04 Dec 2012 - Annual Game Music Awards 2012 :: Nominations Announced

SEMO is proud to present the nominees of the Annual Game Music Awards 2012. These panel-voted officially recognised awards provide a thorough and wide-reaching recognition of achievement in game music over the last year.

A panel have determined the nominations of these awards. All panelists are experienced journalists and reviewers with an expert knowledge of the game music industry. The panelists have selected their choices by carefully considering the artistic, entertainment, and functional value of the game music created this year. All game music first released between December 1, 2011 and November 30, 2012 was eligible for consideration. Productions that were first released before December 1, 2011, but have since been localised or re-released were not eligible.

The nominations are listed below. The winners will be announced during the final week of 2012:

1.1. Best Score – Eastern

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Ciel Nosurge
Etrian Odyssey IV
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Ragnarok Odyssey
Resident Evil: Revelations
Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure
Robotics;Notes
SoulCalibur V

1.2. Best Score – Western

AirMech
Borderlands 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Double Dragon: Neon
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Hitman: Absolution
Journey
Mass Effect 3
Skylanders: Giants
Torchlight II

1.3. Best Score – Orchestral / Cinematic

Blade & Soul
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Darksiders II
Kinect: Star Wars
Of Orcs and Men
Resident Evil 6
SoulCalibur V
The Secret World
Torchlight II
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

1.4. Best Score – Contemporary / Alternative

AirMech
Anarchy Reigns
Armored Core V
Binary Domain
Dead or Alive V
Max Payne 3
Painkiller: Hell & Redemption
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Touch My Katamari
Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward

1.5. Best Score – Retro / Remixed

FEZ
Kale in Dinoland
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
Mighty Switch Force!
Nintendo Land
Oracle III
Retro City Rampage
SEGA & All-Stars Racing: Transformed
Spy Hunter
Ys: Foliage Ocean in Celceta

1.6. Best Score – Independent

Awesomenauts
Azkend 2
Dust: An Elysian Tail
Chaos Code
Face Noir
Oh! Samurai Girls! S
Retro / Grade
Skullgirls
Supermagical
Vectros

2.1. Outstanding Achievement – Eastern Composer

Chiyako Fukuda (Asura’s Wrath, .hack//Versus)
Taku Inoue (Touch My Katamari, Tekken Tag Tournament 2)
Noriyuki Kamikura (The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki Evolution, Etrian Odyssey IV Super Arrange Version)
Hideaki Kobayashi (Phantasy Star Online 2, Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure)
Yuzo Koshiro (Etrian Odyssey IV, Tokitowa)
Yoshimi Kudo (Oh! Samurai Girls! S, The Denpa Men)
Naoshi Mizuta (Final Fantasy XIII-2, Final Fantasy XIV)
Hideki Sakamoto (Time Travelers, Shin Kamaitachi no Yoru)
Motoi Sakuraba (Kid Icarus: Uprising, Beyond the Labyrinth)
Akira Yamaoka (Lollipop Chainsaw, Sine Mora)

2.2. Outstanding Achievement – Western Composer

Lorne Balfe (Assassin’s Creed III, Skylanders: Giants)
Russell Brower (Diablo III, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria)
Jake Kaufman (Mighty Switch Force!, Double Dragon: Neon)
Grant Kirkhope (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, CityVille 2)
Jesper Kyd (Darksiders II, Borderlands 2)
Christopher Lennertz (Starhawk, Mass Effect 3)
Daniel Licht (Silent Hill: Downpour, Dishonored)
Jeremy Soule (Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria)
Cris Velasco (Borderlands 2, ZombiU)
Austin Wintory (Journey, Horn)

2.3. Outstanding Achievement – Independent Composer

Jeff Ball (Globulous, Circle of Elders)
Jasper Bryne (Lone Survivor, Hotline Miami)
Jonathan Geer (Azkend 2, Neptune Gasoline)
Jimmy Hinson (Puzzlejuice, Extreme Road Trip 2)
Soshi Hosoi (Sekai no Subete, Maou to Odore! Code:Arcana)
Ryo Mizutsuki (Hatsuyuki Sakura, Rewrite Harvest festa!)
Brendan Ratliff (Pineapple Smash Crew, Gun Runner)
Damian Sanchez (Supermagical, Aby Escape)
OguraHisayoshiOngaSeisakushow (Vectros, COZMO)
onoken (CorpseParty BloodCovered, Zone of the Enders ReMix Edition)

2.4. Outstanding Achievement – Newcomer

Joel Corelitz (The Unfinished Swan)
Neil Davidge (HALO 4)
Daniel Licht (Dishonored)
Tomoki Miyoshi (SoulCalibur V)
Kevin Penkin (Jyuzaengi ~Engetsu Sangokuden~)
Front Line Assembly (AirMech)
Hybrid (Ghost Recon: Future Soldier)
HEALTH (Max Payne 3)
Revo (Bravely Default: Flying Fairy)
Earthbound Papas (Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory)

2.5. Outstanding Contribution – Soloist

Sarah Àlainn (Vocals) – The Final Time Traveler (Time Travelers)
Marty Friedman (Electric Guitar) – Fighting to the End (Bravely Default: Flying Fairy)
Tina Guo (Cello) – The Road of Trials (Journey)
Jem Harding (Piano) – Blood Thirst Concerto (SoulCalibur V)
Norihiko Hibino (Saxophone) – Labyrinth III – Grotto of the Adamantine Beast (Etrian Odyssey IV)
Laurence Juber (Acoustic Guitar) – New Tristram (Diablo III)
Tomoyo Mitami (Vocals) – Furueru Kokoro (Asura’s Wrath)
Dan Monti (Electric Guitar) – Twisted Metal (Twisted Metal)
Kamar De Los Reyes (Vocals) - Niño Precioso (Call of Duty: Black Ops II)
Lisbeth Scott (Vocals) – I Was Born For This (Journey)

2.6. Outstanding Contribution – Ensemble

Boston Cello Quartet – My Quest Begins (Of Orcs and Men)
Earthbound Papas – Fight for the Master! (UnchainBlades Exxiv)
Eminence Symphony Orchestra and Choir – Sacred Dawn (SoulCalibur V)
Gen Ittetsu Strings – Prelude Moving Towards Hope (Bravely Default: Flying Fairy)
Hollywood Studio Orchestra and Soloists – The Final Trial (Horn)
London Symphony Orchestra – Mos Espa Madness (Kinect: Star Wars)
Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra and Chorus – Heart of Pandaria (World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria)
Ojo Rojo – White Knuckle Ride (Painkiller: Hell & Redemption)
Slovak National Symphony Orchestra – Enclave Morning (Torchlight II)
Traditional Japanese Instrumentalists – Clash on the Big Bridge Oriental Mix (Final Fantasy XIII-2)

3.1. Outstanding Achievement – Main Theme

Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Theme from Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier – Future Soldier
Gravity Daze – Gravity Daze
Mass Effect 3 – Leaving Earth
Journey – Nascence
Resistance: Burning Skies – Burning Skies
Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure – Theme of Kaitou R
The Darkness II – The Darkness
Time Travelers – Another Timeline
XCOM: Enemy Unknown – Our Last Hope

3.2. Outstanding Achievement – Vocal Theme

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy – Ballad Moving Towards Hope
Ciel Nosurge – Ahih rei-yah
Dishonored – Honor for All
Guild Wars 2 – Fear Not This Night
Journey – I Was Born For This
Lord of Apocalypse – Shi no Uto
Quantum Conundrum – Flip a Switch
Silent Hill: Book of Memories – Now We’re Free
Skullgirls – In a Moment’s Time
SoulCalibur V – The Breeze at Dawn

3.3. Outstanding Achievement – Licensed Music

FIFA 13
Forza Horizon
Lollipop Chainsaw
Lumines: Electronic Symphony
Need For Speed: Most Wanted
Sleeping Dogs
SSX
The Darkness II
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD
Wipeout 2048

3.4. Outstanding Achievement – Sound Design

Diablo III
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Kid Icarus: Uprising
HALO 4
Hitman: Absolution
Journey
Need For Speed: Most Wanted
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
The Secret World
Uncharted: Golden Abyss

3.5. Outstanding Achievement – Voice Dialogue

Borderlands 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Halo 4
Hitman: Absolution
Lollipop Chainsaw
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Resident Evil 6
Sleeping Dogs
Star Wars: The Old Republic

4.1. Best Album – Arrangement

Eternal Daughter 10th Anniversary Original Soundtrack
Etrian Odyssey IV Super Arrange Version
Final Fantasy XI Vana-Con Anniversary Concert
Final Fantasy XII Piano Collections
Metal Gear 25th Anniversary Music Collection
Okami Goju no Onchou
Piano Opera Final Fantasy I / II / III
Steins;Gate Symphonic Material
Symphonic Odysseys — Tribute to Nobuo Uematsu
The Greatest Video Game Music 2

4.2. Best Album – Remix

Battle SQ
BlackLute -Monster Hunter Guitar Arrange-
Crush 40 Live!
Falcom Boss Zanmai
Keynote -Key Sounds Remix Album-
Rockman 25th Anniversary Rock Arrange Version
Romancing SaGa Battle Arrange -Re:Birth II-
Tekaru Mechanical
The Scythian Steppes: Seven #Sworcery Songs Localised for Japan
Zone of the Enders ReMix Edition

4.3. Best Album – Fan-Arranged

101% Run (Shinesparkers)
A Tribute to Jochen Hippel (Fraggers aus Leidenschaft)
Blast from the Past (S.S.H.)
Euphoric Tears (signum/ii)
Kanto Symphony (Pokémon Reorchestrated)
Hero Musik Vol. 1 (K-Murdock)
Intergalactic Continuum (The OneUps)
MABORO (Sound Holic)
Mega Man X: Maverick Rising (OverClocked ReMix)
Touhou Gensou Shiten 9 -Joker- (Sound Sepher)

4.4. Best Album – Chiptune

FX4 (virt)
In Death a Dream of Color (Brother Android)
mosaic (xyce)
Preschtale (C-jeff)
Roots (Danimal Cannon)
Rhythms ‘n’ Bits
Sans Titre (4mat)
Schism Method (Kurt James Werner)
Soundshock 2 -FM Funk Terrror!!- (Ubiktune)
The Daydream Elevator (bubu)

4.5. Best Album – Original

A Warrior’s Odyssey (Penka Kouneva)
Aria of the Spilled Sand (Haruka Shimotsuki)
Black Ocean (Imeruat)
Circle of Fifth (Shinji Orito)
COZMO Future Disc (ZUNTATA)
Driven’ De:st-ructure2 (fang)
El Viento (George Oldziey)
OneBigAlbum (Various Artists)
ongaku (Jun Wakita)
Songs of Anagura (Takayuki Nakamura)

4.6. Best Album – Compilation

COZMO Limited Edition
Emil Chronicle Online 6th Anniversary Soundtrack
Games Arts Best Collection
History of Sonic 20th Anniversary Edition
Naxat Shooting Collection
Rockman Sound E Can
Shinji Hosoe Works -Dragon Spirit-
Slipstream Volume One
Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set
Streets of Rage Original Soundtrack

5.1. Outstanding Production – Game Developer

343 Industries
Atlus
Blizzard Entertainment
Firaxis Games
Game Freak
Gust Corporation
Namco Bandai Studios
Nihon Falcom
Paradox Interactive
Traveller’s Tales

5.2. Outstanding Production – Game Publisher

Activision Blizzard
Electronic Arts
Konami
Index Corporation
Microsoft Studios
Namco Bandai Games
Nintendo
Sony Computer Entertainment
Square Enix
Ubisoft

5.3. Outstanding Production – Music Studio

Basiscape
Creative Intelligence Arts
GL33k
Elements Garden
Procyon Studio
Remote Control Productions
SOLIDTUNE
Sonic Fuel
Sound AMS
T’s Music

5.4. Outstanding Production – Record Label

Aniplex
Basiscape Records
Key Sounds Label
Konami Digital Entertainment
Square Enix
Sweep Record
Sumthing Else Music Works
Team Entertainment
Wavemaster
Wayô Records

5.5. Outstanding Production – Concert

Dragon Quest Family Classic Concert (August 23, Tokyo)
East meets West – The Symphonic Game Music Concert (November 17, Cologne)
Fantasy Rock Fes 2012 (March 17 – 18, Kawasaki)
Final Fantasy XI 10th Anniversary Orchestra Concert (September 22, Berkeley)
MAGFest X (January 5 – 8, Maryland)
Piano Opera – Music from Final Fantasy (August 11, Tokyo)
Subarashiki Kono Sekai 5th Anniversary Live -Crossover- (November 26, Tokyo)
Symphonic Fantasies Tokyo (January 7, Tokyo)
Video Game Orchestra -Live at Symphony Hall- (October 7, Boston)
Video Games Unplugged: Symphony of Legends (April 12, Melbourne)

5.6. Outstanding Production – Tour

Distant Worlds – Music from Final Fantasy
Dragon Quest in Concert
Monster Hunter Orchestra Concert Tour
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses
Video Games Live