His work on Happy Feet, Ferdinand and Solo: A Star Wars Story has earned him three Grammy nominations.

[1] Powell was a member of Hans Zimmer's music studio, Remote Control Productions, and has collaborated frequently with other composers from the studio, including Harry Gregson-Williams on Antz, Chicken Run and Shrek and Zimmer himself on Chill Factor, The Road to El Dorado, and the first two Kung Fu Panda films.

He has also collaborated with film directors such as Carlos Saldanha, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, Benjamin Renner, Chris Renaud, George Miller, John Woo, Ron Underwood, Doug Liman, Charles Stone III, Simon Otto, Jared Hess, and Paul Greengrass.

Two years later, Powell collaborated with composer Hans Zimmer on the score for The Road to El Dorado.

In 2002 Powell was hired to score The Bourne Identity for director Doug Liman after Carter Burwell left the project.

In 2008 he reunited with Hans Zimmer and returned to DreamWorks Animation to score Kung Fu Panda, and also wrote music for Jumper, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, Hancock, and Bolt.

In April 2014, after completing his scores to sequels Rio 2 and How to Train Your Dragon 2, he announced he would take another break to compose concert music, including a 45-minute oratorio to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of World War I.

The piece, "A Prussian Requiem", with a libretto by Michael Petry, premiered on 6 March 2016 at The Royal Festival Hall, London with José Serebrier conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra.

In January 2024, it was announced that Powell will return to compose the score for the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.

Co-composed with Oliver J. Lieber The first awaiting official score album since the 1999 film debut.