Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. That’s the nomination that was just received by Austin Wintory, the composer for Thatgamecompany’s excellent PS3 game Journey. Let me be clear, this is history being made, as this represents the first time that a video game soundtrack has been nominated for the prestigious Grammy Award. While the aforementioned category is usually reserved for film scores, it appears that interactive media is also eligible, and that this could become a landmark year for the industry.
This revelatory announcement comes in the wake of MoMA’s recent video game acquisition. Despite the ongoing argument over the validity of games as an art form, it appears that critics have no qualms about game music. Journey is set to compete against a collection of cinema heavyweights, including scores for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, and The Dark Knight Rises. A huge congratulations is in order for Austin Wintory, who tweeted his surprise and excitement last night. @awintory –
Well I don’t really have words right now …. I just got a Grammy nomination for #JourneyPS3
He’ll soon be facing off against world-renowned composers like Hans Zimmer and John Williams, among others.
In-game screen-capture from ‘Journey’ (2012)
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time that Journey has received critical acclaim. The game currently holds a 92 on Metacritic, and received rave reviews upon its release in March 2012. Thatgamecompany, the studio behind the work, is becoming more and more well known for games that break the boundaries of interactive entertainment. Additionally, software created by the studio is often cited in ‘are games art?’ debates, and continues to push the envelope for the medium as a whole.
The 55th Grammy Awards will be televised at 8 PM on February 10th.
For everything interactive and award-winning, keep it locked to geardiary.com