Annual Game Music Awards 2017 – Artists of the Year

We are pleased to present the winners in the ‘Artists of the Year’ category of the Annual Game Music Awards 2017. These panel-voted, officially-recognised awards provide a thorough and wide-reaching recognition of achievement in game music over the last year. The panelists have selected their choices by carefully considering the merit of the game music created this year — as art and entertainment, as part of in-game experiences and as part of stand-alone albums. Congratulations to all winners, runners-up, and nominees.

Outstanding Artist — Eastern Composer

Keiichi Okabe

Keiichi Okabe’s contributions, both to Nier: Automata and Final Fantasy XV Episode Gladiolus showcased his prowess with vocals in music and helped define both soundtracks. –Don Kotowski

Runner-Up

Yasunori Mitsuda

Other Nominations

Kohei Tanaka

Shoji Meguro

Yugo Kanno

Outstanding Artist — Western Composer

Joris de Man

Every section of Horizon Zero Dawn’s sprawling soundtrack was invaluable in building the game’s musical identity. However, Joris de Man’s warm melodies and rich orchestration brought the soundtrack to a whole new level. -Emily McMillan

Runners-Up

Grant Kirkhope

Other Nominations

Borislav Slavov

Jessica Curry

Patrice Borgeault

Outstanding Artist — Independent Composer

David García Díaz

For Rime, Spanish composer David García Díaz wrote an ambitious score that conveys much of the game’s emotional texture. In addition to writing all of Rime’s music, Díaz had a hand in its presentation, using visual scripting to create an adaptive soundtrack that responds to player movement. As a testament to his skill, Díaz’s Rime compositions earned him a job at Ninja Theory, where he scored the critically-acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. -Michael Hughes

Runner-Up

Alec Holowka

Other Nominations

Ari Pulkkinen

Darren Korb

Stoj Snak

Outstanding Artist — Newcomer

Kristofer Maddigan

Kristofer Maddigan tackled his first game score with such a high level of skill, dedication, and ingenuity that he received immediate acclaim upon Cuphead’s release. The 30s-inspired jazz score not only featured superb compositions and performances, but brought a whole new genre of music to the game soundtrack table. -Emily McMillan

Runners-Up

Jeff Russo

Other Nominations

Daughter

Mariam Absounnasr

Tee Lopes

Outstanding Artist — Soloist

J’Nique Nicole

J’Nique Nicole’s voice complemented the NieR universe wonderfully and brought both beauty and power to each of her contributions, whether solo or alongside Emi Evans, Nakagawa Nami, and Marina Kawano. -Don Kotowski

Runners-Up

Julie Elven

Other Nominations

Kate Higgens

Nakagawa Nami

Sebastien Surel

Outstanding Contribution — Ensemble

ANÚNA

Ireland’s ANÚNA brought a haunting and ethereal atmosphere to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, reminiscent of Mitsuda’s work on Xenogears. It’s no wonder they’ll be featured on the upcoming remastered soundtrack to that very game. -Don Kotowski

Runners-Up

Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra

Other Nominations

Daughter

Hungarian Studio Orchestra

Nashville Scoring Orchestra

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Emily McMillan. Last modified on February 7, 2018.