Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media is an honor presented to a composer or composers for an original score created for a film, TV show or series, video games or other visual media at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
It has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1959. The first recipient was American composer and pianist Duke Ellington, for the soundtrack to the 1959 film Anatomy of a Murder. Originally known as the Grammy Award for Best Sound Track Album – Background Score from a Motion Picture or Television, the award is now known as the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. Until 2001, the award was presented to the composer of the music alone. From 2001 to 2006, the producer and engineers shared in this award. In 2007, the award reverted to a composer-only award. John Williams holds the record for most wins and nominations for the award, with eleven wins out of thirty-three nominations.
Recipients
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.Name changes
There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:| Year | Name |
| 1959 | Best Sound Track Album – Background Score from a Motion Picture or Television |
| 1961–62 | Best Sound Track Album or Recording of Music Score from Motion Picture or Television |
| 1964–68 | Best Original Score from a Motion Picture or Television Show |
| 1969–73 1978 | Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special |
| 1974–77 | Best Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special |
| 1979–86 | Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special |
| 1988–90 | Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television |
| 1991–99 | Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television |
| 2000 | Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media |
| 2001–11 | Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media |
| 2012– present | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media |