Video games recognised at Grammys

The newly streamlined Grammys are to consider video games as a medium on par with television and cinema in four major award categories.

"I think this could be viewed as a first step in the direction of video games getting their own category," said Bill Freimuth of The Recording Academy to IndustryGamers.

"Many people from the game community have been asking us to create a special category for games over the years, but the main reason we haven't is because we have received very few entries from game publishers."

Previously video game soundtracks were eligible for consideration in certain categories at the Grammys, but only as "other visual media". Now the award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media names the following applicable media: "Motion, Television, Video Game Music, or Other Visual Media".

The Music for Visual Media, Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, and Best Song Written for Visual Media are also described in the same way.

"This acknowledges that film, TV and games can stand side by side and be independently recognised," said Steve Schnur, worldwide executive for music at Electronic Arts. "Hopefully, this will create an even playing field when people vote next year. I expect there to be a tidal wave of submissions from the game industry."

Crysis and Fallout: New Vegas composer Inon Zur has led a movement within the games industry to encourage The Recording Academy to recognise games as an equal with cinema and television.

"Games today are a huge part of the entertainment industry and the music scores being created for them are very unique sounding in many cases compared to film," said Zur.

"I believe that music for games has to take its own place from other genres to gain respect by the mainstream audience and the Grammy category will help achieve this."