The much-anticipated Grammy Music Awards were recently held, bringing with them a brand new addition to the list of categories. For the first time ever, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Techniques introduced the “Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media”.
The competition for this historic award was intense, with many talented musicians and composers vying for the prestigious statuette.
However, in the end, there could only be one winner. And the winner of this inaugural award was none other than the composer of the pulse-pounding soundtrack for “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarok”, Stephanie Economou.
This year’s nominees for this category included a diverse range of video games and interactive media, each with its own unique and captivating soundtrack. You can see the list of these games in the following.
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite (Austin Wintory)
- Call of Duty: Vanguard (Bear McCreary)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Richard Jacques)
- Old World (Christopher Tin)
Despite the stiff competition, Stephanie’s work stood out as the best, earning her the well-deserved recognition and accolade.
https://twitter.com/assassinscreed/status/1622279033076568065
The Grammy Awards have always been a celebration of musical excellence, and the creation of a new category in 2011 only served to broaden the scope of the awards.
In its first year, the award was presented to Christopher Tin for his iconic composition “Baba Yetu” from the game Civilization IV.
This early recognition of music from video games marked a new chapter in the evolution of the Grammy Awards. Fast forward to 2020 and the release of the third major expansion for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, “Dawn of Ragnarok”.
This addition to the popular game series has been a huge hit among fans, and it’s easy to see why. Ubisoft continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in gaming, and their latest installment, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, is set to release later this year.
With such a rich history of innovation, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the music from this title receive recognition at the Grammy Awards in the future.
Randy Rainbow Don’t Know How to Spell Valhalla!
On the fateful night when “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” took home a Grammy award, the celebration was marred by presenter Randy Rainbow’s inability to pronounce the title correctly. It’s unclear if the comedian was distracted by his own nomination for Best Comedy Album or simply lacked familiarity with Norse mythology, but the blunder was quickly immortalized as a viral meme on the internet.
Many were left bewildered by the oversight, considering the term “Valhalla” has permeated popular culture through various forms of media such as movies, TV shows, and songs. It’s a word that most people should be able to recognize, regardless of their knowledge of Norse mythology.
can’t stop laughing at this guy announcing the Grammy win for Assassin's Creed Valhalla pic.twitter.com/vz9bTVZFTX
— Wendell (@RhodeToLove) February 5, 2023
Meanwhile, the composer of the award-winning soundtrack, Economou, was taken aback by the recognition. Despite considering herself a “noob” in game composing, she was overjoyed and proud to receive the award. The soundtrack for “Dawn of Ragnarok” stands out from the original game’s music, with its heavy, black metal-inspired sounds.
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