The Grammy Awards will add Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media as one of five new categories for its 2023 awards ceremony, the Recording Academy announced Thursday.
The new award will recognize "excellence in score soundtrack albums comprised predominately 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."
Other new categories added for 2023 include Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical; Best Alternative Music Performance; Best Americana Performance; and Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. The Academy will also hand out a Special Merit Award for a Best Song for Social Change, submissions for which "must contain lyrical content that addresses a timely social issue and promotes understanding, peacebuilding and empathy."
In a statement, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., said "We're so excited to honor these diverse communities of music creators through the newly established awards and amendments, and to continue cultivating an environment that inspires change, progress and collaboration.
"The Academy's top priority is to effectively represent the music people that we serve, and each year, that entails listening to our members and ensuring our rules and guidelines reflect our ever-evolving industry."
Video game compositions have won Grammys twice in the past, with the most recent win going to Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman of the 8-Bit Big Band. They won last year's award for best arrangement for instrumental or a cappella with their version of "Meta Knight's Revenge," a song from 1996's Kirby Superstar.
