Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the latest Nintendo Switch craze released on March 25, 2022, to commemorate the franchise’s 30th anniversary. However, the title’s release wasn’t the only occasion Kirby had to enter the spotlight in the past few weeks. The 64th Annual Grammy Awards were held on April 3, 2022, and Kirby was one of the notable recipients of the esteemed achievement. Well, sort of.
The 8-Bit Big Band took home the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Capella for their cover of “Meta Knight’s Revenge” from the soundtrack of the 1996 classic Kirby Superstar. The 8-Bit Big Band consists of up to 65 orchestra members who perform jazzy covers of popular video game tracks. Tony-nominated musical director Charlie Rosen and keyboardist Jake Silverman were there to accept the prestigious honor. However, while Kirby is the first Nintendo character to win a Grammy, this isn’t the first time video game music has been recognized at the Grammys, and hopefully won’t be the last.
The first instance occurred at the 2011 Grammys, when Civilization IV‘s track, “Baba Yetu,” won Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist. This song served as the theme song for Civilization IV. Christopher Yin composed the track, whose first internship was with critically acclaimed composer, Hans Zimmer, known for his latest musical contribution to the Oscar-winning 2021 film, Dune.
Another time video game music was featured at the Grammys was for the 2012 video game, Journey. The game’s music was nominated for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. However, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor took home the award instead for their work on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Video game tracks deserve more recognition in the music industry and have the potential to take home even more Grammys. Kirby’s win is an important milestone in Nintendo music history.
There are many musical masterpieces throughout Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It wouldn’t be surprising if Kirby gets nominated for another Grammy due to a band’s arrangement of the title’s catchy hits. Or even The 8-Bit Big Band once again, for that matter.
In addition to “Meta Knight’s Revenge,” The 8-Bit Big Band has performed video game themes with a jazzy twist from franchises like Final Fantasy and Pokémon. Arguably, one of their best tracks is “Lonely Rolling Star” from Katamari Damacy. Either way, now is the perfect time to put some Kirby music on an endless loop.
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