Beyond beep beep: Video game music goes to next level at Grammys
Whether it is the catchy chime of a chip tune, the melodies of the metaverse or the latest trending “Super Mario Bros” remix — video game music is seemingly boundless.
Now the growing popularity of the video game industry and years of advocacy from game composers will be reflected in the 2023 Grammy Awards as the Recording Academy announced its inaugural “Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media” category.
Five nominees will compete at Sunday's Grammys, out of the 70 original scores submitted for the category's maiden year. The nominees are composers 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” and Christopher Tin for “Old World.”
The success of video game music coincides with the overall growth of the global games market, which in 2022 generated total revenues of $184.4 billion and is expected to reach $211.2 billion revenue by 2025, according to data analytics firm Newzoo.
The video game industry also flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic as people increasingly turned to digital entertainment during lockdowns. "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 told Reuters.
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, while Wintory's soundtrack for the game “Journey” was nominated in the “Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media” in 2012.
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