Jemma Burns

Biography

With a wildly adventurous family who brought her up in the remote Australian outback before sailing halfway around the world, Jemma eventually landed in London as a teenager, where she studied film. Returning to Australia a decade later, she broke into the industry on the cult series Summer Heights High.

She has since music supervised over 100 productions and regularly collaborates with some of the world’s most renowned production companies, including See-Saw Films (on numerous projects including the Oscar-nominated Lion and Top of the Lake: China Girl), Plan B Entertainment(including Okja and multiple films with David Michôd), and A24 (Beau Is Afraid and Wizards!). She enjoys working closely with directors to craft the sonicidentity of their films—whether through score, licensed music, or original songs—and is known for pairing the right composer with the right filmmaker.

Recent credits include Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid, the Emmy Award–winning series Heartbreak High, and Apple Cider Vinegar. She recently completed work on Christy, which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, as well as The Drama directed by Kristoffer Borgli and starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. She has also collaborated with Lance Oppenheim on Prime time.

Jemma is currently working on the highly anticipated Apple feature Tenzing, starring Willem Dafoe and Tom Hiddleston.

FILM:
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Primetime (Upcoming)
Studio: A24
Producers: Ari Aster | Fred Berger | Tyler Campellone | Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
Director: Lance Oppenheim

The Drama
Studio: A24
Producers: Ari Aster | Tyler Campellone | Lars Knudsen
Director: Kristoffer Borgli

Tenzing (Upcoming)
Studio: Apple
Producers: Desray Armstrong | Iain Canning | Luke Davies | Jennifer Peedom
Director: Jennifer Peedom

Shiver (Upcoming)
Studio: Catchlight Studios
Producers: Volodymyr Artemenko | Addam Bramich | Ryan Hamilton | Rachel Rothman | Jeanette Volturno
Director: Claire McCarthy

Christy (2025)
Studio: Black Bear
Producers: Kerry Kohansky-Roberts | Justin Lothrop | David Michôd | Teddy Schwarzman
Director: David Michôd

Wizards! (2025)
Studio: A24
Producers: Dede Gardner | Jeremy Kleiner | Liz Watts
Director: David Michôd

One More Shot (2025)
Studio: GoodThing Prod
Producers: Nick Batzias | Elise Trenorden | Virginia Whitwell | Jim M. Wright
Director: Nicholas Clifford

Bubble & Squeak (2025)
Studio: Celadon Pictures
Producers: Christina Oh | Steven Yeun
Director: Evan Twohy

Inside (2024)
Studio: Quiver
Producers: Kate Glover | Marian Macgowan
Director: Charles Williams

Mabel (2024)
Studio: Bleeker Street Films
Producers: Luca Borghese | Helen Estabrook | Ben Howe
Director: Nicholas Ma

Foe (2023)
Studio: See-Saw Films
Producers: Iain Canning | Garth Davis | Kerry Kohansky-Roberts | Emile Sherman
Director: Garth Davis

The Royal Hotel (2023)
Studio: See-Saw Films | Neon
Producers: Iain Canning | Kath Shelper | Emile Sherman | Liz Watts
Director: Kitty Green

Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Studio: A24
Producers: Ari Aster | Jorge Canada Escorihuela (as Jorge Cañada Escorihuela) | Lars Knudsen
Director: Ari Aster

Blueback (2022)
Studio: Arenamedia
Producers: Robert Connolly | James Grandison | Liz Kearney
Director: Robert Connolly

Petrol (2022)
Studio: Arenamedia
Producers: Kate Laurie
Director: Alena Lodkina

The Stranger (2022)
Studio: See-Saw Films
Producers: Iain Canning | Joel Edgerton | Rachel Gardner | Kim Hodgert
Director: Thomas M. Wright

Expired (2022)
Studio: Bunya Productions
Producers: David Jowsey | Angela Littlejohn | Ivan Sen | Greer Simpkin
Director: Ivan Sen

The Plains (2022)
Studio: David Easteal Film
Producers: David Easteal
Director: David Easteal

Nitram (2021)
Studio: GoodThing Productions
Producers: Nick Batzias | Shaun Grant | Justin Kurzel | Virginia Whitwell
Director: Justin Kurzel

The Legend of Molly Johnson (2021)
Studio: Bunya Productions
Producers: David Jowsey | Angela Littlejohn | Leah Purcell | Greer Simpkin | Bain Stewart
Director: Leah Purcell

Long Story Short (2021)
Studio: Saban Films
Producers: Jamie Hilton | Michael Pontin | Isabel Stanfield
Director: Josh Lawson

June Again (2020)
Studio: Head Gear Films
Producers: Drew Bailey | Jamie Hilton | Michael Pontin
Director: JJ Winlove

The Dry (2020)
Studio: Made Up Stories
Producers: Eric Bana | Robert Connolly | Steve Hutensky | Jodi Matterson | Bruna Papandrea
Director: Robert Connolly

Penguin Bloom (2020)
Studio: Made Up Stories
Producers: Emma Cooper (as Emma J. Cooper) | Steve Hutensky | Jodi Matterson | Bruna Papandrea | Naomi Watts
Director: Glendyn Ivin

Lady O’Loughlin (2020)
Studio: The Producer Boy
Producers: Jonathan Brough | Rebekah Holt | Sam Petersen
Director: Sam Petersen

Relic (2020)
Studio: Carver Films
Producers: Jake Gyllenhaal | Riva Marker | Anna McLeish | Sarah Shaw
Director: Natalie Erika James

Go Karts (2020)
Studio: Carver Films
Producers: Sonia Borella | Jamie Hilton
Director: Owen Trevor

True History of the Kelly Gang (2020)
Studio: Porchlight Films
Producers: Justin Kurzel | Paul Ranford | Hal Vogel | Liz Watts
Director: Justin Kurzel

The King (2019)
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Joel Edgerton | Dede Gardner | Jeremy Kleiner | David Michôd
Director: David Michôd

Judy & Punch (2019)
Studio: Vice Media
Producers: Michele Bennett | Nash Edgerton | Danny Gabai
Director: Mirrah Foulkes

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
Studio: A24
Producers: Dede Gardner | Jeremy Kleiner | Khaliah Neal | Christina Oh | Joe Talbot
Director: Joe Talbot

Acute Misfortune (2018)
Studio: Arenamedia
Producers: Dede Gardner | Jeremy Kleiner | Khaliah Neal | Christina Oh | Joe Talbot
Director: Thomas M. Wright

Jirga (2018)
Studio: Felix Media
Producers: Gull Hussian Baizada | Benjamin Gilmour | John Maynard | Sam Smith | Amir Shah Talash
Director: Benjamin Gilmour

Upgrade (2018)
Studio: Blumhouse Productions
Producers: Jason Blum | Kylie Du Fresne | Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
Director: Benjamin Gilmour

Mary Magdalene (2018)
Studio: See-Saw Films
Producers: Iain Canning | Emile Sherman | Liz Watts
Director: Garth Davis

Sweet Country (2018)
Studio: Bunya Productions
Producers: David Jowsey | Greer Simpkin
Director: Warwick Thornton

War Machine (2017)
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Ian Bryce | Dede Gardner | Jeremy Kleiner | Brad Pitt | Ted Sarandos
Director: David Michôd

Okja (2017)
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Dooho Choi | Dede Gardner | Bong Joon Ho | Lewis Taewan Kim
Director: Bong Joon Ho

Lion (2016)
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Dooho Choi | Dede Gardner | Bong Joon Ho | Lewis Taewan Kim
Director: Bong Joon Ho

Sherpa (2015)
Studio: Arrow Media | Footprint Films
Producers: Bridget Ikin | John Smithson
Director: Jennifer Peedom

That Sugar Film (2015)
Studio: Madman Productions | Samuel Goldwyn Films
Producers: Nick Batzias | Damon Gameau | Rory Williamson
Director: Damon Gameau

Paper Planes (2014)
Studio: Arclight Films
Producers: Robert Connolly | Liz Kearney | Maggie Miles | Georgina Pope
Director: Robert Connolly

Cut Snake (2014)
Studio: Matchbox Pictures
Producers: Trevor Blainey | Michael McMahon
Director: Tony Ayres

The Rover (2014)
Studio: A24
Producers: David Linde | David Michôd | Liz Watts
Director: David Michôd

Galore (2013)
Studio: Screen Australia
Producers: Philippa Campey
Director: Rhys Graham

Lore (2012)
Studio: Rohfilm
Producers: Benny Drechsel | Karsten Stöter | Liz Watts | Paul Welsh
Director: Cate Shortland

A Heartbeat Away (2011)
Studio: Pictures in Paradise
Producers: Christopher Fitchett
Director: Gale Edwards
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TELEVISION:
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Heartbreak High
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Brian Abel | Sarah Freeman | Michael Jenkins
Director: Gracie Otto

Mystery Road: Origin
Studio: Acorn TV
Producers: Greer Simpkin | David Jowsey
Director: Dylan River | Wayne Blair | Jub Clerc

The Twelve
Studio: Fifth Season
Producers: Ian Collie | Rob Gibson | Ally Henville | Hamish Lewis
Director: Daniel Nettheim

Apple Cider Vinegar
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Yvonne Collins
Director: Jeffrey Walker

Territory
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Paul Ranford
Director: Greg McLean

Boy Swallows Universe
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Jocelyn Moorhouse | Kim Mordaunt | Bharat Nalluri
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse | Kim Mordaunt | Bharat Nalluri

Total Control
Studio: Fifth Season
Producers: Darren Dale | Miranda Dear
Director: Rachel Perkins
Frayed
Studio: HBO
Producers: Nicole O'Donohue
Director: Shaun Wilson
Clickbait
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Tony Ayres | Tom Hoffie | Joanna Werner
Director: Brad Anderson | Tony Ayres

Five Bedrooms
Studio: Paramount+
Producers: Nathan Mayfield | Tracey Robertson
Director: Peter Templeman

Fisk
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Vincent Sheehan
Director: Kitty Flanagan | Tom Peterson

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Links

Website

Spotify

IMDb