Multi-Academy Award and GRAMMY Award-winning artist, songwriter, producer and composer Finneas O’Connell headlined the 12th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors State of Music in Media Conference as its keynote speaker.
Held Saturday, August 15 at West Los Angeles College, the conference featured O’Connell in a conversation titled, “Inside the Importance of Music and Its Powerful Connection to Story: A Conversation with Finneas O’Connell.” The 11:00 a.m. keynote was moderated by Emmy-nominated writer, showrunner and actor Diallo Riddle.
The annual event, presented by the Guild of Music Supervisors, brought together music supervisors, songwriters, composers, producers, artists and entertainment professionals to explore the evolving relationship between music and visual storytelling.
“Finneas’ career perfectly demonstrates how each of us brings a unique voice to the creative process based on personal experiences and perspectives — and through collaboration those voices become the choir of truly impactful creative work,” said Guild of Music Supervisors President Jonathan Leahy.
O’Connell’s appearance came as his influence continued to span popular music, film and television. As a solo artist, he introduced his distinctive sound with the 2019 Blood Harmony EP, including the gold-certified track “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night,” before releasing his acclaimed debut album, The Optimist, in 2021. His recent work included the 2024 sophomore album For Cryin’ Out Loud, a sold-out North American and European tour, and the collaborative project The Dream with longtime friend Ashe under the name The Favors.
He was also widely recognized for his creative partnership with sister Billie Eilish, with whom he had earned 11 GRAMMY Awards, two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Their Best Original Song-winning collaborations included “No Time To Die,” from the James Bond film of the same name, and “What Was I Made For?” from Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
Beyond the recording studio, O’Connell had established a significant career as a screen composer. His credits included original scores for The Fallout, Vengeance, Apple Original’s Disclaimer and the second season of Netflix’s anthology series BEEF. He also wrote music for the fictional boy band 4Town in Pixar’s Turning Red*, underscoring the versatility that made him a particularly fitting keynote voice for a conference centered on the intersection of music and media.
Riddle, who guided the conversation, brought a similarly expansive background in comedy, television and music. The NAACP Image Award-winning director and Emmy-nominated creative was known for projects including Sherman’s Showcase and South Side, created alongside creative partner Bashir Salahuddin. He was also an actor, DJ and co-host of the popular One Song podcast with LUXXURY, where the pair examined the creative, cultural and musical legacy behind a single song in each episode.
The State of Music in Media Conference also featured panels with 2026 Emmy-nominated music supervisors, composers and songwriters, alongside practical programming on music clearance, new professional opportunities and effective approaches to getting music in front of supervisors.
Among the scheduled participants were Andrew Bird (The Pitt), Nora Felder (Stranger Things), Manish Raval (Nobody Wants This), Michelle Johnson and Yvette Metoyer (The Boys), Matt Biffa (Hacks), Toko Nagata (Widow’s Bay), Kris Bowers and Michael Dean Parsons (Spider-Noir), Dave Porter (Pluribus), Carlos Rafael Rivera and David Stal (Hacks), and Miguel Gandelman, associated with the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show with Bad Bunny.
Founded in 2010, the Guild of Music Supervisors is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and advancing the role of music supervisors across all media. Through educational initiatives, networking events and its annual conference, the organization has worked to foster a stronger professional community while helping shape the future of music supervision.
