At the 67th Grammy Awards, the enchanting score of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord triumphed, securing the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media. Composer Winifred Phillips, in her acceptance speech, expressed heartfelt gratitude to developer Digital Eclipse and the audience, stating, "Thank you for believing in music for games and recognizing it and for breathing life and enthusiasm and energy into what we do. It means so much."
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a 3D remake of the pioneering game in the Wizardry series. Originally released in 1981, the medieval fantasy Wizardry is renowned as the first party-based video game RPG, inspiring iconic series such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. The remake is built directly on the original game's code, offering players a unique experience where they can even view the classic Apple II interface during gameplay.
Phillips clinched the award against formidable contenders, including Wilbert Roget, II for Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws, John Paesano for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Bear McCreary for God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, and Pinar Toprak for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
In a subsequent interview, Phillips shared her astonishment, saying, "I really didn’t expect it. The category was populated with so much brilliance this year, and I have so much deep respect for the other nominees in this category. So to have been recognized is just a highlight of my career. It truly is."
She further elaborated on the unique nature of composing for video games, stating, "We do a very unique thing. We’re creating music that needs to accompany people who are having an experience and who are making choices, and having adventures and living a grand story, and we’re creating the music for that story. It’s such a wonderful privilege because you feel like you’re collaborating with the players. Like you know them and they know you. It’s really very special."
Previous recipients of this prestigious award include Stephanie Economou for Ubisoft’s Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The first piece of music from a video game to be nominated for and win a Grammy in any category was "Baba Yetu," arranged by Christopher Tin for Firaxis’ Civilization 4, which took home Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011.
