The Recording Academy has finally decided to give video game music the credit it deserves. Starting with the 2023 ceremony, there will be a brand new Grammy Award specifically for the best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media.
A Major Shift for the Recording Academy
This new award is a big deal for the music industry. It is one of five new categories that will be added to the lineup next year. The Academy is trying to keep up with how music is changing in the modern world.
Alongside the video game award, they are adding honors for Songwriter of the Year and Best Alternative Music Performance. There will also be new awards for Americana Music Performance and Spoken Word Poetry Album. Additionally, a special merit award will be given for the Best Song for Social Change.
The specific rules for the video game award are very clear. The Academy wants to reward new music, not just old songs put into a game. According to the official announcement, the award will recognize excellence in soundtrack albums that are mostly made of original scores.
“This category recognizes excellence in score soundtrack albums comprised predominantly of original scores and created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current video game or other interactive media released within the qualification period.”
This move separates games from movies and television. Before this change, game composers had to fight for spots in the “Visual Media” category. That category was almost always dominated by big Hollywood blockbusters. Now, game composers have a fair playing field to show their work.
The History of Games at the Grammys
Video games have had a hard time getting noticed by the Academy in the past. For a long time, they were just grouped in with other types of media. It was rare for a game to even get a mention.
Everything changed briefly in 2011. That was the year the song “Baba Yetu” made history. It was the theme song for the strategy game Civilization IV. It won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).
This was the first time a piece of music written for a video game ever won a Grammy Award. The track was composed by Christopher Tin. It featured the powerful voices of the Soweto Gospel Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Even though the game came out in 2005, the song was released later on Christopher Tin’s album, Calling All Dawns. This technicality allowed it to qualify. The win proved that gamers already knew what the music industry was just figuring out. Game music is real art.
Breaking Barriers with Journey
After the success of “Baba Yetu,” the industry thought the door was wide open. The very next year, a game called Journey made headlines. The soundtrack was composed by Austin Wintory.
Journey became the first full video game score to receive a nomination in the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media category. It was competing against music from major films like The Adventures of Tintin and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
This was a massive moment for game audio. It showed that a game score could stand next to the work of legends like John Williams or Hans Zimmer. Sadly, no video game has secured a nomination in that category since Journey did it.
The long gap between nominations showed a problem. The voters in the Academy usually focus on movies. They might not play enough games to know which soundtracks are good. The new category fixes this issue by forcing voters to look specifically at games.
big Artists Are Embracing Gaming
The line between pop stars and video games is disappearing fast. Famous musicians are not just playing games anymore. They are writing music for them too. This crossover helps validate the new Grammy category.
Jon Batiste is a great example of this trend. He is a famous jazz musician and the bandleader for The Late Show. He recently won five Grammys in a single night, including Album of the Year.
Batiste told The Washington Post that video game scores inspired him to become a musician. He cited the music from Final Fantasy VII as a major influence on his life. When top artists talk about game music this way, it makes other people listen.
Another artist making waves is Michelle Zauner. She is the lead singer for the band Japanese Breakfast. She recently composed the entire soundtrack for an open world game called Sable.
Zauner has spoken openly about how much this project meant to her. She said the ending theme, “Better the Mask,” is one of the most beautiful songs she has ever written. When indie darlings and pop stars take gaming seriously, the Grammy voters have to pay attention.
Beyond Audio: Visual Awards are Watching Too
It is not just the music industry that is waking up. The film industry is also starting to see the value in interactive media. The defining line between a film and a game is getting blurry.
At the recent Academy Awards, a project called Colette took home a statue. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject. What makes this special is where the film came from.
Colette was featured inside a virtual reality game called Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. The film tells the story of a 90 year old French woman who fought in the resistance during World War II.
- The film was produced by Respawn Entertainment.
- It was distributed by Oculus Studios.
- It is the first Oscar win for a project produced by a video game company.
This win at the Oscars sets a precedent. If a game company can win an Academy Award for a film inside a game, then game music certainly deserves a Grammy. The entertainment world is merging.
What This Means for Composers
This new Grammy category is going to change careers. For years, game composers have been seen as different from film composers. They often get paid less and get less fame.
A Grammy win puts a “stamp of approval” on a composer’s resume. It can lead to better contracts and more creative freedom. It also encourages young musicians to enter the field.
We might see more variety in game music now. If developers know they could win a Grammy, they might hire orchestras instead of using computer sounds. They might take bigger risks with the style of music they choose.
The 2023 Grammys will be a historic night. We will finally see a game composer walk up to the stage and accept an award that belongs only to them. It has been a long wait, but video game music has finally arrived.
This is a huge win for gamers and composers everywhere! It is about time the music we spend hundreds of hours listening to gets the respect it deserves. Share this amazing news with your gaming squad!
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