Composer Sara Barone ’13 Earns Second Emmy Nomination
August 4, 2026
We are excited to share that composer Sara Barone ’13 has been nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on the television program, “The Beast in Me”!
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by our peers in the Television Academy,” Sara says of her nomination for Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special. “It’s especially meaningful to see ‘The Beast in Me’ recognized across so many different categories.”
When we last posted about Sara’s career, we highlighted her score for “Planet Earth III,” which scored Sara her first Emmy nod in 2024. While that was a documentary, “the emotional core of the process is often quite similar [when composing for a fictional series like ‘The Beast in Me.’],” Sara says. “With a fictional project, I’m usually thinking very closely about character psychology, subtext, and what the music can reveal that may not be expressed on screen. I’m often responding to a character’s inner life, their motivations, contradictions, and the things they may not be saying aloud. Music can help reveal those hidden layers or shape how the audience interprets a relationship or moment. It can even offer a perspective that may contrast with the image.
“With a project like ‘Planet Earth III,’ the storytelling comes from real behavior and real environments, so the music has to remain sensitive to that authenticity. But on a show like ‘Planet Earth III,’ the sequences are incredibly cinematic and have their own dramatic arcs, so I still approached them as stories, with tension, wonder, intimacy, and emotional weight. In both cases, the goal is ultimately the same: to deepen the audience’s connection to the story being told.”
When it comes to her own story arc, Sara says, “My time at Wheeler played an important role in shaping me as a young musician and composer. From being introduced to musical traditions from around the world through the Music Department, to studying music theory and composition through Aerie, to performing with the 18 Wheelers, I could not have imagined a more enriching foundation. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who encouraged and supported me during my time there, particularly Kristin Sprague, whom I still consider one of the most talented, enthusiastic, and inspiring creative minds I’ve ever come across.”
Now, she’s about to join some other talented and creative minds at the Sept. 14 Emmy Awards ceremony. “I’m looking forward to celebrating with the team, seeing friends and colleagues, and enjoying the rare opportunity for composers to emerge from our studios and socialize in formalwear.”
Please join us in congratulating Sara on her Emmy nomination!
