At the 67th Grammy Awards, the prestigious title of Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media was awarded to the enchanting score of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord. Composer Winifred Phillips, in her acceptance speech, expressed heartfelt gratitude to developer Digital Eclipse and the audience for their unwavering support and enthusiasm for video game music. "Thank you for believing in music for games and recognizing it and for breathing life and enthusiasm and energy into what we do. It means so much," Phillips remarked.
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a modern 3D remake of the pioneering 1981 game Wizardry, widely recognized as the first party-based video game RPG. This classic medieval fantasy title not only laid the groundwork for future RPGs but also inspired iconic series such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. The remake is meticulously crafted on the original game's code, allowing players to toggle between the contemporary 3D visuals and the nostalgic Apple 2 interface at will.
Phillips' win was particularly notable as she outshone other distinguished nominees such as Wilbert Roget, II for Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws, John Paesano for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Bear McCreary for God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, and Pinar Toprak for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Reflecting on her unexpected victory in a subsequent interview, Phillips shared, "I really didn’t expect it. The category was populated with so much brilliance this year, and I have so much deep respect for the other nominees in this category. So to have been recognized is just a highlight of my career. It truly is."
She further elaborated on the unique nature of composing for video games, stating, "We do a very unique thing. We’re creating music that needs to accompany people who are having an experience and who are making choices, and having adventures and living a grand story, and we’re creating the music for that story. It’s such a wonderful privilege because you feel like you’re collaborating with the players. Like you know them and they know you. It’s really very special."
Phillips joins the ranks of previous winners of this esteemed award, including Stephanie Economou for Ubisoft’s Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The trailblazing entry of video game music into Grammy recognition was marked by Christopher Tin’s Baba Yetu from Firaxis’ Civilization 4, which clinched Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011.
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