The nominations record for the 2026 Grammy awards dropped lately, renewing the fierce yearly debates over what ought to win, what ought to lose, and what was snubbed solely. Within the gaming house, that is no completely different, as this yr marks the fourth time soundtracks for video video games and different interactive media are eligible for their very own class. If you have not seen the total record but, listed below are this yr’s nominees.
Should you’ve been taking note of the video games business this yr, there are a couple of components of this record that really feel off. The primary is the discharge dates; three of the 5 video games (particularly Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Helldivers 2, and Star Wars Outlaws) fall squarely out of the standard nomination window, which incorporates releases between August 31, 2024 and August 30, 2025. The catch, nevertheless, is that Avatar and Star Wars video games acquired nominations for his or her DLC packs, which have been launched extra lately – every base sport was already nominated final yr. As for Helldivers II, a sport launched in February 2024, my guess is that it is eligible due to its Xbox port this previous August.
These kinds of timeline shenanigans aren’t exceptional with Grammys, even in main classes. For instance, Wildflower by Billie Eilish was launched on an album in Could 2024, however as a result of it was re-released as a single in February 2025, it is up for Report of the Yr and Tune of the Yr at this yr’s awards.
The opposite means this feels off, nevertheless, is the relative influence of every soundtrack throughout online game tradition. Star Wars and Avatar really feel misplaced on this regard as properly, as each video games are comparatively well-regarded however did not have the identical influence amongst avid gamers, and that sentiment extends to their soundtracks. Neither was nominated for greatest music ultimately yr’s sport awards, for instance. However much less egregious than their inclusion means the exclusion of different big video games, most notably Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It is a large enough deal that nominee Austin Wintory referred to as it out on social media, even providing to commerce his place for the smash-hit RPG. Whereas we do assume it is an oversight, Wintory’s inclusion isn’t any shock, as he is at the moment tied for probably the most nominations within the class since its first yr. You may learn extra on his background and strategy to composition on this interview from earlier this yr.
The opposite video game-specific information from this yr’s Grammy nominations is that The 8-Bit Large Band, a jazz group that does covers of online game music, has been nominated in non-gaming classes for the third yr. Its latest album, Orchestra Emulator, is up for Finest Giant Jazz Ensemble Album, whereas the track “Tremendous Mario Reward Break” is up for Finest Association, Instrumental or A Cappella. Whereas it’s totally thrilling to see online game soundtracks get acknowledged in a devoted class, it is also thrilling to see basic sport songs break into extra mainstream classes.
You may learn the total record of nominees for this yr’s Grammy Awards right here. The ceremony will air on Sunday, February 1, on CBS and Paramount+.
Which soundtracks do you assume ought to have been included on this yr’s Grammy Awards? Tell us within the feedback!
