John graduated from Trinity College of Music, now Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 1979, where he received both the John Halford and the Boosey and Hawkes Bursary Music College Prizes. While at Trinity, he joined the group Media Arts, with collaborator Gavin Greenaway. Together, they composed music and sound for the group’s performances with artist Michael Petry. Powell first foray into professional composing came soon thereafter, when he landed a job writing music for commercials and television at London's Air-Edel Music. There, he met other composers including other Air-Edel alumni, Hans Zimmer and Patrick Doyle. In 1997, John Powell moved to the United States to join Hans Zimmer at Remote Control. While in California, John has demonstrated his unique talent by scoring over 50 feature films. His 2010 score for the film How to Train Your Dragon earned him his first Academy Award nomination at the 83rd Academy Awards.

John has composed music for some of Hollywood's best loved films in a variety of genres including animation, comedy, action films and drama.  His most popular scores include:How to Train Your Dragon, Happy Feet, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Kung Fu Panda, Horton Hears A Who, Bolt, Shrek, Antz, Chicken Run,The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Supremacy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, P.S I Love You, Hancock, Jumper, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Italian Job, Forces of Nature and Face Off.  He recently completedIce Age: Continental Drift for Fox Pictures. Also,  Powell and Greenaway have created the soundtrack for a sound installation on exhibit at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, CA, sponsored by Bowers and Wilkins.  The sound installation is part ofThe Touch of The Oracle, works by artist Michael Petry.

1998 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - Face/Off

1999 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - Antz (with Harry Gregson-Williams)

2001 Ivor Novello Award: Best Original Film Score (with Harry Gregson-Williams)

2001 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - Chicken Run (with Harry Gregson-Williams)

2001 Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music Score an Animated Feature Production - Shrek (with Harry Gregson-Williams)

2002 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - Shrek (with Harry Gregson-Williams)

2003 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - The Bourne Identity

2004 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - The Italian Job

2005 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - The Bourne Supremacy

2006 Ivor Novello Award: Best Original Film Score - Ice Age: The Meltdown

2006 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2006 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - Robots

2007 AP Award for Top Box Office Films - Happy Feet, X-Men: The Last Stand, Ice Age: The Meltdown

2009 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production - Kung Fu Panda (with Hans Zimmer)

2009 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Television Production or Short Form - Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (with Henry Jackman and Hans Zimmer)

2010 Ivor Novello Award: Best Original Film Score - Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs

2010 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs

2011 Ivor Novello Award: Best Original Film Score - How To Train Your Dragon

2011 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production - How To Train Your Dragon

2011 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films - How To Train Your Dragon

2011 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for an Animated Feature - How To Train Your Dragon

2011 IFMCA Award for Film Score of the Year - How To Train Your Dragon