Austin Wintory praises Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 soundtrack after Grammy win

Austin Wintory, best known for Journey, won the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media for Sword of the Sea and said he learned of the win over "shaky wi-fi" on a plane.

Wintory said he "simply must address" that Lorien Testard was not among the nominees for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, calling the game's score "excellent" and praising its depth, subtlety and the way it carries gameplay highs, lows and narrative beats.

He added that the soundtrack also succeeds as a standalone album, calling it a "great Spotify record" and noting its wider cultural reach — concert tours, memes and TikTok usage — calling it a "once-in-a-generation-level rarity." Despite fan speculation, no formal reason for the omission has been revealed; publisher Laced Audio ran a "for your Grammy consideration" campaign.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has won numerous Game of the Year awards from shows and outlets, outpacing Elden Ring in that regard.

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