Penwortham composer Paul Englishby has lifted an Emmy Award for his theme music for the BBC political drama Page Eight.
The former All Hallows Catholic High School pupil was honoured at the 2012 Creative Arts Emmys at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California on Saturday.
The Emmys are considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards for film, the Grammy Awards for music or the Tony Award for theatre.
Paul, 42, won the Emmy for ‘Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music’.
Page Eight’s star-studded cast included Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Michael Gambon, Tom Hughes, Ralph Fiennes, and Judy Davis.
Written and directed by David Hare, the acclaimed film was first broadcast last August on BBC Two.
It tells the tale of Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy), a long-serving MI5 officer, whose boss and best friend Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon) dies suddenly, leaving behind him an inexplicable file, threatening the stability of the entire organisation.
Paul pursued a career as a professional musician thanks to encouragement from his now-retired teacher at All Hallows, Tony Evans.
After leaving the Crabtree Avenue school he studied at Goldsmiths College and gained a scholarship to attend the Royal Academy of music.
He famously landed the job of musical director for the movie of the best-selling romantic novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
Not only did he have to oversee the day-to-day interpretation of the score, but he also had to spend three months on the Greek island of Kefalonia and give the film’s Hollywood star Nicholas Cage tips on how to play the instrument.
The Preston North End fan’s other television credits include Luther, starring Idris Elba, an adaptation of Hamlet, starring David Tennant and An Englishman in New York, starring John Hurt.
He also has his own jazz band and travelled back to his old school with the group to take part in its 25th anniversary concert series.
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