General News
15 April, 2026
Global music accolades
A CAIRNS-based composer is building an international career scoring music for film, animation and cultural projects.
Tristan Barton, a CQUniversity Bachelor of Music graduate, has developed a reputation for creating music for screen from his studio in regional Queensland, working with global luxury brands, independent filmmakers and cultural organisations.
“I was always a drummer, but I was fortunate enough to have composition classes at CQU. I also grew up listening to a lot of hip hop and rap which inspired me to start beat-making. This evolved into writing music for film,” he said.
“Over the years my music has evolved to incorporate a lot more electronic elements and sound design, that’s what I’ve come to be known for.”
His work includes projects across Australia and overseas, including a 2024 commission from Korean animation studio District Holdings to score an experimental 5D film mixed for Dolby Atmos spatial audio.
The project screened at Outernet London, the Rockefeller Arts Centre in New York and Sonic X Cinemas across Korea and Australia.
“They first licensed one of my pieces and then commissioned me to extend it and build a completely bespoke score for the next 23 minutes of runtime,” he said.
Mr Barton said composing for the screen required a different approach to independent music.
“I have to be very considerate of the visual information and the story attached to these projects,” he said.
“When there is a client on the other end asking me to compose, it is about aligning their vision with my sonic palette and trying to extract what it was they want for the project.”
A proud Yorta Yorta man, Mr Barton has also worked on a range of First Nations productions, including ‘Gulgi Burra’ (Ydinji – The Sand People), which debuted at the Cairns Festival in 2023 and ‘The Grey Line’, about stolen generations Noongar woman Helen Dwyer.
“Thinking of my own family, my own heritage and where I’ve come from has played a big role in how I approached these projects and where I draw inspiration from,” he said.
His music also appears in the 2023 documentary ‘The Giants’ about former Greens leader and environmentalist Bob Brown.
In 2025, Mr Barton won the Queensland Music Award for music for screen for his composition ‘Legend is Born’, and in 2026 was named CQUniversity’s alumnus of the year – industry excellence.
“It came as quite a surprise, something I neither expected nor ever envisioned myself receiving,” he said.
Beyond his work, Mr Barton mentors emerging musicians through the CQ Conservatorium of Music.
“It’s really important to give back, to inspire students and let them know that it is possible to make a sustainable career from music,” he said.
The recognition highlights the growing international reach of regional creatives working from Far North Queensland.
