Earlier this year, the Recording Academy announced a new Grammy category dedicated to score soundtracks for interactive media, including video games. Those awards for the 2023 Grammys have been revealed, and with it the nominees for best video game music.
Leading the five nominees is composer Austin Wintory with his score for Cold Iron Studios’ Aliens: Fireteam Elite.
Previously, Wintory received a Grammy nom for Best Score for Visual Media in 2014 with thatgamecompany’s Journey. It was the first instance in which a game soundtrack became Grammy nominated, paving the way for the new category.
Another noteworthy nominee is Christopher Tin for Mohawk Games’ Old World. In 2011, Tin’s track ‘Baba Yetu’ for the game Civilization IV was featured in his Grammy-nominated album Calling All Dawns. ‘Baba Yetu’ became the first video game track to win a Grammy.
Fellow nominees include Bear McCreary (Call of Duty: Vanguard), Richard Jacques (Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy), and Stephanie Economou (Assassins Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök).
For McCreary, the nomination for Call of Duty: Vanguard marks his second nomination this week. His score for Sony Santa Monica’s God of War Ragnarok was recently nominated for Best Score at the Game Awards.
The 65th Grammys will take place on February 5, 2023.