"Persona 5's 'Last Surprise' Scores Grammy Nod, Elevating Game Music"

Jazz orchestra The 8-Bit Big Band's cover of 'Last Surprise' from Persona 5 has been nominated for a Grammy award! Discover more about this exciting achievement for the talented artists involved.

Persona 5’s “Last Surprise” Receives Grammy Nomination for 8-Bit Big Band’s Jazz Cover

The 8-Bit Big Band Earns Second Grammy Nod with Their Rendition of Persona 5's Battle Theme

The 8-Bit Big Band has achieved another milestone with their jazz orchestral cover of Persona 5’s iconic battle theme, "Last Surprise," securing a nomination at the 2025 Grammy Awards. This rendition, featuring the talents of Grammy Award-winning musician Jake Silverman (known as Button Masher) on synth and Jonah Nilsson of Dirty Loops on vocals and keyboard, is competing in the category of "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals."

Charlie Rosen, the leader of The 8-Bit Big Band, expressed his excitement on social media, stating, "Just nominated for my 4th Grammy IN A ROW!!! LONG LIVE VIDEO GAME MUSIC!!!" This nomination follows their previous Grammy win in 2022 for "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella" for their cover of "Meta Knight’s Revenge" from Kirby Super Star.

The 8-Bit Big Band’s cover of "Last Surprise" will face strong competition from other notable artists like Willow Smith and John Legend in the same category at the upcoming Grammy Awards on February 2nd, 2025.

Persona 5 is renowned for its distinctive acid jazz soundtrack, composed by Shoji Meguro. Among its many tracks, "Last Surprise" stands out as a fan favorite, energizing players through their battles in the game's Palaces with its infectious bassline and memorable riffs.

The 8-Bit Big Band's Grammy-nominated cover of "Last Surprise" honors the original while infusing it with a jazz fusion twist, characteristic of Jonah Nilsson’s band, Dirty Loops. The arrangement was enhanced by the inclusion of Button Masher, bringing a sophisticated harmonic touch typical of Dirty Loops' style.

2025 Grammy Nominations for Best Video Game Score Announced

The Grammy Awards have unveiled the nominees for the "Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media" category for 2025, featuring the following five games:

• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, composed by Pinar Toprak
• God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, composed by Bear McCreary
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, composed by John Paesano
• Star Wars Outlaws, composed by Wilbert Roget, II
• Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, composed by Winifred Phillips

Bear McCreary continues his streak, being nominated every year since the category's establishment, following nominations for Call of Duty Vanguard in 2023 and God of War Ragnarök in 2024.

The category debuted with Stephanie Economou winning for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, and last year, Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab took home the award for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Video game music has always resonated deeply with fans, and innovative covers like The 8-Bit Big Band’s demonstrate how these timeless compositions can evolve, inspiring fresh interpretations that captivate new audiences.