Let’s revisit the awards history of ‘Maestro’ Leonard Bernstein

Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” about the composer/musicians/conductor extraordinaire Leonard Bernstein is in contention for seven Oscars including three for Cooper (picture, actor and director). We’ll have to wait until the Academy Awards on March 10 to see how “Maestro” does.

But did you know that Bernstein received an Oscar nomination for his evocative and powerful score for the 1954 classic “On the Waterfront”? And just what score won that year? Veteran Dimitri Tiomkin’s “The High and the Mighty.”

More from GoldDerby

• Oscars flashback 60 years ago to 1964: Sidney Poitier makes history, 'Tom Jones' wins top prize

• 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3': Can Marvel Cinematic Universe finally win its first Oscar for Best Visual Effects?

• February 2024 box office preview: 'Argylle,' 'Madame Web,' 'Bob Marley: One Love' are highlights for the month

Bernstein was also a powerhouse on television. According to LeonardBernstein.com, he  “came of age artistically as television became part of everyday life and he immediately saw the potential to share and explore music with the mass audience. A generation of Americans appreciate music because of Bernstein.” His CBS series “Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic” debuted Jan. 18, 1958, just two weeks after he became the Music Director for the Philharmonic. Bernstein presented 53 concerts over a period of 14 years describing them as “among my favorite, most highly prized activities of my life.” The episodes can be streamed on Carnegie Hall+

He won seven Emmys for his work on television beginning in 1957 for best musical contribution for television for his composing and conducting on CBS’ “Omnibus” (he would appear on the series 11 times). His final Emmy was 30 years later for individual achievement (classical musical/dance programing-performing) for “Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening.”

Though he composed the scores of several classic Broadway musicals most notably collaborating with Stephen Sondheim on the beloved 1957 “West Side Story,” Bernstein’s only competitive Tony win was for writing the music to “Wonderful Town,” which was named Best Musical of 1953. Bernstein was nominated for best musical in 1957 for “Candide” and 1958 “West Side Story”- “The Music Man” was the big winner that year. And in 1969 he won a special Tony Award for distinguished achievement in the theater.

Bernstein received 63 Grammy nominations and 16 wins including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985. He was also a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor in 1980. Not only was he the bestowed with numerous other honors, but he also received the keys to many cities including Bernstein, Austria.

He died at the age of 72 on Oct. 4, 1990 of a heart attack that was brought about by progressive lung failure.

SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

Best of GoldDerby

• Grammys flashback: SZA's 'Ctrl' was shut out in 2018, but now 'SOS' will avenge those losses

• 'Hell's Kitchen' winners ranked worst to best: All seasons

• Who will be the 20th EGOT winner? Here are 80 people who have the best chance

Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.