Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord claimed the prize for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media. Penned by Winifred Phillips, the score for the game is appropriately bombastic, especially when its cover hearkens back to pulp fantasy books of the 1980s.
Wizardry beat out several arguably more recognizable names like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Star Wars Outlaws. Older gamers will recognize the Wizardry franchise for perhaps a different reason: it was one of the first RPGs to feature a party system, in addition to being one of the first dungeon crawlers.
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Winnifred Phillips has written music for quite a few other games, some you might have played: LittleBigPlanet 2 and 3, Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation, and many more. It wasn’t until this year that Phillips won a Grammy for her efforts.
Digital Eclipse released a full 3D remake of the 1981 game in May 2024 that captures the spirit of the original while still adding in quality of life improvements that make it more accessible to modern players. It also just makes the game itself accessible, as running PC games from the 80s can be an exercise in patience.
This is only the third year that the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media has been awarded. Stephanie Economou and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla took home the prize in 2023, while Stephen Barton, Gordy Haab, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was last year’s winner. Bear McCreary, the composer for the God of War games, has been nominated all three years the award has been given, but hasn’t yet won.