Fans of music in gaming and game audio in general will appreciate the fact that The Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), the non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of game audio, recently announced the finalists for the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards that are designed to honor outstanding creative, technical and artistic audio achievement in the world of interactive entertainment.
 
Voted and judged upon by the game audio industry and members of G.A.N.G., the finalists represent an array of the best audio in games from 2009.  The standouts for nominations this year include Assassin’s Creed II and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves which received 9 nominations each.  Final voting has begun and the final winners are chosen by the entire membership of the G.A.N.G. organization.  Over 2,000 people representing over 30 countries have signed up as members of G.A.N.G. since its inception in 2002.  The winners will be announced at the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards ceremony being held on Friday, March 12th, 2010 in San Francisco, CA during the Game Developers Conference.
 
“The level of quality for game audio continues to get higher and higher each year,” said Tommy Tallarico, G.A.N.G. Founder, CEO and Chairman. “It’s so important to make sure that the talented game audio individuals from around the world get the recognition they deserve.”  G.A.N.G. President Paul Lipson added, “This was one of our biggest submission years yet and over 70 game audio professionals on our global advisory boards helped in deciding the final nominees.  With the level of talent these days, being voted as a final nominee is a remarkable accomplishment.”

Finalists for the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards are listed below by category in alphabetical order after the jump.
 
AUDIO OF THE YEAR

Assassin’s Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Need For Speed: Shift
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
MUSIC OF THE YEAR

Assassin’s Creed II
AVATAR: The Game
Dragon Age: Origins
Flower
Halo 3: ODST
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
BEST SOUND DESIGN

Assassin’s Creed II
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Need For Speed: Shift
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
BEST SOUNDTRACK ALBUM

Assassin’s Creed II
Brutal Legend
Dragon Age: Origins
inFAMOUS
Tom Clancy’s: H.A.W.X.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
BEST INTERACTIVE SCORE

Assassin’s Creed II
Flower
Halo 3: ODST
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
BEST HANDHELD AUDIO

Gran Turismo (PSP)
Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier (PSP)
Mecho Wars (iPhone)
Resistance: Retribution (PSP)
The Secret Of Monkey Island: Special Edition (iPhone)
 
BEST CINEMATIC/CUT-SCENE AUDIO

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Need For Speed: Shift
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
BEST DIALOGUE

Assassin’s Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Brutal Legend
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
BEST ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTAL

“Ezio’s Family” – Assassin’s Creed II
“Flight Over Venice” – Assassin’s Creed II
“Spirit of Bladehenge” – Brutal Legend
“Sonny Tang” – Eat Lead
“Reunion” – Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL – CHORAL

“Venice Rooftops” – Assassin’s Creed II
“A Creature Shall Rise” – Brutal Legend
“Sad Theme” – Tom Clancy’s: H.A.W.X.
“Washington Under Seige” – Tom Clancy’s: H.A.W.X.
“Halls of Iron” – World of Warcraft: Fall of the Lich King
 
BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL – POP

“I Am The One” (High Fantasy Version) – Dragon Age: Origins
“Lelianna’s Song” – Dragon Age: Origins
“Silent Melody” – inFAMOUS
“Best Friends Menu Theme” – Littlest Pet Shop Friends
“Pray – Theme Song” – Resident Evil 5
“Plants vs. Zombies” – Plants vs. Zombies
 
BEST USE OF MULTI-CHANNEL SURROUND IN A GAME

Bayonetta
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Forza Motorsport 3
Left 4 Dead 2
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 
BEST USE OF LICENSED MUSIC

Brutal Legend
DJ Hero
Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Rock Band: The Beatles
SingStar: Queen
 
BEST GAME AUDIO ARTICLE, PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST

“Avoiding Tedium – Fighting Repetition in Game Audio” – AES Conference Paper
“Dynamics of Narrative” – Gamasutra.com
“The Future of Game Audio / The Game Audio Mixing Revolution” – Gamasutra.com
“Less is More” – Game Developer Magazine
“Surviving the Crunch – Being Healthy Sound Designers” – Designing Sound
“Surviving Your First Composing Gig” – Shockwave-Sound.com