The 66th Grammy Awards ceremony in 2026 delivered a surprising victory for video game music, as The 8-Bit Big Band secured their second Grammy win with a medley of classic Super Mario tunes. Their track, Super Mario Praise Break, triumphed in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Capella category, outperforming notable contenders including West End star Cynthia Erivo.
A Fusion of Gaming and Gospel
Super Mario Praise Break is an innovative instrumental arrangement that weaves together iconic themes from across the Super Mario franchise. The piece features the instantly recognisable Super Mario Bros. theme, the energetic Athletic Theme from Super Mario World, the adventurous Bob-Omb Battlefield from Super Mario 64, and the sweeping Gusty Garden Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy.
The arrangement cleverly incorporates elements of a praise break – a term originating from Black gospel music that describes fast-paced compositions typically featuring organs and drums, often accompanied by spontaneous dancing. This creative fusion demonstrates how video game music continues to evolve and intersect with diverse musical traditions.
Beating Strong Competition
The 8-Bit Big Band's victory was particularly impressive given the quality of competition in their category. They surpassed Wicked star Cynthia Erivo's entry, along with Nordkraft Big Band & Remy Le Boeuf's A Child Is Born and The Westerlies' Fight On. This marks the group's second Grammy win, having previously secured the same award in 2022 for their arrangement of Meta Knight's Revenge from the 1996 SNES game Kirby's Fun Pak.
Following their triumph, the New York-based ensemble took to social media to express their gratitude: 'We JUST WON OUR 2nd GRAMMY. Thank you to everyone who listened and supported all of our new releases and huge congrats to my co-arrangers on the now Grammy winning Super Mario Praise Break, the incredible friends and musicians – Bryan Carter and Matthew Whitaker.'
Video Game Music's Growing Grammy Presence
While the Grammys traditionally celebrate mainstream pop music across its 96 categories, this year's ceremony highlighted the increasing recognition of video game soundtracks. Beyond The 8-Bit Big Band's arrangement award, the dedicated Best Game Soundtrack category saw Austin Wintory finally claim his first Grammy for his work on Sword Of The Sea.
Wintory, who has received previous nominations for scores including Journey, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and Stray Gods, overcame strong competition from:
- Wilbert Roget II's soundtrack for Helldivers 2
- Gordy Haab's score for Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
- Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget II's work on Star Wars Outlaws DLC Wild Card & A Pirate's Fortune
- Pinar Toprak's score for Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora's second DLC, Secrets Of The Spire
Additional Recognition and Near Misses
The 8-Bit Big Band received further recognition at the ceremony with a nomination in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category for their album Orchestrator Emulator. Although they didn't secure this additional award, losing out to Christian McBride's Without Further Ado, Vol 1, their dual nominations demonstrate the ensemble's versatility and the growing acceptance of video game-inspired music within traditional award frameworks.
This year's Grammy results underscore how video game music continues to break boundaries and gain mainstream recognition. The success of both The 8-Bit Big Band and Austin Wintory suggests that gaming soundtracks are becoming increasingly influential within the broader music industry, appealing to both dedicated gamers and general music enthusiasts alike.
