The 8-Bit Big Band’s jazz rendition of Persona 5’s iconic battle theme, "Last Surprise," has earned a prestigious Grammy nomination. This thrilling news showcases the immense talent behind the cover, featuring Grammy Award-winning musician Jake Silverman, known professionally as Button Masher, on synth, and Jonah Nilsson, keyboardist and vocalist for the band Dirty Loops, on vocals. The track is nominated in the "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals" category at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
The 8-Bit Big Band's leader, Charlie Rosen, celebrated the nomination on Twitter (X), exclaiming, "Just nominated for my 4th Grammy IN A ROW!!! LONG LIVE VIDEO GAME MUSIC!!!" This marks the band's second Grammy nomination, following their win in 2022 for "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella" for their cover of "Meta Knight’s Revenge" from Kirby Super Star.
The cover of "Last Surprise" will compete against notable artists like Willow Smith and John Legend in the same category at the upcoming awards on February 2nd, 2025.
Persona 5 is renowned for its acid jazz soundtrack, composed by Shoji Meguro. The battle theme, "Last Surprise," stands out as a fan favorite, energizing players through countless hours of battling in the game's dungeons, known as Palaces. Its lively bassline and infectious riffs have cemented its place in gaming culture.
The 8-Bit Big Band's rendition of "Last Surprise" pays tribute to the original while infusing it with jazz fusion elements, a signature style of Jonah Nilsson's band, Dirty Loops. The cover enhances the song's allure, with Button Masher's advanced harmonic sensibility adding depth to the track.
2025 Grammy Nominations for Best Video Game Score Announced
The Grammy Awards have also revealed the nominees for the "Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media" category. The list includes:
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, composed by Pinar Toprak
- God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, composed by Bear McCreary
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, composed by John Paesano
- Star Wars Outlaws, composed by Wilbert Roget, II
- Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, composed by Winifred Phillips
Bear McCreary continues to make history as the only composer nominated every year since the category's inception. His previous nominations were for Call of Duty Vanguard in 2023 and the base game of God of War Ragnarök in 2024.
The category was first won by Stephanie Economou for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, and last year, Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab took home the award for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Video game music continues to resonate deeply with fans, and innovative covers like The 8-Bit Big Band's demonstrate how these classic compositions can inspire fresh interpretations, reaching and engaging new audiences.
