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BioShock Sweeps Game Audio Awards
by Leigh Alexander
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February 29, 2008
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The Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), a non-profit organization supporting the game audio industry, has announced the winners of its 6th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards, which honor outstanding creative, technical and artistic audio achievement in games.
BioShock won a total of 8 awards, succeeding in every category in which it was nominated. Additionally, industry veteran Brian Schmidt was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Schmidt is best known for his audio work in games such as Madden Football, Desert Strike, Star Wars Trilogy and Crue Ball. In 1998, Brian left freelance audio for Microsoft, where he set the direction for game audio technologies for Windows and Xbox for the next decade.
Finally, G.A.N.G. member Nathan Rain Schwartz was awarded a $10,000 scholarship to Expressions College, which offers a game audio curriculum at their Emeryville, CA campus.
The winners were voted upon and judged by the game audio industry and members of G.A.N.G. They were announced at the G.A.N.G. Awards ceremony held in San Francisco, CA during the Game Developers Conference and are listed below by category.
AUDIO OF THE YEAR
BioShock
MUSIC OF THE YEAR
BioShock
SOUND DESIGN OF THE YEAR
BioShock
BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
God of War II
BEST INTERACTIVE SCORE
BioShock
BEST HANDHELD AUDIO
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
BEST AUDIO – OTHER
Jewel Quest II
BEST CINEMATIC/CUT-SCENE AUDIO
BioShock
BEST DIALOGUE
BioShock
BEST ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTAL
"Welcome To Rapture" – BioShock
BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL – CHORAL
"Main Titles" – God of War II
BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL – POP
"Still Alive" – Portal
BEST USE OF LICENSED MUSIC
BioShock
BEST ARRANGEMENT OF A NON-ORIGINAL SCORE
Simpsons Game
BEST GAME AUDIO ARTICLE, PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST
"The World of Game Composing" – Film Music Magazine
MOST INNOVATIVE USE OF AUDIO
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2
(Audio controlling graphics & physics engine)
BEST USE OF MULTI-CHANNEL SURROUND IN A GAME
Halo 3
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (TIE)
Austin Wintory (composer - flOw)
Tomas Neumann (audio programmer - Crysis)
STUDENT/APPRENTICE CONTEST WINNERS
Mike "Skitch" Schichiano (music)
Mikkel Eskessen (sound design)
G.A.N.G. RECOGNITION AWARDS
Russell Brower (audio director & composer - Blizzard Entertainment)
Rod Abernathy (composer - Dead Head Fred)
Michael "Piano Squall" Gluck (Piano Squall album and charity work)
G.A.N.G. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Sean Beeson
Jerry Lyons
Chance Thomas
Becky Young
G.A.N.G./EXPRESSIONS SCHOLARSHIP
Nathan Rain Schwartz
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Brian Schmidt
BioShock composer Garry Schymann said, "Every now and again, life provides one of those great moments of satisfaction for which words are really inadequate to describe. Being honored by my friends and colleagues at this year's G.A.N.G awards was one of those moments. It was a very moving evening for me and I will always be grateful to G.A.N.G. and everyone who considered my score for BioShock worthy of these honors. I get to look at the trophies every day now, and that is very humbling and amazing!"
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