The British Academy Video Games Award for Music is an award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is given to recognize "excellence in composition for a game music score, through original music and/or creative use of licensed track". The award is given to the composers/development team, the developer and the publisher of the winning game.
The award was first presented at the 1st British Academy Games Awards under the name Original Music. From the 3rd edition to the 7th, the category was named Original Score. It returned to its original name from the 8th to the 10th editions. Since the 11th edition it is presented under its current name. Santa Monica Studio and Sony Interactive Entertainment are the most awarded developer and publisher, with three and eight wins respectively. Among developers, Ubisoft Montreal holds the record for most nominations and most nominations without a win, with seven, while Xbox Game Studios is the most nominated publisher without a win, with nine. Bear McCreary, Keith Leary and Peter Scaturro are the only composers to win two BAFTA awards in this category, winning together for their work on the God of War franchise. Jesper Kyd and Lorne Balfe are the only composers with two nominations who have yet to win.
BAFTA presented earlier games-related music and sound categories at the BAFTA Interactive Awards before the later BAFTA Games Awards format.https://www.bafta.org/awards/interactive/music-interactive/
As well as his three nominations at the Games Awards, James Hannigan is also credited by BAFTA with two earlier Music nominations at the BAFTA Interactive Awards in 2000, for Theme Park World and FA Premier League Football Manager 1999, taking his total BAFTA-recognised music nominations to five.https://www.bafta.org/awards/interactive/music-interactive/ He also shared recognition in the 2000 Interactive Award for Sound for Theme Park World with Bullfrog Productions; the category at the time encompassed both sound and music.https://www.bafta.org/awards/interactive/sound-interactive/
The current holders of the award are Toma Otowa, Peter Scaturro, and Keith Leary, the composers of Ghost of Yōtei by Sucker Punch Productions and Sony Interactive Entertainment, which won at the 22nd British Academy Games Awards in 2026.
Winners and nominees In the following table, the years are listed as per BAFTA convention, and generally correspond to the year of game release in the United Kingdom. + Table keyIndicates the winner YearGameComposer(s)Developer(s)Publisher(s)2002/03 (1st) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Jeremy Soule Argonaut Electronic Arts Command & Conquer: Generals Bill Brown and Mikael Sandgren EA Pacific EA Games Primal Paul Arnold, Andrew Barnabas and 16Volt SCE Studio Cambridge Sony Computer Entertainment Republic: The Revolution James Hannigan Elixir Studios Eidos Interactive TimeSplitters 2 Graeme Norgate Free Radical Design Return to Castle Wolfenstein Bill Brown Gray Matter Studios Activision2003/04 (2nd) Hitman: Contracts Jesper Kyd IO Interactive Eidos Interactive Evil Genius James Hannigan Elixir Studios Sierra Entertainment Fable Danny Elfman and Russell Shaw Big Blue Box Studios and Lionhead Studios Microsoft Game Studios Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone Robb Mills Stormfront Studios and Zono Atari Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Jeremy Soule Griptonite Games, KnowWonder and EA UK Electronic Arts Rome: Total War Jeff van Dyck The Creative Assembly Sega2005/06 (3rd) Tomb Raider: Legend Troels Brun Folmann Crystal Dynamics Eidos Interactive Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Koichi Sugiyama Level-5 Square Enix LocoRoco Nobuyuki Shimizu and Kemmei Adachi Japan Studio Sony Computer Entertainment Shadow of the Colossus Kow Otani Japan Studio and Team Ico The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Jeremy Soule Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks The Movies Daniel Pemberton Lionhead Studios Activision2006/07 (4th) Ōkami Masami Ueda, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Rei Kondoh and Akari Groves Clover Studio Capcom Final Fantasy XII Hitoshi Sakimoto, Hayato Matsuo and Masaharu Iwata Square Enix God of War II Gerard Marino, Ron Fish, Mike Reagan and Cris Velasco Santa Monica Studio Sony Computer Entertainment Lair John Debney Factor 5 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Toru Minegishi, Asuka Ohta Nintendo EAD Nintendo Viva Piñata Grant Kirkhope Rare Microsoft Game Studios2007/08 (5th) Dead Space Jason Graves, Don Veca Visceral Games Electronic Arts Assassin's Creed Jesper Kyd Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Fable II Danny Elfman, Russell Shaw Lionhead Studios Microsoft Game Studios Fallout 3 Inon Zur Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks LittleBigPlanet Kenneth C M Young, Mat Clark, Daniel Pemberton Media Molecule Sony Computer Entertainment Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Harry Gregson-Williams, Nobuko Toda, Shuichi Kobori, Kazuma Jinnouchi Konami2009 (6th) Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Greg Edmonson, Carmen Rizzo Naughty Dog Sony Computer Entertainment Assassin's Creed II Jesper Kyd Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Batman: Arkham Asylum Nick Arundel, Ron Fish Rocksteady Studios Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Lorne Balfe, Hans Zimmer Infinity Ward Activision Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince James Hannigan EA Bright Light Studio Electronic Arts PixelJunk Shooter High Frequency, Bandwidth, Alex Paterson, Dom Beken Q-Games and Double Eleven Q-Games2010 (7th) Heavy Rain Normand Corbeil Quantic Dream Sony Computer Entertainment Alan Wake Petri Alanko Remedy Entertainment Microsoft Game Studios Fable III Russell Shaw Lionhead Studios James Bond 007: Blood Stone Richard Jacques Bizarre Creations Activision Mass Effect 2 Jack Wall, Jimmy Hinson, Sam Hulick, David Kates BioWare Electronic Arts Super Mario Galaxy 2 Mahito Yokota, Ryo Nagamatsu, Koji Kondo Nintendo EAD Tokyo Nintendo2011 (8th) L.A. Noire Andrew Hale, Simon Hale Team Bondi Rockstar Games Assassin's Creed: Revelations Jesper Kyd, Lorne Balfe Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Batman: Arkham City Nick Arundel, Ron Fish Rocksteady Studios Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Greg Edmonson Naughty Dog Sony Computer Entertainment Deus Ex: Human Revolution Michael McCann Eidos Montréal Square Enix The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Jeremy Soule Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks2012 (9th) Journey Austin Wintory thatgamecompany Sony Computer Entertainment Diablo III Russell Brower, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford Blizzard Entertainment Assassin's Creed III Lorne Balfe Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Thomas Was Alone David Housden Mike Bithell The Unfinished Swan Joel Corelitz Giant Sparrow and Santa Monica Studio Sony Computer Entertainment The Walking Dead Jared Emerson-Johnson Telltale Games2013 (10th) BioShock Infinite James Bonney and Garry Schyman Irrational Games 2K Games Tearaway Kenneth C M Young and Brian D'Oliveira Tarsier Studios and Media Molecule Sony Computer Entertainment The Last of Us Gustavo Santaolalla Naughty Dog Beyond: Two Souls Lorne Balfe Quantic Dream Super Mario 3D World Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo Nintendo EAD Tokyo and 1-Up Studio Nintendo Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Brian Tyler and Aldo Sampaio Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft2014 (11th) Far Cry 4 Cliff Martinez, Tony Gronick and Jerome Angelot Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Alien: Isolation* The Creative Assembly Sega The Banner Saga Austin Wintory Stoic Versus Evil Fantasia: Music Evolved Inon Zur Disney Interactive Studios and Harmonix Music Systems Disney Interactive Studios Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Garry Schyman, Nathan Grigg Monolith Productions Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment The Sailor's Dream* Simogo2015 (12th) Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Jessica Curry The Chinese Room and Santa Monica Studio Sony Computer Entertainment Assassin's Creed Syndicate Austin Wintory, Tripod and Bear McCreary Ubisoft Quebec Ubisoft Batman: Arkham Knight Nick Arundel and David Buckley Rocksteady Studios Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Fallout 4 Inon Zur Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks Halo 5: Guardians Kazuma Jinnouchi, Nobuko Toda and Peter Cobbin 343 Industries Microsoft Studios Ori and the Blind Forest Gareth Coker Moon Studios2016 (13th) Virginia Lyndon Holland Variable State 505 Games Doom Mick Gordon, Chris Hite, Chad Mossholder id Software Bethesda Softworks Abzû Austin Wintory Giant Squid Studios 505 Games Inside Martin Stig Andersen, Søs Gunver Ryberg Playdead The Last Guardian Takeshi Furukawa Japan Studio and GenDesign Sony Interactive Entertainment Uncharted 4 Henry Jackman, Jonathan Mayer, Scott Hanau Naughty Dog2017 (14th) Cuphead Kristofer Maddigan StudioMDHR Entertainment Inc. Get Even* The Farm 51 Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice David Garcia Diaz, Andy LaPlegua Ninja Theory Horizon Zero Dawn* Guerrilla Games Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* Nintendo EPD Nintendo What Remains of Edith Finch Jeff Russo Giant Sparrow Annapurna Interactive2018 (15th) God of War Bear McCreary, Keith Leary, Peter Scaturro Santa Monica Studio Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Celeste Lena Raine Matt Makes Games Far Cry 5* Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Florence* Mountains Annapurna Interactive Gris* Nomada Studio Devolver Digital Tetris Effect Hydelic, Noboru Mutoh, Takako Ishida Monstars and Resonair Enhance Games2019 (16th) Disco Elysium British Sea Power ZA/UM Control Petri Alanko, Martin Stig Andersen Remedy Entertainment 505 Games Death Stranding Ludvig Forssell, Peter Scaturro, Keith Leary Kojima Productions Sony Interactive Entertainment Outer Wilds* Mobius Digital Annapurna Interactive The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening* Grezzo Nintendo Wattam Asuka Takahashi, Brad Fotsch, Sam Bird Funomena Annapurna Interactive2020 (17th) Spider-Man: Miles Morales John Paesano, Scott Hanau, Alex Hackford Insomniac Games Sony Interactive Entertainment Ghost of Tsushima Ilan Eshkeri, Shigeru Umebayashi, Peter Scaturro Sucker Punch Productions Sony Interactive Entertainment The Last of Us Part II Gustavo Santaolalla, Mac Quayle, Scott Hanau Naughty Dog Sackboy: A Big Adventure Jay Waters, Joe Thwaites, Joanna Skorupa Sumo Digital Hades Darren Korb Supergiant Games Ori and the Will of the Wisps Gareth Coker Moon Studios Xbox Game Studios2021 (18th) Returnal Bobby Krlic, Joe Thwaites, Harry Krueger Housemarque Sony Interactive Entertainment Deathloop Tom Salta, Erich Talaba, Ross Tregenza Arkane Studios Bethesda Softworks Far Cry 6* Ubisoft Toronto Ubisoft Halo Infinite Gareth Coker, Joel Corelitz, Curtis Schweitzer 343 Industries Xbox Game Studios Psychonauts 2 Peter McConnell Double Fire Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Scott Hanau, Wataru Hokoyama, Mark Mothersbaugh Insomniac Games Sony Interactive Entertainment2022 (19th) God of War Ragnarök Bear McCreary, Keith Leary, Peter Scaturro Santa Monica Sony Interactive Entertainment Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course Kristofer Maddigan Studio MDHR Elden Ring* FromSoftware Bandai Namco A Plague Tale: Requiem Olivier Deriviere Asobo Focus Stray* BlueTwelve Annapurna Interactive Tunic Lifeformed, Janice Kwan Finji2023 (20th) Baldur's Gate 3 Borislav Slavov Larian Studios Alan Wake 2 Remedy Entertainment Epic Games Assassin's Creed Mirage Ubisoft Bordeaux Ubisoft Marvel's Spider-Man 2 John Paesano, Scott Hanau, Keith Leary Insomniac Games Sony Interactive Entertainment Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Gordy Haab, Stephen Barton Respawn Entertainment Electronic Arts The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo2024