For the first time in the history of a Grammy Award, a video game soundtrack has been nominated. Former Thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago tweeted that Journey, a PlayStation 3 exclusive title, has received a nomination in the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media category. It is up against The Adventures of Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn, The Artist, The Dark Knight Rises, The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, and Hugo.
You don't need to me to tell you that this is a huge feat for video games which are slowly, but surely becoming a more-accepted form of art. Whereas we've had video game songs in the past nominated for a Grammy, this is the first full video game soundtrack to get a nomination. For the record, the first song to be nominated was a track from Civilization IV composed by Christopher Tin — which it won.
Will Journey have the same fate? Its composer, Austin Wintory, will be up against industry heavyweights John WIlliams, Hans Zimmer, and Trent Reznor. That's an esteemed group of composers to be a part of. Even Wintory was at a loss for words as he tweeted out:
Well I don't really have words right now …. I just got a Grammy nomination for #JourneyPS3 … grammy.com/nominees?genre…
— Austin Wintory (@awintory) December 6, 2012
Journey has made quite a splash in the video game industry since its release back in March 2012, receiving rave reviews from critics — including a score of 9.5/10 here on GameZone. Its simplistic approach to exploration coupled with a unique vision and sense of emotion has revolutionized the gaming medium. There is no doubt that Austin Wintory's iconic score has played a major role in how people perceive Journey.
For those looking to tune in, the 55th Annual Grammy Awards are on Sunday, February 10 at 8pm PT.
