Trent Reznor

Trent Reznor is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and the creative force behind the multi-platinum project Nine Inch Nails. Beyond his work with the band, he has established himself as an acclaimed film composer and served as the Chief Operating Officer of Beats Music.

Nine Inch Nails debuted in 1989 with the album "Pretty Hate Machine," quickly forging a reputation for electrifying live performances and earning a place on the inaugural Lollapalooza tour in 1991. The following year saw the release of the "Broken" EP, which garnered the band their first Grammy Award; over time, they would accumulate a total of twelve Grammy nominations and two wins. The pivotal album "The Downward Spiral" arrived in 1994 and delivered radio staples like "Closer" and "Hurt." The provocative video for "Closer," directed by Mark Romanek, went on to win multiple accolades and remains one of the few music videos preserved in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art. That same year, Reznor lent his talents to the soundtrack of Oliver Stone’s "Natural Born Killers." Three years later, he returned to the world of film with the soundtrack for David Lynch’s "Lost Highway." In recognition of his impact, Time magazine included Reznor on its list of most influential people, while Spin christened him "the most vital artist in music" in 1997.

After a five-year hiatus, Nine Inch Nails released "The Fragile," a sprawling double album that debuted at number one. In 2002, Johnny Cash’s haunting cover of "Hurt" earned critical acclaim and became one of his last major hits. Nine Inch Nails continued their chart success with "With Teeth" in 2005, which also hit number one, as did the single "The Hand That Feeds." The concept album "Year Zero" followed in 2007. In 2008, Reznor independently released "Ghosts I–IV," a 36-track instrumental collection, and soon after dropped "The Slip." The tour that followed was celebrated by the industry as one of the most creatively ambitious ever.

Reznor’s film scoring career took a significant turn in 2010 with his first official score—for David Fincher’s "The Social Network." The composition won the Academy Award for Best Score and the Golden Globe for Best Original Score, as well as Critics' Choice and Los Angeles Film Critics Association honors. He continued his collaboration with Fincher, scoring "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Gone Girl."

Alongside his ongoing work with Nine Inch Nails, Reznor also records as a member of the group How to Destroy Angels. In 2021, he won a Golden Globe for his score on "Soul," sharing the accolade with Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste.

Reznor has remained prolific in film and television scoring. In 2019, he and Atticus Ross scored the indie drama "Waves" and the HBO miniseries "Watchmen," earning a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition in 2020. In 2020 they reunited with Fincher to score "Mank" and contributed to the animated film "Soul." Their work on "Soul" won them their second Golden Globe and a second Academy Award for Best Original Score—this time shared with Jon Batiste. In 2025, Reznor and Ross earned yet another Golden Globe for Best Original Score, this time for their work on "Challengers."

In recent years they continued to expand their portfolio, scoring films like Luca Guadagnino's "Bones and All," Sam Mendes’ "Empire of Light," the animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," Fincher’s "The Killer," and Guadagnino’s thriller "Queer" in 2024. They also composed the title theme for the HBO comedy "The Franchise." Looking ahead to 2025, Reznor and Ross are scoring the sci-fi sequel "Tron: Ares" and Scott Derrickson’s "The Gorge" for Apple TV+, as well as another project with Guadagnino, "After the Hunt."