Home News Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Composer Winifred Phillips Wins Grammy for Best Soundtrack in a Video Game

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Composer Winifred Phillips Wins Grammy for Best Soundtrack in a Video Game

Feb 21,2025 Author: Sophia

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, a 3D remake of the original 1981 RPG, has received the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media. Composer Winifred Phillips expressed her gratitude to Digital Eclipse and the audience for their support, stating the recognition "means so much."

The game, a direct adaptation of the original's code, even allows players to view the original Apple 2 interface. Its significance lies in its status as the first party-based video game RPG, inspiring later classics like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

Winifred Phillips at the 67th Grammy Awards. Photo by Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images.
Phillips' win was a significant achievement, surpassing nominations from prominent composers such as Wilbert Roget, II (Star Wars Outlaws), John Paesano (Marvel's Spider-Man 2), Bear McCreary (God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla), and Pinar Toprak (Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora).

In a post-award interview, Phillips described her surprise and respect for the other nominees, calling the win a career highlight. She emphasized the unique nature of video game music composition, highlighting the collaborative aspect with players as they experience the game's story.

This Grammy win continues a legacy of video game music recognition, following previous winners like Stephanie Economou (Assassin's Creed Valhalla) and Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor). The award also builds upon the groundbreaking achievement of Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu" (Civilization 4), the first video game music to win a Grammy in 2011.

LATEST ARTICLES

15

2026-02

Kekker Crowned First Etheria: Restart World Champ

https://images.97xz.com/uploads/11/687f532b00007.webp

Kekker defeats Han to become the first international champion of Etheria: Restart in a spectacular grand finalShanghai hosts the game's inaugural major offline esports competitionRecent update expands gameplay with two new characters and a PvE modeEt

Author: SophiaReading:1

13

2026-02

Gearbox Aims for Grounded Narrative in Borderlands 4

With Borderlands 3's controversial narrative now in the past, Gearbox Software is accelerating full speed toward Borderlands 4 and the authoritarian planet of Kairos.The path to Borderlands 4's release began with a rocky start. While many players emb

Author: SophiaReading:1

13

2026-02

$1.4M in Nintendo Switch 2 Units Stolen in Truck Heist

https://images.97xz.com/uploads/20/68528e3b727f1.webp

Approximately 3,000 Nintendo Switch 2 units were stolen from a truck transporting inventory between Nintendo of America's headquarters and a GameStop location in Texas.According to Denver 7, an ABC News affiliate, authorities investigating the theft—

Author: SophiaReading:2

13

2026-02

Ragnarok X: Top Class Picks for Next Gen

https://images.97xz.com/uploads/75/681e26c4a0e3c.webp

Swordsmen ClassThe Swordsmen in Ragnarok X: Next Generation are versatile melee fighters who dominate both offense and defense. With exceptional durability and high defense stats, these warriors can withstand heavy damage in combat without requiring

Author: SophiaReading:1