Austin Wintory
Birth dateSeptember 9, 1984 (age 42)
Birth placeDenver, Colorado, U.S.
Genreclassical rock, electronic rock
OccupationComposer, conductor
Years active2002–present
SpouseAngela Bermúdez (m. 2024)
WebsiteOfficial website

Austin Wintory (born September 9, 1984) is an American composer for film and video games.[1] He is known for scoring the video games Flow and Journey, the latter of which made history as the only video game soundtrack to date to be nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.[2][3]

Early life

Austin Wintory was born in Denver, Colorado in 1984 and started learning piano when he was ten years old,[4] after his teacher introduced him to composer Jerry Goldsmith. Before the age of ten, Wintory did not play any instruments and barely listened to music.[5] By the age of sixteen, Wintory started writing for and conducting the Cherry Creek High School Orchestra during their performances of the "Spirit of the Cosmos" pieces. Two years later, at the age of eighteen, Wintory conducted the Utah Symphony during its recording of "Cosmos", which became one of his most popular projects, although he refers to it as "atrocious garbage".[5] Since 2003, Wintory has composed over three hundred musical scores.[5]

Career

Beginning of game composing career and Flow

Wintory met Jenova Chen while both attended the University of Southern California (USC).[6] After networking with an interactive media student at USC and scoring a small game project, his name was passed along to Chen, who asked Wintory to score his thesis project, Flow,[6] later re-released on PlayStation Network. Wintory, Chen and Nick Clarke developed the first version of Flow as a three-man team, with Wintory remarking that Chen had an incredible way of processing information, seeing far beyond code and reaching into the emotional implications of things.[6] As a traditional orchestral student at the time, Wintory considered the music of Flow was radically unlike any he had written before.[6] Wintory regards the pink area of the game, where the player controls a jellyfish-like creature, as the humorous area of the game, describing his music for it as almost "circus-like" compared to the overall soundtrack.[6]

Monaco

Originally, Monaco developer Andy Schatz sought out licensed music as a backdrop to the game's setting, feeling that the style of music needed was too esoteric to hire a composer. Wintory, however, was able to convince Schatz that he could create an original score that fit the project's vision. Likening 2D sprite-based games to the silent film era, Wintory agreed with the notion that the soundtrack to a game like Monaco should have an earnest yet self-aware nostalgic feeling, stating "There's no way to just objectively listen to that style of music without automatically being like 'This reminds me of a bygone era.'"[6] Wintory was excited at the chance to create an old-timey score with wit and humor, stating "when else am I ever going to be asked to write anything remotely like this?"[6]

Other works

Wintory will compose the music and conduct a live orchestra for a touring BAFTA Games in Concert, to start in 2026 and featuring music from winners of the British Academy Games Awards.[7]

Works

Film and TV

YearFilm
2004Nuts & Bolts
One Three Zero
Blind Visions
Man Child
Alter Ego
Love Parade
2005It's About Ugliness
Not Too Long Ago
We Gonna Get Ronald Kim
Keepsakes
Painting Ava
New York
TAG
2006Vollarians, Unite!
Oleg's Overcoat
Long After...
The Sunset Sky
Project: Illegal Alien
Happy Days
The Good Man
The Late Bloomer
Confessions
The Proposal
The Professor's Daughter
Johnny Montana
2007Mr. Sadman
Captain Abu Raed
If You Could Have
Back Soon
Serpent and the Sun
2008Knuckle Draggers
Print
Grace
Live Evil
3-Day Weekend
The Acquirer
TK's Corner
Hubristic
2009A Little Help
The Sunset Sky
The River Why
The Echo Game
Make the Yuletide Gay
2010A Beautiful Game
Leave
Playing House
Majid
Workshop
Let the Game Begin
The Incredible Adventures of Jojo
2011Remnants
Home Run Showdown
The Grief Tourist
Junction
2012Strangely in Love
Inverse
Targeting
The War Around Us
It's a Disaster
Lost on Purpose
Aftermath
2013Targeting
Inverse
2015The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown
Dark Summer
Tales of Halloween
The Rendezvous
Standoff
2016After the Sun Fell
Diane
Mercury Plains
2017Legacy
The Last Movie Star
Bullet Head
2018Tread
Big Dogs
2019Clean
2020Born a Champion
2021One Shot
Ire
A Violent Man
2022Thai Cave Rescue

Games

YearGameDeveloper
2002Ages of Athiria (Theme Only)Elysian Productions
2006FlowThatgamecompany
2007Flow Expansion PackThatgamecompany, Super Villain Studios
GroundTruth: Toxic CitySandia Nat’l Lab, USC-Gamepipe
ReplayTake Action Games
2008GroundTruth 2: Lock DownSandia Nat’l Lab, USC-Gamepipe
My Virtual Tutor1st Playable Productions
2010CensusDraft FCB
Super Awesome Mountain RPGCodename Games
2012JourneyThatgamecompany
HornPhosphor Games
Kinect PartyDouble Fine Productions
2013Monaco: What's Yours Is MinePocketwatch Games
Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded[8]N-Fusion Interactive
DropchordDouble Fine Productions
2014Soul FjordAirtight Games
SunsetTale of Tales
The Banner SagaStoic
2015The Order: 1886 (co-writer of The Knights theme, with Jason Graves)Ready at Dawn, Santa Monica Studio
Assassin's Creed SyndicateUbisoft Quebec
The Path to LumaPhosphor Games
2016The Banner Saga 2Stoic
AbzûGiant Squid Studios
2017DeformersReady at Dawn
AbsolverSloclap
Tooth and TailPocketwatch Games
LunaFunomena
2018PodeHenchman & Goon
The Banner Saga 3Stoic
Command and Conquer: RivalsElectronic Arts
2019EricaFlavourworks, London Studio
John Wick HexBithell Games
The Bradwell ConspiracyA Brave Plan, Bossa Studios
2020The PathlessGiant Squid
AGOS: A Game of SpaceUbisoft
2021Aliens: Fireteam EliteCold Iron Studios
2022Monaco 2Pocketwatch Games
HUSH - CraneFlavourworks
2023Strayed LightsEmbers
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying MusicalSummerfall Studios
2024BitCraft (Co-composed with Rachel Hardy)Clockwork Labs
2025Eternal StrandsYellow Brick Games
Sword of the SeaGiant Squid
Hades II (with co-composer Darren Korb)Supergiant Games

Awards

List of awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryRecipients and nomineesResult
2007British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs)InnovationFlow (Jenova Chen, Nicholas Clark, Austin Wintory)[9]
2012Video game awardsBest Original ScoreJourney[10]
Best Song in a Game[11]
International Film Music Critics Association AwardsOriginal Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media[12]
Spike Video Game AwardsBest Song in a Game"I Was Born for This" – Journey[13]
2013Game Developers Choice AwardsBest AudioJourney[14]
British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs)Audio Achievement[15]
Original Music[15]
D.I.C.E. AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition[16]
Grammy AwardsBest Score Soundtrack for Visual Media[17]
2014NAVGTR AwardsOriginal Dramatic Score, New IPThe Banner Saga[18]
International Film Music Critics Association AwardsOriginal Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media[19]
2015British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs)Best Music[20]
Audio Achievement[20]
SXSW Gaming AwardsExcellence in Musical Scoring[21]
Game Audio Network Guild AwardsMusic of the YearAssassin's Creed Syndicate[22]
Best Original Soundtrack Album[22]
Best Original InstrumentalAssassin's Creed Syndicate – "The Assassin's Two Step"[22]
International Film Music Critics Association AwardsOriginal Score for a Video Game or Interactive MediaAssassin's Creed Syndicate[23]
2016Abzû[24]
The Banner Saga 2[24]
2017Deformers[25]
Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller FilmThe Rendezvous[25]
British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs)MusicAbzû[26]
D.I.C.E. AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition[27]
Game Audio Network Guild AwardsBest Original Soundtrack[22]
2018Hollywood Music in Media AwardsOriginal Score – Independent FilmThe Last Movie Star[28]
Original Score – Video GamePode[28]
Original Song – Video Game"Only We Few Remember it Now" (The Banner Saga 3)[28]
2019Game Audio Network Guild AwardsBest Original SoundtrackPode[22]
Best Original Song "Only We Few Remember It Know"The Banner Saga 3[22]
International Film Music Critics Association AwardsOriginal Score for a Video Game or Interactive MediaErica[29]
2020Game Audio Network Guild AwardsBest Interactive Score[22]
Best Original Instrumental[30]
D.I.C.E. AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition[31]
2021Game Audio Network Guild AwardsBest Music for an Indie GameThe Pathless[32]
D.I.C.E. AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition[33]
2023Grammy AwardsBest Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive MediaAliens: Fireteam Elite[34][35][36]
2024Grammy AwardsStray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical[37][38]
2026Grammy AwardsSword of the Sea[39][40]
D.I.C.E. AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition[41][42]

References

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  3. ^ Pinchefsky, Carol (December 6, 2012). "'Journey' Earns the Videogame World's First Grammy Nomination". Variety
  4. ^ "Wintory Biography". Classic.FM. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  5. ^ Wenzel, John (May 16, 2012). "Denver-born composer Austin Wintory's musical journey". Denver Post. Archived August 29, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  6. ^ "IndieGames Podcast #23: Sleigh Ride", IndieGames, UBM Tech, December 23, 2011, archived from the original on March 4, 2016, retrieved February 17, 2012
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  8. ^ Campbell, Colin (June 5, 2013). "Austin Wintory: Larry is more romance than sex". polygon.com. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
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  24. ^ "2016 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. September 14, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  25. ^ "2017 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. February 6, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
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  27. ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Abzû". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  28. ^ "'A Star Is Born,' 'Black Panther' Lead Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominees". Hollywood Reporter. October 17, 2018.
  29. ^ "IFMCA Award Nominations 2019". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. February 6, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  30. ^ "Awards - Game Audio Network Guild". Game Audio Network Guild. January 19, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  31. ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Erica". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  32. ^ "Sony, Last of Us Part 2 Win Big at 2021 G.A.N.G. Awards". GameRant. April 29, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  33. ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details The Pathless". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  34. ^ Leston, Ryan (November 15, 2022). "Grammy Awards Nominate Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy for Best Soundtrack". IGN. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  35. ^ "2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Nominees List". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  36. ^ Bloom, Madison (5 February 2023). "Grammys 2023 Winners: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  37. ^ Minsker, Evan (November 10, 2023). "Grammy Nominations 2024: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  38. ^ Kerr, Chris (2024-02-05). "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor wins Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games at the Grammys". Game Developer. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
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