A SELF-taught musician and composer who won an Emmy award for his work on a BBC Wildlife documentary has received his statuette.

Risca-based ‘Brollyman’, as he is known in the music world and would not divulge his real name to the Argus, won the US TV award for Outstanding Music and Sound.

The 52 year-old, who specialises in music for wildlife and children’s television programmes, has composed thousands of scores but is best is best-known for the 'Meerkat Manor' animal soap series.

He won the Emmy for composing the score for the BBC Natural History Unit’s ‘Natural World-Animal Misfits’ programme about creatures that have not followed the typical evolutionary route.

Directed by Gavin Boyland and narrated by comedian Bill Bailey, the show was well received in the UK before being sold to PBS in the UK. It was the US version that attracted the Emmy.

The father-of-two didn’t attend the award ceremony in Los Angeles as he thought he had little chance of winning and was in ‘disbelief’ when he learned of the award.

Brollyman, who grew up in Undy and attended Caldicot Comprehensive, said the Emmy Association offered to pay the $450 dollar fee for the award and to have it privately shipped to Wales from America.

“The statuette arrived by courier three weeks ago and is really heavy, weighing about six pounds, made of gold and stands at around 15 inches tall.”

“I keep it in my studio where I spend much of the day writing.”

“It’s exciting to have and is a wonderful honour to bring an Emmy back to Wales.”