Annual Game Music Awards 2015 – Audio of the Year

agmas

We are pleased to present the winners in the ‘Audio of the Year’ category of the Annual Game Music Awards 2015. These panel-voted, officially-recognised awards provide a thorough and wide-reaching recognition of achievement in game music over the last year. The panelists have selected their choices by carefully considering the merit of the game music created this year — as art and entertainment, as part of in-game experiences and as part of stand-alone albums. Congratulations to all winners, runners-up, and nominees.

Outstanding Achievement — Cinematic Music

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

When Mikolai Stroinski and Marcin Przybyłowicz joined forces to create the music of The Witcher 3, they surpassed expectations with their unique Polish score. The cinematic tracks range from refreshingly raw to deceptively beautiful, bringing grit and depth to one of the year’s greatest gaming experiences.

witcher3

Runners-Up

Batman: Arkham Knight
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Other Nominations

Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Halo 5: Guardians
Mad Max
Ori and the Blind Forest
StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void

 

Outstanding Achievement — In-Game Music

Bloodborne

In Bloodborne, FromSoftware’s in-house team interacted with cinematic artists such as Ryan Amon to create a powerful, choral driven soundtrack. In doing so, they brought to life the gothic world of Yharnam and its accompanying monstrosities.

bloodborne

Runners-Up

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Other Nominations

Axiom Verge
Etrian Mystery Dungeon
Transformers Devastation
Ori and the Blind Forest
Super Mario Maker

 

Outstanding Achievement — Music Production

Star Wars: Battlefront

The production value of Star Wars: Battlefront was universally praised: the game looks and sounds exactly like Star Wars should. This is in no small part thanks to the music, combining John Williams’ iconic themes with original music from Gordy Haab, meticulously recorded by the LSO at Abbey Road Studios.

battlefront

Runners-Up

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

Other Nominations

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
Galactic Civilizations III
Ori and the Blind Forest
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

 

Outstanding Achievement — Music Licensing

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

From the Bowie cover “The Man Who Sold The World” to the classic pop song “Kids in America”, The Phantom Pain’s track selection was both strong and befitting of the game’s cold war setting. Hideo Kojima likely personally selected the majority of these tracks himself. 

phantompain

Runners-Up

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Life is Strange

Other Nominations

Fallout 4
LEGO Dimensions
Need For Speed
OlliOlli 2
Rocket League

 

Outstanding Achievement — Sound Design

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The Phantom Pain is an impressive example of sound design and original music complementing each other, with Ludvig Forssell’s music masterfully mixed with the crisp and realistic sounds. The end result is robust and memorable audio experience throughout.

phantompain2

Runners-Up

Star Wars: Battlefront
Splatoon

Other Nominations

Bloodborne
Fallout 4
Halo 5: Guardians
Project CARS
Xenoblade Chronicles X

 

Outstanding Achievement — Voice Dialogue

LEGO Dimensions

Reflecting the talents of Traveller’s Tales’ writers, LEGO Dimensions features characters from diverse franchises interacting in an entertaining way. A-list actors who have played these iconic characters lent their talents to the game, resulting in an incredible achievement for video game dialogue. 

legodimensions

Runners-Up

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Other Nominations

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Batman: Arkham Knight
Life is Strange
Minecraft: Story Mode
Pewdiepie: Legend of the Brofist

 

Outstanding Achievement — Main Theme

Theme X (Xenoblade Chronicles X)

Xenoblade Chronicles X’s main theme is undeniably an impressive one, mixing electronic, orchestral, and acoustic elements together into a dynamic track. At times epic and at others quite tender, the theme is a perfect representation of the game’s multifaceted world. 

xenobladex

Runners-Up

Main Theme (Ori and the Blind Forest)
Miami Theme (Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number)

Other Nominations

Main Theme -Wilderness Ark- (Metal Saga: Wilderness Ark)
Metempsychosis (Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi)
Prelude of an Adventure (The Great Ace Attorney)
SOMA Main Theme (SOMA)
The Axiom (Axiom Verge)

 

Outstanding Achievement — Vocal Theme

Quiet’s Theme (Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain)

Written by Akihiro Honda and Ludvig Forssell, Quiet’s Theme is a hauntingly beautiful piece boasting Stefanie Joosten’s vocals and gorgeous orchestral accompaniment. Unforgettable, masterfully arranged, and impressively integrated, this is one of Metal Gear’s greatest tracks. 

quiet

Runners-Up

The Way (Xenoblade Chronicles X)
Tree of Life (God Eater 2: Rage Burst)

Other Nominations

Dragonsong (Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward)
I’m Back (to Rise) (Killer Instinct: Season 2)
Last Song (Bravely Second: End Layer)
Signs (There Came An Echo)
The Path of Destiny (Sword Coast Legends)

Winner descriptions by Joe Hammond, Harris Iqbal, Emily McMillan, Don Kotowski, Christopher Huynh, and Oliver JIa. 

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Chris Greening. Last modified on February 15, 2016.


About the Author

I've contributed to websites related to game audio since 2002. In this time, I've reviewed over a thousand albums and interviewed hundreds of musicians across the world. As the founder and webmaster of VGMO -Video Game Music Online-, I hope to create a cutting-edge, journalistic resource for all those soundtrack enthusiasts out there. In the process, I would love to further cultivate my passion for music, writing, and generally building things. Please enjoy the site and don't hesitate to say hello!



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