Persona 5's GRAMMY Nod: Game Music Moves to Forefront

The 8-Bit Big Band's jazz arrangement of Persona 5's iconic "Last Surprise" has received a Grammy nomination! This exciting news highlights the growing recognition of video game music within the broader music industry. Let's delve into the details of this well-deserved achievement.

Persona 5's "Last Surprise" Earns Grammy Recognition for 8-Bit Big Band's Jazz Interpretation

8-Bit Big Band's Second Grammy Nomination for a Video Game Cover

The 8-Bit Big Band's innovative jazz rendition of Persona 5's battle theme, "Last Surprise," is nominated for "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals" at the 2025 Grammy Awards. This impressive cover features Grammy winner Jake Silverman (Button Masher) on synth and the powerful vocals of Jonah Nilsson (Dirty Loops).

"Another Grammy nomination! Four in a row!," exclaimed Charlie Rosen, leader of The 8-Bit Big Band, on Twitter (X). "Video game music is alive and thriving!" This isn't their first Grammy win; they previously won "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella" in 2022 for their "Meta Knight's Revenge" cover. "Last Surprise" marks their second Grammy nomination.

The 8-Bit Big Band's "Last Surprise" will compete against notable artists like Willow Smith and John Legend in the same category at the Grammy Awards ceremony on February 2nd, 2025.

The 8-Bit Big Band's cover expertly blends homage with innovation. Their jazz fusion arrangement, reflecting the signature style of Dirty Loops, elevates the original composition. As noted in the music video description, the addition of Button Masher's expertise enhances the harmonic complexity, mirroring Dirty Loops' distinctive sound.

2025 Grammy Nominations for Best Video Game Score Announced

The Grammy Awards also unveiled the nominees for "Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media." This year's contenders include:

⚫︎ Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Composer: Pinar Toprak)
⚫︎ God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla (Composer: Bear McCreary)
⚫︎ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Composer: John Paesano)
⚫︎ Star Wars Outlaws (Composer: Wilbert Roget, II)
⚫︎ Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (Composer: Winifred Phillips)

Bear McCreary continues to make Grammy history, achieving a nomination every year since the category's inception.

The award, which began with Stephanie Economou's win for Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, saw Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab win last year for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

The Grammy nominations for both "Last Surprise" and several video game soundtracks underscore the growing appreciation and recognition of video game music as a significant art form. The 8-Bit Big Band's cover serves as a testament to the enduring power of classic video game compositions and their potential to inspire new, captivating interpretations for wider audiences.