The Grammys finally acknowledge video game music, starting with indie darlings Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed

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Finally, some recognition for Call of Duty

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
(Image credit: Activision)

The first nominations in The Grammys' new video game music soundtrack category include Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, and Guardians of the Galaxy, so, you know, really shining a spotlight on some underappreciated gems here.

The full category includes nominations for composer Austin Wintory for his work on Alien: Fireteams Elite, Steph Economou for Assassin's Creed, Bear McCreary for Call of Duty, Richard Jacques for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and Christopher Tin of Old World developer Mohawk Games.

To be fair, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy absolutely deserves a nod for its original band Star-Lord, which pumped out a jamming soundtrack inspired by '80s rock music. And I'm definitely not saying any of the nominees aren't deserving, but I still wish there was a little more love for more smaller games here, or at least games smaller than Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed. 2022 alone has seen so many unforgettable tunes in games. Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Elden Ring, Citizen Sleeper, Stray, Bayonetta 3, Tunic, and the true final boss, Trombone Champ. And that's just a handful from this year. 

It's worth noting that video game music has been nominated for and even won Grammys before, like Christopher Tin's re-release of 'Baba Yetu' from 2005's Civilization 4 or Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman's arrangement of 'Meta Knight's Revenge' from 1996's Kirby Super Star. That being said, it's good to see that The Grammys are finally recognizing video game soundtracks with an official category in the year of our lord 2022. 

We might not be Grammy judges, but here's how we ranked the best gaming soundtracks of all time.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.