"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! Dive in to discover more about this exciting achievement for the talented artists involved.

The 8-Bit Big Band Scores Second Grammy Nomination with Persona 5 Battle Theme Cover

The 8-Bit Big Band’s orchestral jazz cover of Persona 5’s battle theme "Last Surprise" has earned a well-deserved Grammy nomination! This rendition features the Grammy Award-winning musician Jake Silverman, known professionally as Button Masher, on synth, and Jonah Nilsson, keyboardist and vocalist for the band Dirty Loops, on vocals. Their cover is up for "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals" at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

The 8-Bit Big Band leader, Charlie Rosen, expressed his excitement on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Just nominated for my 4th Grammy IN A ROW!!! LONG LIVE VIDEO GAME MUSIC!!!" While Rosen has a history of achievements in theater, this nomination marks The 8-Bit Big Band’s second Grammy encounter. They previously won a Grammy for "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella" in 2022 for their cover of "Meta Knight’s Revenge" from Kirby Super Star.

The 8-Bit Big Band’s cover of Persona 5’s Last Surprise will go head-to-head with other notable artists like Willow Smith and John Legend in the same category at the upcoming 2025 Grammy Awards on February 2nd.

Persona 5 is renowned for its acid jazz soundtrack, masterfully composed by Shoji Meguro. Among its many tracks, Last Surprise stands out as a fan favorite, energizing players during countless battles within the game’s dungeons, or Palaces. Its infectious bassline and catchy riffs have cemented its status as a beloved piece.

The 8-Bit Big Band’s Grammy-nominated cover not only honors the original composition but also infuses it with fresh, jazz fusion elements, a signature style of Jonah Nilsson’s band, Dirty Loops. The music video’s description highlights how they enlisted Button Masher to enhance the cover with advanced harmonic sensibilities typical of Dirty Loops’ sound.

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. This year’s contenders are:

• 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 to make history as the only composer nominated every year since the category began. He was previously nominated for Call of Duty Vanguard in 2023 and the original God of War Ragnarök in 2024.

The category debuted with Stephanie Economou’s score for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök winning, followed by Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab’s score for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor taking the honor last year.

Video game music holds a cherished place in fans' hearts, and innovative covers like The 8-Bit Big Band’s demonstrate how these timeless compositions can inspire new interpretations and reach broader audiences.