We always talk about this actor or that, this filmmaker or that who deserves to win an Oscar but hasn't. Some consider this lineage the "Hall of Shame" for the Academy, if you will. The one person I've always felt has been left off such consideration lists is musical composer Ennio Morricone, who added the heart and soul to the Spaghetti Western movement through his briilliant work with director Sergio Leone. Not to mention the other memorable works of film music he's ushered into creation. He was nominated for the Oscar five times, most recently in 2000 for his work on "Malèna." Well The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Morricone is set to receive this year's Honorary Oscar at the Academy Awards next February.

Some consider Morricone's work with Leone his most memorable, others his efforts on Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables" and Roland Joffé's "The Mission." But I've always felt "The Man with the Harmonica" from Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" to be the single greatest piece of film music composition (not to mention that film being, to my mind, one of the greatest films of all time). In any case, Morricone never won an Oscar, until now. The annual "Sorry we never gave you a proper award" Oscar. But we'll take it. Talk about a truly deserving recipient.

Congratullations, Mr. Morricone.

Here is the Rueters report [src]:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Italian movie composer Ennio Morricone, famed for his work on such "spaghetti westerns" as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "A Fistful of Dollars," will receive an honorary Oscar during the Academy Awards ceremony next February, organisers said on Wednesday.

Morricone, 78, has composed more than 300 motion picture scores during his 45-year career, but had never won an Oscar. He was nominated five times, for "Days of Heaven" (1978), "The Mission" (1986), "The Untouchables" (1987), "Bugsy" (1991) and "Malena" (2000).

The honorary Oscar, determined by the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, went this year to director Robert Altman, who died last month.

"The board was responding not just to the remarkable number of scores that Mr. Morricone has produced," said Academy president Sid Ganis, "but to the fact that so many of them are beloved and popular masterpieces."

Morricone's other credits include the scores for "Once upon a Time in America," "Cinema Paradiso," "Bulworth," "In the Line of Fire," "La Cage aux Folles" and the 2008 release "Leningrad."

The 79th annual Academy Awards will be held in Hollywood on February 25.

(Thanks to Gerard for the tip, here.)