'Persona 5' Music nominated for Grammy Award

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

Persona 5's "Last Surprise" Earns 8-Bit Big Band a Grammy Nomination

A Second Grammy Nod for The 8-Bit Big Band

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

"Another Grammy nomination!," exclaimed Charlie Rosen, leader of The 8-Bit Big Band, on Twitter (X). "Game music is alive and kicking!!!" This marks the band's second Grammy nomination, following their 2022 win for their cover of "Meta Knight's Revenge."

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

The 8-Bit Big Band's cover masterfully blends homage with innovation. Their jazz fusion arrangement, reflecting the style of Dirty Loops, elevates the original composition. As the music video description notes, the addition of Button Masher enhances the harmonic complexity, creating a truly unique listening experience.

2025 Grammy Nominees 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 (Pinar Toprak)
⚫︎ God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla (Bear McCreary)
⚫︎ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (John Paesano)
⚫︎ Star Wars Outlaws (Wilbert Roget, II)
⚫︎ Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (Winifred Phillips)

Bear McCreary continues to make Grammy history with his consistent nominations since the category's inception.

The award, first presented to Stephanie Economou for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, was most recently won by Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

The enduring appeal of video game music is undeniable. The 8-Bit Big Band's Grammy-nominated cover exemplifies how these classic compositions can inspire fresh interpretations and introduce them to a wider audience.