"Persona 5's 'Last Surprise' Scores Grammy Nod, Elevating Game Music"

Jazz orchestra The 8-Bit Big Band’s cover of Last Surprise from Persona 5 has earned a prestigious Grammy nomination! Read on to discover more about this exciting milestone and the artists who brought it to life.

The 8-Bit Big Band Scores Second Grammy Nomination with Persona 5 Battle Theme Cover

The 8-Bit Big Band’s vibrant orchestral jazz reinterpretation of Persona 5's iconic battle theme, Last Surprise, has received a Grammy nomination! This version features Grammy-winning musician Jake Silverman—also known as Button Masher—on synth, alongside vocal and keyboard contributions from Jonah Nilsson of Dirty Loops. The track is nominated under the category "Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals" at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

"This is my fourth consecutive Grammy nomination!" exclaimed Charlie Rosen, leader of The 8-Bit Big Band, in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "Long live video game music!!!" While Rosen has enjoyed success across theater and other musical genres, this marks The 8-Bit Big Band's second Grammy nod—the first being their win in 2022 for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella with their rendition of Meta Knight’s Revenge from Kirby Super Star.

The 8-Bit Big Band’s reimagined Last Surprise will go up against entries from Willow Smith and John Legend, among others, at the 2025 Grammy Awards airing February 2nd.

Persona 5 is renowned for its stylish acid jazz soundtrack composed by Shoji Meguro. Among its many standout tracks, Last Surprise holds a special place in fans’ hearts due to its role as the dungeon battle theme—a constant companion through hours of gameplay inside the game’s mysterious Palaces. Its groovy bassline and infectious riffs have made it one of the most memorable pieces in modern gaming music.

The 8-Bit Big Band’s Grammy-nominated cover pays tribute to the original while adding a fresh twist. The arrangement leans into jazz fusion, a signature style of Jonah Nilsson’s band Dirty Loops. As noted in the music video description, Button Masher was brought in to help "add more advanced harmonic sensibility," further enriching the sound with his expertise.

2025 Grammy Nominations: Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games Revealed

The nominees for the 2025 Grammy Award in the category "Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media" have been officially announced. This year’s 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 Grammy history as the only composer nominated every year since the category’s introduction. Before this, he was recognized for Call of Duty Vanguard in 2023 and the main God of War Ragnarök title in 2024.

The award was first introduced with Stephanie Economou winning for her work on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök. Last year, Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab claimed the prize for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Video game music has always held a unique emotional resonance with players. Covers like The 8-Bit Big Band’s Last Surprise not only honor the legacy of classic game scores but also introduce them to wider audiences through innovative arrangements that bridge generations of music lovers.