The Soundtrack Stars Award 2025 for Best Soundtrack among the films in the official selection of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival has been awarded to Duse by Pietro Marcello. The Jury presented the Prize today to the composers of the CAM Sugar score, with the following motivation:

“The soundtrack by Fabrizio Elvetico, Marco Messina and Sacha Ricci—once again in close collaboration with director Pietro Marcello—reinterprets the atmosphere of Italy between the two World Wars, also embracing a refined use of electronic music that blends seamlessly with the symphonic repertoire performed by great musicians such as violinist Alessandro D’Anna. This choice transforms the vital force of Eleonora Duse into music, intertwining life and stage, and affirming the power of a true passionate heroine ready to challenge authority. A mix of rock provocation and, for instance, the notes of Gian Francesco Malipiero, among others, creates the soundscape upon which a magnificent protagonist soars on screen, beyond her time.”

This year’s awards also include a special recognition for F1®The Movie by Joseph Kosinski, with music composed by Hans Zimmer, and a particular mention to Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, who received the award on Saturday, September 6th during the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. As Andrea Camporesi, founder of the Soundtrack Stars Award, emphasized: “By enthusiastically embracing the project of F1®The Movie, [Stefano Domenicali] made possible the creation of a film that has carried the power of motorsport worldwide, merging it with the magic of cinema and great music in a unique and visionary narrative.” On the soundtrack, he further added: “In a film as compelling as every moment of Formula 1, a master of excellence such as Hans Zimmer had the extraordinary intuition to transform the adrenaline and power of motorsport into a score that transcends competition, blending energy and emotion into a universal language.”

A special mention was also awarded to La Grazia by Paolo Sorrentino “for the irresistible rap cameo of Guè Pequeno and Toni Servillo: a brief yet memorable sequence in which the Milanese rapper performs one of his 2015 tracks as himself, while Servillo, in the role of President of the Republic Mariano De Santis, echoes him by loudly singing ‘Le bimbe piangono.’”

The Soundtrack Stars Award is a project conceived and produced by Andrea Camporesi, CEO and Creative Director of FREE EVENT, a leading entertainment company based in Milan, London, and Amsterdam. Created as a collateral event to the Venice International Film Festival and promoted in collaboration with the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (SNGCI), the award highlights the key role of music in cinema—an essential and irreplaceable protagonist in film production.

The Jury of the Soundtrack Stars Award 2025 is chaired by Laura Delli Colli (President) and composed of journalists Alessandra Vitali (La Repubblica), Francesca Pierleoni (Ansa), Giuseppe Fantasia (Il Foglio), Stefania Ulivi (Corriere della Sera), Marina Sanna (Il Cinematografo), Carola Carulli (Tg2 Cultura – RAI), Paolo Sommaruga (Tg1 – RAI), Susanna Rotunno (CineMagazine), Fulvia Caprara (La Stampa), and Flavio Natalia (Ciak).