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

The 8-Bit Big Band's jazz cover of Persona 5's iconic battle theme, "Last Surprise," has secured a prestigious Grammy nomination, spotlighting the remarkable talent behind this transformative rendition. Read on to discover more about this exciting achievement.

The 8-Bit Big Band's Second Grammy Nod with Persona 5's Battle Theme Cover

The 8-Bit Big Band has once again captured the attention of the music world with their orchestral jazz cover of "Last Surprise" from Persona 5, earning a nomination for "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals" at the 2025 Grammy Awards. This rendition features the Grammy Award-winning musician Jake Silverman, known as Button Masher, on synth, and Jonah Nilsson, the keyboardist and vocalist of the band Dirty Loops, adding his unique vocals to the mix.

Charlie Rosen, the leader of The 8-Bit Big Band, shared his excitement on Twitter (X), stating, "Just nominated for my 4th Grammy IN A ROW!!! LONG LIVE VIDEO GAME MUSIC!!!" This marks the band's second Grammy nomination, following their 2022 win 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 rendition of "Last Surprise" will go head-to-head with other notable artists such as Willow Smith and John Legend in the same category at the 2025 Grammy Awards, set to take place on February 2nd.

The 8-Bit Big Band's cover not only honors the original composition but also infuses it with a jazz fusion twist, characteristic of Jonah Nilsson’s band, Dirty Loops. The music video's description highlights how Button Masher was brought on board to enhance the arrangement with advanced harmonic elements, a signature of Dirty Loops' sound.

2025 Grammy Nominations for Best Video Game Score Announced

The Grammy Awards have also revealed the nominees for the "Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media" category for 2025, showcasing the following exceptional works:

• 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 notably continues his streak, becoming the only composer to be nominated every year since the category began. His previous nominations include Call of Duty Vanguard in 2023 and the original God of War Ragnarök in 2024.

The category's inaugural winner was Stephanie Economou for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, followed by Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor last year.

Video game music has always resonated deeply with fans, and innovative covers like The 8-Bit Big Band's "Last Surprise" demonstrate how these beloved compositions can inspire new and exciting interpretations, reaching broader audiences and cementing their place in the mainstream music scene.