The 8-Bit Big Band's jazz arrangement of Persona 5's iconic "Last Surprise" has received a Grammy nomination, a significant milestone for video game music! This article explores this exciting achievement and its implications for the genre.
Persona 5's "Last Surprise" Earns 8-Bit Big Band a Grammy Nomination
A Second Grammy Nod for The 8-Bit Big Band
The 8-Bit Big Band's masterful jazz interpretation of Persona 5's battle theme, "Last Surprise," is nominated for "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals" at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The track features the talents of Grammy Award-winning musician Jake Silverman (Button Masher) on synth and Jonah Nilsson (Dirty Loops) on vocals.
"Nominated for my 4th Grammy in a row!!!" exclaimed Charlie Rosen, leader of The 8-Bit Big Band, on X (formerly Twitter). "LONG LIVE VIDEO GAME MUSIC!!!" This nomination follows their 2022 Grammy win for "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella" for their "Meta Knight's Revenge" cover.
This year, their "Last Surprise" cover will compete against notable artists like Willow Smith and John Legend. The 2025 Grammy Awards ceremony takes place on February 2nd.
Persona 5's soundtrack, composed by Shoji Meguro, is renowned for its acid jazz style. "Last Surprise," however, stands out as a fan favorite, its energetic rhythm and memorable melodies accompanying players through countless in-game battles within the Palaces.The 8-Bit Big Band's cover respectfully honors the original while adding a unique jazz fusion twist, leveraging the expertise of Dirty Loops. As noted in the music video's description, they enlisted Button Masher to enhance the harmonic complexity, reflecting Dirty Loops' signature sound.
2025 Grammy Nominations for Best Video Game Score Unveiled
The Grammy Awards also announced nominees for "Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media." This year's contenders include:
⚫︎ Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Pinar Toprak) ⚫︎ God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla (Bear McCreary) ⚫︎ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (John Paesano) ⚫︎ Star Wars Outlaws (Wilbert Roget, II) ⚫︎ Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (Winifred Phillips)
Bear McCreary achieves a remarkable feat, earning a nomination every year since the category's inception.
The award, first presented to Stephanie Economou for Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, last year went to Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Video game music holds a special place in many hearts. Covers like The 8-Bit Big Band's demonstrate the enduring power of these compositions, inspiring fresh interpretations that reach wider audiences.
