Stephen Gallagher is an Emmy-nominated film and media composer and Emmy Award–winning music editor from Wellington, New Zealand. His recent work includes composing the score for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and the Emmy-nominated series Secrets at Red Rocks.

Across more than two decades in the industry, Stephen has created music for feature films, television, documentaries, contemporary theatre, and dance. His work is shaped by a fascination with “making sounds and worlds out of sound,” and by a deep understanding of how music amplifies story, character, and emotion.

Stephen’s composing credits include the multi-award-winning Puppet Killer, the documentaries Conquering Cancer and Kimana Tuskers, and—as co-composer with David Long—the Emmy Award–winning series INSiDE and three seasons of the BBC children’s series Mystic. His score for Human Traces earned a nomination for Best Score at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards, and he received an additional Best Original Score nomination for Kimana Tuskers at the International Sound and Film Music Festival.

In earlier Middle-earth projects, Stephen wrote the iconic songs “Blunt the Knives” and “The Torture Song” for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and contributed additional music alongside Brian Eno for The Lovely Bones.

As a music editor, Stephen’s work is known for its sensitivity to narrative and emotional nuance. He is an Emmy Award winner and Golden Reel Award winner for his work on Peter Jackson’s landmark documentary series The Beatles: Get Back. His music editing credits also include District 9, the entire Hobbit trilogy, West of Memphis, and The Lovely Bones.

Throughout his career, Stephen has collaborated with filmmakers and artists such as Peter Jackson, Brian Eno, Ed Sheeran, Nick Cave, Junkie XL, and many others. He is recognised for his collaborative approach, attention to detail, and ability to deliver music that supports and elevates the narrative vision of each project.