The Recording Academy’s 2026 nominations reignited the usual debates over who should win, who was overlooked, and which entries feel out of place. For the fourth consecutive year, music from video games and other interactive media earned its own Grammy category, and this year’s list brings a mix of expected names and surprising selections.
Nominees (Best Music for Video/Interactive Media)
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora — Secrets of the Spires (Pinar Toprak)
- Helldivers 2 (Wilbert Roget II)
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle — Worthy of a Museum (Gordy Haab)
- Star Wars Outlaws — Wild Card & A Pirate’s Fortune (Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget II)
- Sword of the Sea (Austin Wintory)
At first glance the list raises questions about eligibility windows and cultural impact. The Recording Academy’s cutoff for the 2026 cycle spans releases from August 31, 2024 through August 30, 2025. Several nominated entries appear to fall outside that window — in part because two entries are nominations for downloadable content (Avatar and Star Wars), and one (Helldivers 2) likely qualified due to a platform release that occurred within the eligibility period (an Xbox port shipped in August 2025).
Timing quirks like these are familiar at the Grammys. Artists sometimes reposition a track or album release to make it eligible; a recent example is Billie Eilish’s track “Wildflower,” which was included on an earlier album release but then issued as a single within the following eligibility window, opening the door to major-category nominations.
Beyond scheduling, there’s disagreement about which soundtracks truly resonated across gaming communities. While the Star Wars and Avatar scores come from high-profile franchises and received warm critical reception, neither made a strong splash across year-end game-music discussions or at last year’s industry awards. More glaring to some observers is what’s missing: the popular RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, for example, drew significant attention and its omission prompted commentary from composer Austin Wintory on social media — he even suggested he’d swap spots to include that soundtrack. Wintory’s own nomination is less surprising: since the category began he’s been a frequent nominee. For more on his process and background, see this interview from earlier in 2025.
Another notable development is the continued recognition of video-game-inspired projects in mainstream jazz categories. The 8-Bit Big Band — known for jazz arrangements of classic game tunes — picked up nominations outside the gaming category for the third consecutive year. Their album Orchestra Emulator is nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, and their track “Super Mario Praise Break” earned a nod for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.
For the complete nominees list, consult the Recording Academy’s announcement. The 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony will air on Sunday, February 1, 2026 on CBS and Paramount+.
Which game scores do you think deserved nominations this year? Share your picks in the comments below.
