Many people have lobbied for video game soundtracks to be officially recognised by academies for years and now it finally looks like their efforts are about to pay off.
The Recording Academy, known for its annual Grammy Awards, has added five new entries to its awards categories, which are Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical), Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Americana Performance, Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, and Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games.
The new categories will be part of the Grammys from 2023 onwards. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr had the following to say regarding the additions:
"We're so excited to honour these diverse communities of music creators through the newly established awards and amendments, and to continue cultivating an environment that inspires change, progress and collaboration.
"The Academy's top priority is to effectively represent the music people that we serve, and each year, that entails listening to our members and ensuring our rules and guidelines reflect our ever-evolving industry."
At the most recent Grammy Awards, the 8-Bit Big Band won a Grammy for its Kirby arrangement, scooping up the award for the 'Best Arrangement, Instrumental, Or A Capella'. As for this news, we're so pleased that video game music will start getting the recognition it deserves going forward!
What do you make of the new category additions to The Grammy Awards? Let us know!
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 24
One step further to game music being as recognised as other types of music!
Just give it to Xenoblade Chronicles 3
We all know it will have the best soundtrack of the year
It still won't save their dying ratings.
Cool stuff. Some of the best music I've ever heard is from video games.
YES FINALLY WHOOO!
Ok now I'm interested in the Grammy's
25m from Donkey Kong, let’s gooooo!
Let's go!!! About time!
Meta Knight's done it again
AT LAST, SOME BLOODY RECOGNITION.
If we're going off of games released this year, the two games I would like to see nominated would be Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (what @mariomaster96 said) and Splatoon 3 (it's got such an experimental yet entirely unique soundtrack that I think having it recognised could be really special).
I nominate Octopath traveler’s OST. It’s sooooo good.
I should be happy, but awards like Oscar, Golden Globes, Grammy, Emmy and The Game Awards are a scam, they are pretty much this:
Also, this may be just like when Beauty and the Beast almost won the Oscar for best movie, they created a category for best animated movies just to make sure they won't compete against the "real movies", this category may not be a proof that they are taking videogame music seriously, this may prove the contrary.
Well they killed off rock and roll and let heavy metal get fully absorbed into the horror film genre, so I guess this is an acceptable alternative.
And just like every other video game music award, Xenoblade will not even get a nomination.
Completely fair! Recently, I'm so fascinated with Steam Gardens. DK2 it's a legend.
Much needed category! That and Oscars needs a best stuntwork/effects category. I really don't know why the major media industries are so scared of giving people credit for good work.
@victordamazio I was coming to post the same thing. I feel it's likely this category was created after that Kirby composition won, so that other categories are no longer "tainted" with video game music. Better than a swift kick in the pants, I suppose.
I generally don't care about awards shows. But I'm happy to see video game musicians getting some recognition along with the genre. Long overdue.
@fragranthills This would imply the Grammys care that much about that category in the first place, which I doubt they do.
The Grammys mean literally nothing.
All of my favourite music is video game music.
Just in time for a XC release. Whoever votes on these things probably has no idea how long some of these OSTs can get.
Hmm, Weird Al could've racked up some more Grammies in his illustrious career had that songwriter category existed in the past.
@victordamazio The Best Animated Feature Oscar wasn't created until the 2002 awards (for movies from 2001), so I highly doubt it was in reaction to "Beauty and the Beast" getting that Best Picture nomination for the 1992 awards.
Although, I wish it had been created back then, as there were so many great Disney and Pixar animated movies in the '90s that should've won that award.
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