Video game soundtracks are finally getting its due as the Recording Academy has introduced a new award for best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media that will be awarded beginning 2023.

The new award is one of the five new that will be introduced at next year’s Grammy. We will see a songwriter of the year, best alternative music performance, and Americana music performance, spoken word poetry album. There will also be a new merit award for best song for social change, as chosen by a special committee.

There have been several events culminating in the big moment. Before 2011, video games got included in the “other visual media” part of the category and only television and film received their own billing.

In 2011, the song Baba Yetu, the theme song for the game Civilization IV, took home the Grammy for best instrumental arrangement accompanying vocalists. It was for the first time video game music won a Grammy. The song was written by Christopher Tin and features the Soweto Gospel Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It first appeared in the strategy game Civ 4, which launched back in 2005, it was included on Tin’s album Calling All Dawns. The game wasn’t mentioned during the show but the song was already popular among gamers.

The following year, Thatgamecompany’s Journey, composed by Austin Wintory, received a nomination. It was the video game industry’s first official nomination. Sadly, a video game hasn’t scored a nomination since Journey.

For Grammy winner Jon Batiste, scores and soundtracks in video games inspired him to become a musician. His favourite game is Final Fantasy VII

According to the Recording Academy’s announcement, the award for video games will recognise “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 released within the qualification period”.

However, Grammy-winning artists are already big on gaming. For example, jazz musician Jon Batiste, also bandleader for The Late Show, told The Washington Post in 2019 that the scores and soundtracks in video games first inspired him to become a musician. This year, he took home five Grammys, including one for album of the year. Jon’s favourite game is Final Fantasy VII from Square Enix.

Frontwoman for Japanese Breakfast Michelle Zauner, who composed the soundtrack for the open-world adventure Sable, has told Slate magazine that the ending theme to the game, Better the Mask, is the favourite song she’s ever written.

At last year’s Oscars, Colette, a short film featured in the virtual reality game Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, won the Academy Award for best documentary. Colette is the story of a 90-year-old French woman who was part of the resistance in World War II.