The 8-Bit Big Band's jazz arrangement of Persona 5's iconic "Last Surprise" is a Grammy nominee! This exciting development highlights the growing recognition of video game music in the mainstream.
Persona 5's "Last Surprise": A Grammy Nomination for the 8-Bit Big Band's Jazz Interpretation
Second Grammy Nod for The 8-Bit Big Band
The 8-Bit Big Band's breathtaking jazz rendition of Persona 5's "Last Surprise" is nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals" category at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The performance features Grammy-winner Jake Silverman (Button Masher) on synth and vocalist Jonah Nilsson (Dirty Loops).
"Nominated for my 4th Grammy in a row!" tweeted Charlie Rosen, leader of The 8-Bit Big Band. This nomination follows their 2022 Grammy win for their "Meta Knight's Revenge" cover, solidifying their place in the music world.
This year, they'll 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," a fan-favorite battle theme, has resonated deeply with players due to its memorable presence throughout the game's Palaces.The 8-Bit Big Band's cover masterfully blends respect for the original with innovative jazz fusion elements, showcasing the talents of Dirty Loops. As the music video notes, they collaborated with Button Masher to enhance the harmonic complexity.
2025 Grammy Nominations: Best Video Game Score
The Grammy Awards also announced nominees for "Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media." This year's contenders are:
⚫︎ Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, composed by Pinar Toprak ⚫︎ God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, composed by Bear McCreary ⚫︎ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, composed by John Paesano ⚫︎ Star Wars Outlaws, composed by Wilbert Roget, II ⚫︎ Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, composed by Winifred Phillips
Bear McCreary continues his impressive streak, receiving a nomination every year since the category's inception.
The award, first won by Stephanie Economou for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, was presented last year to Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
The 8-Bit Big Band's Grammy nomination underscores the enduring power and artistic merit of video game music, showcasing its ability to inspire fresh interpretations and captivate new audiences.
