Alex Wurman

The early 21st century saw the emergence of Alex Wurman as one of the top composers and arrangers in the world of film and television. Wurman got his start in the early 1990s, composing music for such obscure movies as "L.A. Goddess," "Getting In," and "The Crew." A decade later, however, Wurman's stock had risen dramatically: he won three BMI Film Music Awards during a five-year period, for 2004's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," featuring Will Ferrell as the obtuse newsman of the title, 2005's "March of the Penguins" the smash hit documentary, and 2008's "Four Christmases," with Vince Vaughan and Reese Witherspoon as a married couple attempting to visit all their parents over the holiday. Wurman soon found success in television as well, with an Emmy nomination for composing for 2006's "Bernard and Doris," the dramatization of the relationship between heiress Doris Duke and her butler, and a win for 2010's "Temple Grandin," another biopic, this time about the autistic woman who introduced more humane practices to cattle ranches and slaughterhouses. While largely working on narrative features such as the comedy "The Switch," starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, Wurman also provided music for the 2011 documentary "The Last Lions," about the big cats' dwindling population.