The Best Soundtracks at The Game Awards

Every December, the Game Awards celebrate the talent and creativity of the video game industry. Among the most notable categories, Best Original Score holds a special place. It rewards compositions that enhance a universe, amplify emotion, and leave a lasting impression on players. In this article, we look back at the most awarded soundtracks in the history of the ceremony, those that have gone beyond simple musical accompaniment to become true works of art in their own right. Let’s dive into these scores that have shaped the sound identity of modern video games.

When it comes to soundtracks, the Final Fantasy franchise is no slouch. Indeed, its opuses have received numerous nominations over the years at various ceremonies. The years 2020, 2023, and 2024 are no exception: in each case, an episode of this franchise was awarded the prize for best soundtrack. Thus, in order, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth have already taken gold in this category. The company has a second franchise that has won this prestigious title twice, in 2017 and 2021: NieR, with both NieR: Automata and NieR: Replicant.

Death Stranding is a unique game, at the crossroads of science fiction, human drama, and contemplation. Hideo Kojima has imagined a fragmented world where isolation has become the norm. This unique atmosphere owes much to its soundtrack, a subtle blend of Ludvig Forssell’s immersive compositions and melancholic tracks by artists such as Low Roar and CHVRCHES. These tracks, often triggered at key moments, transform each journey into a memorable emotional experience, making the music a narrative element in its own right and one of the game’s most powerful signatures. Death Stranding won the award for Best Soundtrack of 2019.

On a completely different note, there’s God of War: Ragnarök in 2022. It continues the mythological epic of Kratos and Atreus with masterful intensity, combining titanic battles, deep emotions, and exploration of Norse worlds that are richer than ever. This narrative scope is strongly supported by Bear McCreary’s soundtrack, whose powerful and deeply orchestrated themes accompany every key moment. Between ancestral choirs, rumbling percussion, and emotionally charged melodies, the soundtrack reinforces both the tension of the confrontations and the vulnerability of the characters. It becomes an essential vehicle for immersion, giving the game an unforgettable sound identity and an emotional impact that goes far beyond the screen. It’s worth noting that God of War: Ragnarök also won the award for Best Original Score in 2022 at The Game Awards.

While all the games mentioned so far are recent, we will now go back to the beginnings of The Game Awards as we know them today, i.e. 2014. During that edition, Destiny won the award for Best Original Score. The following two years saw Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Doom take home the gold. Finally, there’s 2018, which we haven’t mentioned yet in this article. It was during this year that a very big game was released, propelling its license to another level… We are talking about Red Dead Redemption 2. While this game needs no introduction, its soundtrack is one of the best ever created. It was composed by Woody Jackson and enriched by artists such as D’Angelo, Rhiannon Giddens, and Willie Nelson. Between melancholic instrumental themes and songs triggered at key narrative moments, the music accompanies the fall of a world and the torments of Arthur Morgan with striking accuracy.

These award-winning soundtracks from the Game Awards make one thing clear: music plays an essential role in the gaming experience. Whether accompanying an action scene, emphasizing emotion, or shaping the identity of a world, music becomes a narrative driver in its own right, capable of leaving a lasting impression on players. Looking back at these award-winning soundtracks, we can see how video game music has become a major, influential art form, more celebrated than ever before.

See you at the Game Awards 2025 to find out who will be the next winner in this category!