Tapia de Veer has stated that he won't return for the show's fourth season due to creative differences with White. White Lotus composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer

Tapia de Veer has stated that he won't return for the show's fourth season due to creative differences with White.

White Lotus composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer wins fourth Emmy for HBO show amid Mike White feud

Tapia de Veer has stated that he won't return for the show's fourth season due to creative differences with White.

By Shania Russell

September 7, 2025 6:54 p.m. ET

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Cristobal Tapia de Veer and Mike White. Credit:

Todd Williamson/NBC/NBC via Getty;Amy Sussman/Getty

*The White Lotus *composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer just won his fourth Emmy for the show, months after his public falling out with creator Mike White.

Though Tapia de Veer did not attend the Saturday ceremony where he won for Best Original Main Title Theme Music at the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, he still made sure to celebrate from home.

"I just won my fourth Emmy Award: best theme for *The White Lotus *season 3," Tapia de Veer wrote Saturday on Instagram. "I respect the Academy because those votes can't be bought. No smear campaign distracted them. Thank you, this means a lot to me in more than one way."

The post was accompanied by a clip of the season 3 main title music playing over a video of a firefly. "I'm happy you connected with this melody cause it was an amazing trip making it," he wrote. "It's about this firefly I met and filmed for an hour."

Cristobal Tapia de Veer arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of A24's "Babygirl".

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

There was notably no mention of White or HBO in Tapia de Veer's remarks, but that's no surprise given the composer's recently contentious relationship with the show's creatives.

Earlier this year, the musician told the *New York Times *that he would not return for the show's fourth season, after clashing with White and the show's producers over his creative choices.

The *Times* story additionally saw Tapia de Veer reference several alleged disputes with White, dating back to his work on the show's first season, when they were developing the season 1 theme and episodic music. The Emmy-winner said he ultimately walked away "pretty proud" of the fact that he "never gave up" fighting for his vision.

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"Maybe I was being unprofessional, and for sure Mike feels that I was always unprofessional to him because I didn't give him what he wanted," said the composer. "But what I gave him did *this*, you know — did those Emmys, people going crazy.... It was worth all the tension and almost forcing the music into the show.... This was a good struggle."

White later unpacked the drama during a chat on Howard Stern's radio show, sharing that he was "thrown" by Tapia de Veer's comments because they arrived days before the season 3 finale aired: "It was kind of a bitch move."

He then denied a full-fledged feud, but confirmed that the pair did butt heads.

"I just don't think he respected me. He wants people to know that he's edgy and dark and I'm — I don't know, like I watch reality TV," he said. "We never really even fought. He says we feuded [but] I don't think I ever had a fight with him — except for maybe some emails."

Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola in Season 3 of 'White Lotus'.

Fabio Lovino/HBO

White claimed that issues between the duo only emerged while working on the third season, alleging that Tapia de Veer no longer wanted to "go through the process" and "get notes" after the show's success.

"He is very talented. [But] I've never kissed somebody's ass so hard to just get him to — to lead that horse to water," White concluded.

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Thus far, *The White Lotus* has won 16 Emmys across its first three seasons, including four for Tapia de Veer, two for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music (season 1 and season 3), and two for Original Dramatic Score (season 1 and season 2). The third season received 15 nominations total, including Outstanding Drama Series.

The 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards are held on Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Check out the full list of winners here.**

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW TV"

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Source: ShowBiz MAG

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