Photographed for The Hollywood Reporter Songwriter Roundtable by Miller Mobley.

The tunes of awards season got a curtain-raiser courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, which on Nov. 17 presented its first THR Songwriter Roundtable. The “reserved” sign held seats for the formidably talented:  Justin Timberlake, Sting, Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, John Legend and Tori Amos — each lending voice to a major motion picture release. For Keys, it was Queen of Katwe (“Back to Life” for ); Timberlake, Trolls (“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” currently No. 1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Chart); Amos, Audrie & Daisy (“Flicker”); Sting, Jim: The James Foley Story (“The Empty Chair” for ); Williams, Hidden Figures (“I See a Victory”); and 2015 Oscar winner John Legend, La La Land (“Start a Fire”). The session, a first of its kind for the magazine, was auspiciously inaugurated with The Hollywood Reporter Entertainment Group President and Chief Creative Officer Janice Min directing the microphone. Read the full story to gain insight into what it takes to craft a cinematic song, learn the favorite movie soundtrack of each and see exclusive, behind-the-scenes videos.