The opening theme to Civilization IV took home videogame music's first ever Grammy award last night.

"Baba Yetu," a stirring piece featuring a gospel choir singing in Swahili, was originally featured in the 2005 real-time strategy game and is featured in the Video Games Live concert tour. This past year, a version of the song was used on composer Christopher Tin's debut solo album Calling All Dawns.

Sunday night at the Grammys, it won the "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists" award. The album won "Best Classical Crossover Album."

Video Games Live is hailing this as a watershed moment for videogame music, which it certainly is. I just doubt would have received the same accolades had it only been released on the Video Games Live soundtrack CDs, and not on an album otherwise unrelated to gaming. In the eyes of the world, the label of "videogame music" still seems like an albatross hung around the neck of some excellent work.

Regardless, "Baba Yetu" is a standout piece of music – always one of the highlights of Tommy Tallarico's concerts, for me – and richly deserving of the award.