The Game Audio Network Guild (G..A.N.G.) have announced the winners for their 19th annual G.A.N.G. Awards. For the second year in a row, the event was streamed live on Twitch.tv and featured a range of new categories. The Awards were co-hosted by composers Rachel Robison and Cody Matthew Johnson. The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment) swept the event, taking home eight awards including Audio of the Year. Music of the Year was, for the second year in a row, bestowed on composer Gordy Haab, this year for his score for Star Wars: Squadrons (Motive Studios, Electronic Arts).
Said Game Audio Network Guild President Brian Schmidt, “This year, we’ve made the largest change to our award show categories in over a decade, expanding the awards in sound design, dialogue and independently developed games, and also expanding our recognition of game soundtrack releases. We are also excited to create a new award highlighting the creative use of audio to make games more accessible to players who may rely primarily on sound to enjoy the world of video games.”
Said G.A.N.G. Executive Director Savina Ciaramella, “Each year the Game Audio Network Guild Awards recognizes excellence in game audio production, which continues to evolve with advanced technologies and a new generation of brilliant minds. Our non-profit organization revolves around networking, education, advocacy, and recognition, and our members range from students to veterans. The G.A.N.G. Awards not only fosters camaraderie among its members, it also recognizes and elevates the outstanding achievements across the entire industry. This is a very special night that we all look forward to, whether virtually or in person.”
Full list of winners and nominees:
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Audio of The Year Cyberpunk 2077 CD Projekt Red
Ghost of Tsushima Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Hades Supergiant Games
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Moon Studios, Xbox Game Studios
The Last of Us Part II – WINNER Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Music of the Year Animal Crossing: New Horizons Music by Yasuaki Iwata, Yumi Takahashi, Shinobu Nagata, Sayako Doi, & Masato Ohashi Nintendo
Final Fantasy VII Remake Music by Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki, & Nobuo Uematsu Square Enix
Hades Music by Darren Korb Supergiant Games
Metamorphosis Music by Mikolai Stroinski & Garry Schyman Ovid Works, All In! Games
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Music by Gareth Coker Moon Studios, Xbox Game Studios
Star Wars: Squadrons – WINNER Music by Gordy Haab Motive Studios, Electronic Arts
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Sound Design of the Year (TIE)
Ghost of Tsushima – WINNER Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us Part II – WINNER Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Half-Life: Alyx Valve
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Moon Studios, Xbox Game Studios
Paper Mario: The Origami King Intelligent Systems, Nintendo
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Dialogue of the Year Ghost of Tsushima Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Hades Supergiant Games
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope Supermassive Games, Bandai Namco
The Last of Us Part II – WINNER Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Cyberpunk 2077 CD Projekt Red |
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Best Audio for an Indie Game Evergate Stone Lantern Games, PQube
Hades – WINNER Supergiant Games
Lost Words: Beyond The Page Sketchbook Games, Fourth State, Modus Games
No Straight Roads Metronomik, Sold Out Ltd.
The Pathless Giant Squid, Annapurna Interactive
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem Wolcen Studio
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Best Music for an Indie Game Evergate Music by M.R. Miller Stone Lantern Games, PQube
Hades Music by Darren Korb Supergiant Games
Metamorphosis Music by Mikolai Stroinski & Garry Schyman Ovid Works, All In! Games
Mythgard Music by John Robert Matz Rhino Games
The Pathless – WINNER Music by Austin Wintory Giant Squid, Annapurna Interactive
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem Music by Jean-Gabriel Raynaud & Cedric Baravaglio Wolcen Studio
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Best Sound Design for an Indie Game
Hades – WINNER Supergiant Games
Liquidators 1986 CL3
Carrion Phobia Game Studio, Devolver Digital
Mortal Shell Cold Symmetry, Playstack
Risk of Rain 2 Hopoo Games, PlayEveryWare
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem Wolcen Studio |
Best Dialogue for an Indie Game
3 out of 10 Terrible Posture Games
Bugsnax Young Horses
Hades – WINNER Supergiant Games
Lost Words: Beyond The Page Sketchbook Games, Fourth State, Modus Games
Mortal Shell Cold Symmetry, Playstack
The Red Lantern Timberline Studio |
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Creative and Technical Achievement in Music A Total War Saga: Troy Creative Assembly
Ghost of Tsushima – WINNER Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sackboy: A Big Adventure Sumo Digital, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us Part II Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Pathless Giant Squid, Annapurna Interactive |
Best Main Theme Animal Crossing: New Horizons – “Main Theme” – WINNER Music by Kazumi Totaka Nintendo
Biped – “Biped Theme” Music by Thomas Parisch NExT Studios, META Publishing, Bilibili
Ghost of Tsushima – “The Way of the Ghost (feat. Clare Uchima)” Music by Ilan Eshkeri Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Lost Words: Beyond The Page Music by David Housden Sketchbook Games, Fourth State, Modus Games
Star Wars: Squadrons – “Main Theme” Music by Gordy Haab Motive Studios, Electronic Arts
The Pathless – “None Have Returned” Music by Austin Wintory Giant Squid, Annapurna Interactive
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Best Original Song Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition – “Bury the Light” Music by Casey Edwards CAPCOM
Ghost of Tsushima – “The Way of the Ghost (feat. Clare Uchima)” Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Hades – “In The Blood” Music by Darren Korb Supergiant Games
League of Legends – K/DA – “MORE” – WINNER Music by Rebecca Johnson, Sebastien Najand, Riot Music Team, & Bekuh BOOM Performed by (G)I-DLE, Jaira Burns, K/DA, Lexie Liu, Madison Beer, Seraphine Riot Games
The Good Life – “The Good Life” Music by The Bad Lives
The Pathless – “A land, which was not my Own” Music by Austin Wintory Giant Squid, Annapurna Interactiv |
Best Original Soundtrack Album Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Music by Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner, & Einar Selvik Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft
GODFALL Music by Ben MacDougall Counterplay Games, Gearbox Publishing
Hades Music by Darren Korb Supergiant Games
Mythgard – WINNER Music by John Robert Matz Rhino Games
Sackboy Music by Joe Thwaites, Jay Waters, Nick Foster, Lena Raine, George King, Brian d’Oliveira, Glen Brown, Winifred Philips, Jim Fowler, Opiuo, 2 Mello, & Tokyo Machine Sumo Digital, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Pathless Music by Austin Wintory Giant Squid, Annapurna Interactive |
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Best Game Music Cover or Remix Cuphead – “Closing Credits” – Live at MAGfest ConSoul
Grandia – “Symphonic Tale: An Unforgettable Journey (Music from Grandia)” Kentaro Sato
Kingdom Hearts III – “Face My Fears” ROZEN + REVEN Ori and the Will of the Wisps – “Main Theme” Jillian Aversa & Andrew Aversa
Witcher 3 – “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher… but it’s Witcher 3” Colm McGuinness
Banjo-Kazooie – “嘘でしょ！コンビは熊と鳥！？(It Can’t Be True! A Bear and a Bird Working Together?!)” – WINNER Jeff Penny |
Creative and Technical Achievement in Sound Design Ghost of Tsushima Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Final Fantasy VII Remake Square Enix
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope Supermassive Games, Bandai Namco
The Last of Us Part II – WINNER Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Moon Studios, Xbox Game Studios |
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Best UI, Reward, or Objective Sound Design Animal Crossing: New Horizons – WINNER Nintendo
Ghost of Tsushima Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Hades Supergiant Games
Hearthstone: Madness at the Darkmoon Faire Blizzard Entertainment
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us Part II Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Best Game Foley Ghost of Tsushima – WINNER Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Final Fantasy VII Remake Square Enix
Half-Life: Alyx Valve
Mafia: Definitive Edition Hangar 13, 2K Games
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us Part II Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment |
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Best Voice Performance Ghost of Tsushima – Jin – WINNER Performed by Kazuya Nakai Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
League of Legends – Fiddlesticks Performed by Kellen Goff Riot Games
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Miles Morales Performed by Nadji Jeter Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last Light – Kayah Performed by Jan Johns Magic Leap Studios
The Last of Us Part II – Abby Performed by Laura Bailey Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us Part II – Ellie Performed by Ashley Johnson Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Best Ensemble Cast Performance 3 out of 10 Terrible Posture Games
Bugsnax Young Horses
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Tell Me Why DONTNOD Entertainment, Xbox Game Studios
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope Supermassive Giants, Bandai Namco
The Last of Us Part II – WINNER Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment |
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Best Non-Humanoid Performance Bugsnax – WINNER Young Horses
Call of Duty: Mobile TiMi Studios, Tencent Games, Activision
Half-Life: Alyx Valve
League of Legends Riot Games
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Moon Studios, Xbox Game Studios
The Last of Us Part II Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Best Audio for a Casual or Social Game Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo
Call of Duty: Mobile TiMi Studios, Activision, Tencent Games
Game for Peace: Meteor Crisis – WINNER Lightspeed & Quantum Studios, Tencent Games
Hearthstone Blizzard Entertainment
Honor of Kings TiMi Studios, Tencent Games
Legends of Runeterra Riot Games |
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Excellence in Audio Accessibility Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo
Ghost of Tsushima Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Hades Supergiant Games
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us Part II – WINNER Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Best Cinematic Cutscene Audio Final Fantasy VII Remake – WINNER Square Enix
Ghost of Tsushima Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Half-Life: Alyx Valve
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us Part II Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Blizzard Entertainment |
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Best New Original IP Audio Cyberpunk 2077 CD Projekt Red
Ghost of Tsushima – WINNER Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Little Orpheus The Chinese Room, Sumo Digital
Mythgard Rhino Games
No Straight Roads Metronomik, Sold Out Ltd., Game Source Entertainment, Mastertronic Group
The Pathless Giant Squid, Annapurna Interactive |
Best Game Audio Article or Publication Journal of Sound and Music in Games Volume 1 Society for the Study of Sound and Music in Games, University of California Press
The Frequencies of Folklore Riot Games
The Game Audio Strategy Guide: A Practical Course Serial Lab Studios, Routledge
The Last of Us Part II Sound Interview – WINNER A Sound Effect, Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment
VR Video Games and Music Composition: an Interview with Skew Sound Andrew G. Cheek |
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Best Game Audio Presentation, Podcast, or Broadcast Frequencies – League of Legends Audio Deep Dive Riot Games, GameSoundCon 2020
From Assassin’s Creed to the Dark Eye: The Importance of Themes Winifred Phillips, GDC 2020
How to Get Hired a Second Time – WINNER Jesse Harlin, GameSoundCon 2020
The Creative Process Tom Salta Masterclass
How to Write One Minute of Music – The Pathless Austin Wintory
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Best Physical Soundtrack Release Final Fantasy VII [Vinyl] Square Enix
Ghost of Tsushima Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Milan Records
Ori and Will of the Wisps Moon Studios, Xbox Game Studios, iam8bit
The Last of Us Part II Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Masterworks, Mondo
The Music of Destiny, Volume II Collector’s Edition Vinyl Box Set – WINNER Bungie Inc.
The Pathless Giant Squid, Annapurna Interactive, iam8bit |
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Best Game Trailer Audio Cyberpunk 2077 – WINNER CD Projekt Red
Destiny 2: Beyond Light Bungie Inc.
Hades Supergiant Games, Studio Grackle
Half-Life: Alyx Valve
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin Edelweiss, Marvelous Interactive Inc., XSEED Games
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Cinematic Trailer Blizzard Entertainment Inc. |
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Best Audio Mix was awarded to The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, Sony Interactive Entertainment), Excellence in VR Audio went to three recipients including The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (Skydance Interactive), Half-Life: Alyx, (Valve), and The Last Light (Magic Leap).
The Game Audio Network Guild Recognition Award was given to composer Wilbert Roget, II (Mortal Kombat 11, Call of Duty WWII), and the organization’s Distinguished Service Award went to composer Cody Matthew Johnson, whose music can be heard in games such as Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5. Game audio veteran Guy Whitmore, currently Studio Head at Formosa Interactive Seattle, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The show featured performances by Úyanga Bold, Rob Kovacs (88bit), and Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett.