Winifred Phillips has won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media for her work on the soundtrack for Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord. The award was announced during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards held on February 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. Phillips’ composition beat out other nominees, including Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Pinar Toprak), God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla (Bear McCreary), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (John Paesano), and Star Wars Outlaws (Wilbert Roget II).
The soundtrack for Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord was composed for the 2023 3D remake of the classic 1981 RPG, developed by Digital Eclipse. The remake brought new life to one of gaming’s most influential dungeon crawlers, and Phillips’ music was praised for its ability to modernize the game’s atmosphere while staying true to its roots. Her work blended orchestral and electronic elements to evoke both nostalgia and innovation, making it a standout in the category.
This win highlights the growing recognition of video game music within the broader entertainment industry. The Grammy category for video game soundtracks was introduced in 2023, and Phillips’ victory continues to spotlight the artistic achievements of composers in interactive media. Fans and industry professionals alike have celebrated this milestone, further solidifying Wizardry’s legacy as a groundbreaking franchise in gaming history.
