They say it's an honor just to be nominated, but in the case of "Baba Yetu", it's also a slap in the face.
Last week, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences nominated Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu", Civilization 4's menu theme, for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists, but don't get too excited. The organization didn't suddenly come to its senses and decide to start honoring video-game music. It's nod is a result of Tin using "Baba Yetu" as the first track on his 2009 album Calling All Dawns (also up for an award).
[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJiHDmyhE1A ]
The Grammys still isn't recognizing video-game music as part of the industry, despite the significant number of bizarre categories it celebrates each year.
Calling All Dawns is a collection of 12 songs, each sung in a different language with "Baba Yetu"'s Swahili vocals leading the album. Both the song and concept are worthy of honors, but these nominations are sending mixed signals.
It's doubtful the members who voted to nominate "Baba Yetu" are aware of its origins as a video-game track, just as it's doubtful they managed to listen to every pop song released last year before choosing the supposed best. That means this nomination isn't a victory for video-game music but an example of how the rest of the music industry ignores our relatively young medium.
Christopher Tin
This snubbing doesn't make much sense, though, considering the number of obscure categories the Grammy Awards honor. Calling All Dawns is up for Best Classical Crossover Album, but the organization also gives Grammys for Best Spoken Word Album, Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, Best Hawaiian Music Album…. They even awarded one (and only one) Best Disco Album back in 1980. If the Academy is willing to dole out honors for niche genres, cover art, and dance crazes, why can't we have at least one general category for all video-game music?
Critics have denounced the Grammys for years claiming it grants too many awards and doesn't honor deserving achievements in the industry. Maynard James Keenan, lead singer of Tool, described the event as "nothing more than some gigantic promotional machine for the music industry." Of course, the band won three Grammys and several other nominations. Maynard can act like he doesn't care, but I'm sure the publicity helped his career in one way or another.
The Academy might have expanded its show into an annual spectacle by killing time with superfluous awards, but in this case, it doesn't matter if those honors mean anything. The publicity is all that really matters. Unfortunately, it seems the only way video-game music can receive the recognition it deserves is for it to crossover onto other platforms, ridding the music of the context that makes it relevant in the first place.
If we're lucky, we might just see the Grammy Award for Best Video-Game Soundtrack someday. If we do, I'm sure we'll all yell at our TVs about how ridiculous the nominees are and how undeserving the winner is, but at least the world will know video-game music is something worth getting worked up over.