Grammy Awards Elevates Video Game Soundtracks to New Heights

For the first time, video game scores and soundtracks received recognition at this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony.

Five composers were nominated out of 70 original scores submitted for the category’s inaugural year. These nominees were:

• Austin Wintory for Aliens: Fireteam Elite
• Stephanie Economou for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok
• Bear McCreary for Call of Duty: Vanguard
• Richard Jacques for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
• Christopher Tin for Old World

Stephanie Economou made history by becoming the first-ever recipient of a Grammy for video game music. The Recording Academy presented her award as one of four visual media categories on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

She won for her score in the action role-playing game “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok,” which was among the best-selling games of 2020, earning over $1 billion globally.

Grammy Awards New Video Game Category Brings Validation

In her acceptance speech, Economou acknowledged the years of efforts by game music advocates to be recognized by the Recording Academy. She thanked “all of the people who fought tirelessly to bring this category into existence – thank you for acknowledging and validating the power of game music.”

Prior to this year, game music was only eligible in the score category. Moreover, this type of music only received one nomination in more than two decades, Austin Wintory for “Journey” in 2012.

Video Games Pose Unique Challenges for Composers

McCreary, who has composed music for popular TV shows such as “Battlestar Galactica,” “The Walking Dead,” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” sees composing for games, movies, and TV shows as similar, yet challenging in different ways.

McCreary emphasized that video games offer unique challenges for composers, as they are interactive experiences versus passive viewing experiences.

The music must “work in a unique technical capacity, beyond simply supporting narrative,” he said.

McCreary shared that his close work with game developers and audio teams informs his ability to write music that can seamlessly integrate into a video game.

“It’s a close collaboration unlike anything else in the entertainment industry,” he said.

Video Game Music Finds a Home in the Grammy Awards

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic brought increased attention to digital entertainment, including video games. As Christopher Tin stated, “It was only a matter of time before the Grammys recognized that there were a lot of soundtracks being produced for video games and they’re all very good.”

Tin’s “Baba Yetu” theme for the game Civilization IV won the best instrumental arrangement Grammy in 2011, making him the first video game nominee and winner.

In addition, Austin Wintory’s soundtrack for the game Journey received a nomination for best score soundtrack for visual media in 2012.

Breaking Ground Through Technological Innovation”

Game music is breaking new ground through technological innovation, creating new ways for consumers to experience it. Essentially, these include live immersive video game concerts and video game scores available on a variety of platforms.

Popular new platforms for experiencing Game Music include Fortnite Battle Royales Metaverse, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. In addition, other areas of collaboration include augmented and virtual reality and even eye-tracking technology.

The Grammy Awards’ recognition of video game soundtracks opens new opportunities for composers and gamers alike. Furthermore, as technology continues to advance, there will continue to be innovative ways to experience and enjoy game music.

The inclusion of this new category demonstrates a growing appreciation and acknowledgment of the role that music plays in the gaming industry. Basically, there now exists a new standard for the future recognition of video game soundtracks.

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