In 2022, the Grammy Awards announced the addition of the Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media, starting with the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2023. According to the Grammy Awards, the category “recognizes 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.” Past winners in the category have been interesting, to say the least, and include Stephanie Economou for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök in 2023, Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in 2024, and Winifred Phillips for Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord.
This year, though, the controversy will start with just the nominations. Noticeably missing from the list is Lorien Testard and the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 soundtrack, which spent over 10 weeks at the top of the Billboard Classical and Classical Crossover album charts. It also reached the top spot on the iTunes Top 100 Albums chart in nine countries, garnering over 333 million streams as of October 2025. No knock on those who did get nominated, but very few people would agree that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 should have failed to make the list.
Launched earlier this year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is widely considered a frontrunner for multiple Game of the Year awards. It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played, and as I said in my review, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a profound journey with a carefully composed narrative, painted with layers of complexity and charming characters. Its soundtrack is easily among the best, not just in the video game world.
Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media 2026 Grammy Awards Nominations
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires – Pinar Toprak, composer
- Helldivers 2 – Wilbert Roget, II, composer
- Indiana Jones And The Great Circle – Gordy Haab, composer
- Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate’s Fortune – Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget, II, composers
- Sword of the Sea – Austin Wintory, composer
