Simon Hayes (sound engineer)
Simon Hayes | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Production sound mixer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Website | simonhayes.com |
Simon Hayes is a British production sound mixer.[1] He won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing and the BAFTA Award for Best Sound for his work on Les Misérables (2012).[2][3] He earned two further nominations in those categories for his work on No Time to Die (2021)[4] and Wicked (2024).[5]
Career
After starting work as a runner for a commercial production company when he was 16 years old, Hayes moved into the sound department as an assistant and then boom operator, before mixing his first feature film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels at the age of 27.[1][6] Hayes was the production sound mixer for the 2012 epic period musical film Les Misérables, for which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him the Oscar for Best Sound Mixing at the 85th Academy Awards, alongside Andy Nelson and Mark Paterson.[2] The director Tom Hooper required all singing in the film to be recorded live, which was widely deemed to be impracticable.[7] Hayes and his team undertook complex recording, editing and mixing processes to achieve Hooper's aim. They captured recordings of the actors amidst loud film sets, edited the vocals, then overdubbed the orchestration.[7][8]
Personal life
Hayes is a 4th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt and coaches at Carlson Gracie London.[9][10] He also holds a 2nd dan blackbelt in Judo.[11] Hayes raced BMX in the 1980s, winning the 1985 European BMX Championships in Barcelona.[12]
Awards
- 2008: Conch Award for Production Sound Mixer of the Year[13]
- 2012: Conch Award for Production Sound Mixer of the Year[14]
- 2012: Satellite Award for Best Sound (Editing and Mixing) for Les Misérables[15]
- 2013: CAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Live Action for Les Misérables[16]
- 2013: BAFTA Award for Best Sound for Les Misérables[3]
- 2013: Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing, Les Misérables[2]
- 2024: Nikola Tesla Satellite Award for Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology[17]
- 2025: Satellite Award for Best Sound (Editing and Mixing) for Wicked[17]
Nominations
- 2017: BAFTA Award for Best Sound for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- 2022: Academy Award for Best Sound for No Time to Die[4]
- 2025: BAFTA Award for Best Sound for Wicked[18]
- 2025: Academy Award for Best Sound for Wicked[5]
- 2022: BAFTA Award for Best Sound for No Time to Die[19]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels | Sound recordist |
| 1999 | Fanny and Elvis | Production sound mixer |
| 2000 | Snatch | Sound mixer |
| 2002 | Birthday Girl | Additional UK shooting crew |
| 2002 | Mean Machine | Sound mixer |
| 2003 | Swept Away | Production sound mixer |
| 2004 | Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason | Production sound mixer |
| 2004 | Layer Cake | Sound mixer |
| 2004 | Shaun of the Dead | Sound recordist |
| 2004 | The Calcium Kid | Production sound mixer |
| 2005 | Nanny McPhee | Production sound mixer |
| 2005 | Revolver | Sound recordist |
| 2006 | Sixty Six “A True…Ish Story” | Production sound mixer |
| 2007 | 28 Weeks Later | Production sound mixer |
| 2007 | Copying Beethoven | Production sound mixer |
| 2007 | Stardust | Production sound mixer |
| 2008 | Incendiary | Production sound mixer |
| 2008 | Mamma Mia! | Production sound mixer |
| 2008 | The Bank Job | Production sound mixer |
| 2009 | Franklyn | Production sound mixer |
| 2009 | Harry Brown | Production sound mixer |
| 2009 | Lesbian Vampire Killers | Production sound mixer |
| 2010 | Green Zone | Production sound mixer |
| 2010 | Kick-Ass | Production sound mixer |
| 2010 | Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang | Production sound mixer |
| 2011 | X-Men: First Class | Production sound mixer |
| 2012 | Bel Ami | Production sound mixer |
| 2012 | Prometheus | Production sound mixer |
| 2012 | 'Les Misérables' | Production sound mixer |
| 2013 | The Counselor | Production sound mixer |
| 2013 | Trance | Production sound mixer |
| 2014 | Before I Go to Sleep | Production sound mixer |
| 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Production sound mixer |
| 2015 | Kingsman: The Secret Service | Production sound mixer |
| 2016 | Allied | Production sound mixer |
| 2016 | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Production sound mixer |
| 2017 | The Legend of Tarzan | Production sound mixer |
| 2017 | Eat Locals | Sound consultant |
| 2017 | King Arthur: Legend of the Sword | Production sound mixer |
| 2017 | Life | Production sound mixer |
| 2018 | Cats | Production sound mixer |
| 2019 | Aladdin | Production sound mixer |
| 2019 | Yesterday | Production sound mixer |
| 2021 | No Time to Die | Production sound mixer |
| 2023 | The Little Mermaid | Production sound mixer |
| 2024 | Argylle | Production sound mixer |
| 2024 | Wicked | Production sound mixer |
| 2025 | Snow White | Production sound mixer |
References
- ^ a b "Simon Hayes, Production sound mixer, Les Misérables". dpamicrophones. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ a b c "Oscars 2013: Full list of winners". BBC News. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Winner Les Miserables". BAFTA. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Oscars 2022: All the winners and nominees". BBC News. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ a b "List of nominations in full for Oscars 2025". BBC News. 2 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Simon Hayes". British Film Institute. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ a b Tingen, Paul (1 April 2013). "The Les Misérables Sound Team: Part 1". Sound-on-Sound. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ Tingen, Paul (1 May 2013). "The Les Misérables Sound Team, Part 2". Sound-on-Sound. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Simon Hayes – BJJ Black Belt!". Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "Carlson Gracie London Instructors". Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "BJA Dan Grade register". Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "Simon Hayes-British BMX Hall Of Fame". Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "The Conch Award Winners 2008". broadcastnow. 1 October 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Audio Success Celebrated At The Conch Awards 2012". 4rfv. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "International Press Academy Satellite Awards 2012". International Press Academy. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "49th CAS Award Winners". Cinema Audio Society Awards. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ a b "2024 Winners". International Press Academy. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "20225 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Winners". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ^ "2022 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Winners". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 31 May 2022.