sounds from old equipment that was used from that era – the kind of radios and nuclear computers and machines that were used in the 1950s. We then recorded and manipulated those to see how we could make it into a sample library. A lot of the time, an easy way would be to say, "Oh, I'm writing music about India, I'm gonna go online and buy the Indian sample library." Biut there's so much more you can do yourself.'
Göransson uses a mix of electronic elements and orchestral sounds in his music, fusing analogue with digital. 'An orchestra has dynamic range and expression,' he says. 'It makes a big difference if you have 50 people playing a melody – you can hear the air in the room. There's a closeness to it. But there are some frequencies that are part of our world today that an acoustic orchestra is not gonna be able to reach.'
What studio equipment does Ludwig Göransson use?
While we may not know what equipment he used for his more recent film scores, Ludwig Göransson was kind enough to share the gear he used to produce Childish Gambino's 2016 album Redbone with Mixdown Magazine. To create those sounds, he used:
- Mellotron
- Fender Stage Rhodes Mark II Electric Piano
- Fender Precision Bass
- Roland Juno 106 Synth
- Dave Smith Instruments Pro 2
- Vintage Fender Telecaster
- Maestro Pedal
- Ableton's Echoboy Triplet
- Hohner Clavinet
- Lyons 25-note Xylophone
What DAW does he use?
DAWs (digital audio workstations) are electronic devices or software used for recording, editing and producing tracks. While we might not be 100% sure on this one, there has been speculation online that Ludwig Göransson uses Ableton Live, a DAW originally designed for use in live performance.
Listen to Ludwig Göransson's Black Panther soundtrack
The track 'Wakanda' is probably the most famous in the Black Panther soundtrack, as its main theme appears throughout the rest of the score. Listen out for it!
You might also want to listen to Göransson's score to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to this film. Highlight tracks include 'Con La Brisa', 'We Know What You Whisper' and 'Sirens'.
Listen to The Mandalorian soundtrack
Listen to the Creed soundtrack
Listen to the Tenet soundtrack
How old is Ludwig Göransson?
Ludwig Göransson was born on 1 September 1984.
