Austin Wintory: Last News

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorThe music of the gaming world is finally getting recognition of its own from the Recording Academy.On the heels of last week’s announcement that the organization behind the Grammys is going to recognize a non-classical songwriter of the year, along with other new areas of contention, comes an award category for best score soundtrack for video games. The first winner will be revealed at next year’s Grammy Awards, scheduled for Jan.

Jon Burlingame Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal (“House of Cards”) and his wife Joan have donated $2 million to the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra to fund original works for the concert hall by film, TV and game composers. LACO executive director Ben Cadwallader announced the gift at a private event Sunday at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Beverly Hills attended by LACO executives, music director Jaime Martín, and members of the L.A.

Gordon Cox Theater Editor Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, the musical “If/Then”: These aren’t the usual conversational touchpoints in a discussion about a video game. But all three of those musical theater references, and many more, were brought up by the creators of the new video game Stray Gods on the latest episode of “Stagecraft,” Variety’s theater podcast.

Jon Burlingame editor The Grammys’ new video game score category appears to be a success in its first year, as more than 70 original scores have been entered. First-round voting is underway now, and Recording Academy members have plenty to choose from. But will they vote based on popularity of the game or on quality of the music? Grammy voters tell Variety the ballot includes currently popular games such as the dark fantasy “Elden Ring” (music by Yuka Kitamura, Yoshimi Kudo, Shoi Miyazawa, Tsukasa Saitoh and Tai Tomisawa), the action-adventure “Tunic” (music by Janice Kwan and Terence Lee), the post-apocalyptic “Horizon Forbidden West” (music by “various artists,” the only game on the ballot that doesn’t specify a composer) and the horror-filled “The Quarry” (music by Ian Livingstone).

Jon Burlingame February 2023 will be the first time a composer will walk away with a Grammy for scoring a video game. And many in the creative community are saying “it’s about time.” Game scores have, over the past two decades, become a huge part of the media music landscape. Yet, despite being eligible for music’s highest honor since 1999 (in the film and TV music category), only one game has ever been nominated: Austin Wintory’s landmark score for “Journey,” in 2012. After years of lobbying by game executives and composers alike, in June the Recording Academy announced a new category, the tongue-twister score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media to “recognize 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.”

Chariots Of Fire and Blade Runner has died at 79 years old.According to a statement, the Oscar award-winning Greek composer, died on Tuesday (May 17). His assistant Lefteris Zermas confirmed that he had died in a hospital in Paris, and that the cause of death was heart failure.Born Evángelos Papathanassíou, Vangelis was a self-taught musician and piano prodigy.