The Recording Academy announced nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards on November 7, 2025, and the video game music category brought some surprises and one glaring omission. Five soundtracks made the cut for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media, including Helldivers 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Star Wars Outlaws. But fans are absolutely furious that Clair Obscur Expedition 33 got left out despite being the second-highest rated new game of the year with a soundtrack that’s spent ten weeks at number one on the Billboard Classical charts.
This is only the third year the Grammy Awards have included a dedicated category for video game soundtracks, which was introduced in 2023 to finally give game composers the recognition they deserve after decades of being overlooked. The category honors original scores specifically created for video games and other interactive media, and it’s quickly become one of the most anticipated announcements in the gaming community.
The Nominees
Five games earned nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, which will be held in Los Angeles in February 2026. The eligibility window ran from August 31, 2024 to August 30, 2025, though DLC and soundtrack releases can qualify games that launched outside that period.
Avatar Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires gets recognized for composer Pinar Toprak’s work. The Turkish-American musician was previously nominated for an Academy Award for her work on The Lightkeepers. Her lush, atmospheric score for the Pandora DLC expansion captured the alien world’s beauty.
Helldivers 2 earned a spot for composer Wilbert Roget, II despite the game launching in February 2024, well before the eligibility window. The soundtrack wasn’t officially released until September 2024, which brought it into consideration. Roget’s bombastic orchestral score perfectly captures the over-the-top action and satirical militarism of Arrowhead’s co-op shooter.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle marks composer Gordy Haab’s return to the category after winning in 2024 for Star Wars Jedi Survivor. His work on MachineGames’ adventure game channels classic John Williams themes while establishing its own identity. The game itself just launched in December 2025, but Grammy rules accommodate timing differences between game releases and soundtrack albums.
Star Wars Outlaws Wild Card and A Pirate’s Fortune represents Cody Matthew Johnson and Wilbert Roget, II’s collaboration on the game’s DLC expansions. While the base game launched on August 30, 2024, just one day before the Grammy eligibility period, the DLC released within the window. Roget scores his second nomination this year with this entry.
Sword of the Sea brings back Austin Wintory, who made Grammy history as the first video game composer ever nominated when his Journey score competed in 2013. Wintory’s emotional, sweeping compositions have become his signature, and his latest work continues that tradition.
The Clair Obscur Snub
The biggest shock isn’t who made the list but who didn’t. Clair Obscur Expedition 33 was submitted for consideration in two categories: Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Best Song Written for Visual Media. It didn’t make either list, despite absolutely dominating 2025 in every measurable way.
The numbers speak for themselves. Composer Lorien Testard’s soundtrack has been number one on the Billboard Classical charts for ten consecutive weeks. The game itself is the second-highest rated new release of 2025. Testard just won the WSA Game Music Award. Publisher Kepler specifically submitted it for Grammy consideration. By every objective measure, this should have been an easy nomination.
The snub has sparked outrage in the gaming community. Twitter and Reddit are filled with fans questioning how the Recording Academy could overlook such an obvious contender. Some speculate it’s because Clair Obscur is a smaller indie title compared to the AAA games that made the list. Others wonder if the Academy simply hasn’t caught up to recognizing excellence outside of major publishers.
What Makes the Soundtrack Special
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 features a hauntingly beautiful score that blends orchestral arrangements with Belle Époque-inspired melodies. The music reflects the game’s unique setting, a turn-based RPG that draws from early 20th century French culture. Testard’s compositions enhance the dark fairy tale atmosphere while standing alone as gorgeous pieces of music.
The fact that it topped Billboard Classical charts for ten weeks proves the soundtrack resonates far beyond just gamers. Classical music audiences discovered and embraced it, which is exactly the kind of crossover appeal the Grammy Awards should celebrate.
History of the Category
The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media debuted at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2023. Its creation came after years of advocacy from game composers and studios who felt the medium deserved dedicated recognition.
Prior to 2023, only three video game soundtracks had ever been nominated at the Grammys in any category. Christopher Tin won Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists in 2011 for Baba Yetu from Civilization IV. Austin Wintory’s Journey score competed for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media in 2013. And in 2022, a cover of Meta Knight’s Revenge from Kirby Super Star won Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.
The inaugural winner in 2023 was Stephanie Economou for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Dawn of Ragnarök DLC. She beat out Aliens Fireteam Elite, Call of Duty Vanguard, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and Old World.
In 2024, Star Wars Jedi Survivor composed by Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab took home the trophy. The nominees that year included Call of Duty Modern Warfare II, God of War Ragnarök, Hogwarts Legacy, and Stray Gods The Roleplaying Musical.
For 2025, Winifred Phillips won for Wizardry Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, beating Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, God of War Ragnarök Valhalla, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Star Wars Outlaws.
Notable Patterns
Looking at three years of nominees reveals some interesting trends. Big publishers dominate the category. Activision, Sony, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts appear repeatedly. Smaller indie titles struggle to break through even when they deserve recognition.
DLC and expansions qualify frequently, which makes sense given the amended eligibility rules. The Recording Academy allows seasonal updates and downloadable content to compete in the year following the base game’s release, as long as more than 50 percent of the submitted recording derives from the new content.
Bear McCreary has now been nominated three times without winning, for Call of Duty Vanguard, God of War Ragnarök, and God of War Ragnarök Valhalla. John Williams only won one competitive Grammy in his entire career despite 26 nominations, so being recognized repeatedly is still an honor even without the trophy.
What Happens Next
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will take place in February 2026 in Los Angeles. Voting members of the Recording Academy will determine the winner from these five nominees over the coming months.
Given Gordy Haab’s previous win for Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle might have an advantage. But Austin Wintory’s historic connection to video game music at the Grammys could make Sword of the Sea a sentimental choice. Helldivers 2’s massive commercial success and cultural impact might influence voters as well.
As for Clair Obscur Expedition 33, the snub stings but doesn’t diminish the soundtrack’s quality or success. Lorien Testard has already won the WSA Game Music Award and dominated the Billboard charts. Sometimes the awards don’t get it right, but the music speaks for itself.
FAQs
Which video games were nominated for the 2026 Grammy Awards?
The nominees for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media are Avatar Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires (Pinar Toprak), Helldivers 2 (Wilbert Roget, II), Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Gordy Haab), Star Wars Outlaws Wild Card and A Pirate’s Fortune (Cody Matthew Johnson and Wilbert Roget, II), and Sword of the Sea (Austin Wintory).
Why is Helldivers 2 eligible for the 2026 Grammys if it came out in 2024?
While Helldivers 2 launched in February 2024 before the eligibility window, its official soundtrack wasn’t released until September 2024, which falls within the August 31, 2024 to August 30, 2025 eligibility period. Grammy rules accommodate timing differences between game releases and soundtrack albums.
What game got snubbed from the Grammy nominations?
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 was not nominated despite being submitted for consideration. The game’s soundtrack by Lorien Testard has been number one on Billboard Classical charts for ten weeks, and the game is the second-highest rated new release of 2025. The omission has sparked outrage in the gaming community.
When was the video game music category created at the Grammys?
The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media was introduced in 2023 at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. It was created to specifically recognize music composed for video games after years of advocacy from game composers.
Who won the video game music Grammy in previous years?
The 2023 winner was Stephanie Economou for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Dawn of Ragnarök. The 2024 winner was Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Star Wars Jedi Survivor. The 2025 winner was Winifred Phillips for Wizardry Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord.
When will the 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony take place?
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will be held in February 2026 in Los Angeles. The exact date hasn’t been announced yet, but the ceremony typically occurs in early February.
Has Austin Wintory been nominated for a Grammy before?
Yes, Austin Wintory made Grammy history when his Journey score was nominated for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media in 2013. He was the first video game composer ever nominated in that category. Journey remains the only game that competed before the dedicated video game music category was created.
Can DLC and expansions qualify for the Grammy Awards?
Yes, as of the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, eligibility criteria was amended to allow seasonal updates and downloadable content to qualify. More than 50 percent of the submitted recording must derive from new content released during the Grammy eligibility year.
Conclusion
The 2026 Grammy nominations for video game music showcase both the progress the medium has made in gaining recognition and the work that remains. Having five strong nominees including indie darling Sword of the Sea alongside AAA titles like Helldivers 2 and Indiana Jones shows the Recording Academy is taking games seriously. But the Clair Obscur Expedition 33 snub proves there’s still a bias toward big publishers and established franchises over smaller titles that deserve equal consideration. As video game music continues evolving and reaching broader audiences, hopefully the Grammys will become better at recognizing excellence regardless of budget or publisher. For now, these five nominees represent some of 2025’s best game soundtracks, and whichever wins in February will join an increasingly prestigious list of Grammy-winning game composers.