Persona 5’s “Last Surprise” Grammy Nomination Brings Game Music to the Mainstream

The 8-Bit Big Band's jazz rendition 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. Let's delve into the details of this well-deserved accolade.

8-Bit Big Band's "Last Surprise" Earns Grammy Nomination

The 8-Bit Big Band's masterful jazz arrangement of Persona 5's battle theme, "Last Surprise," has received a Grammy nomination for "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals" at the 2025 Grammy Awards. This impressive achievement features the talents of Grammy Award-winning musician Jake Silverman (Button Masher) on synth and Jonah Nilsson (Dirty Loops) on vocals. This marks the band's second Grammy nomination, following their 2022 win for their cover of "Meta Knight's Revenge."

Bandleader Charlie Rosen expressed his excitement on Twitter (X), celebrating this recognition and the continued success of video game music. The nomination positions "Last Surprise" alongside other notable entries from artists like Willow Smith and John Legend. The 2025 Grammy Awards ceremony takes place on February 2nd.

2025 Grammy Nominations for 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 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 continues to make Grammy history with his consecutive nominations since the category's inception.

The 8-Bit Big Band's Grammy nomination underscores the enduring appeal of video game music and its ability to inspire fresh interpretations that resonate with broader audiences. This success story serves as a testament to the artistry and creativity within the video game music community.