Super Mario just won a Grammy, and the internet didn’t see this coming

Super Mario just helped a jazz band win a Grammy, and honestly, 2026 is off to a wild start.


The 8-Bit Big Band - a massive jazz orchestra with over 30 musicians, mostly based in New York, took home the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for their track Super Mario Praise Break. Yes, you read that right. A jazzy, gospel-style Mario medley just won one of music’s biggest awards.





If you’ve ever grown up jumping over Goombas and dodging fireballs, this one hits right in the nostalgia. The winning piece is a joyful mashup of some of Mario’s most iconic tracks - the original Super Mario Bros theme, Bob-Omb Battlefield from Super Mario 64, Gusty Garden Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy, and the Athletic Theme from Super Mario World. Somehow, they turned classic video game music into something that sounds like it belongs in a Sunday morning choir session, and it works.

This isn’t even the band’s first time winning a Grammy for game music. Back in 2022, they picked up the same award for their jazz version of Meta Knight’s Revenge from Kirby Super Star. They were also nominated last year for their cover of Last Surprise from Persona 5, though that one didn’t take home the trophy. Still, their streak of getting video game music recognised at the Grammys is pretty impressive.


After the win, the band shared their excitement online, thanking listeners and giving shoutouts to their co-arrangers and musicians. You could tell this one meant a lot. For a group that started out remixing game soundtracks for fun, walking away with a second Grammy is kind of surreal.


Their Mario tribute was released last summer as part of a four-track medley called Gospel Mario Bros Medley. And if you’ve seen the YouTube description for Super Mario Praise Break, you’ll know they leaned fully into the humour. It’s full of playful, over-the-top lines about blessings, levels, and even blue shells not standing a chance. It’s silly, joyful, and very on-brand for the internet era of music.


Meanwhile, another big win for gamers came in the Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media category. Composer Austin Wintory won for Sword of the Sea. He’s no stranger to award buzz either - his past work on games like Stray Gods and Aliens: Fireteam Elite had already caught attention. Fellow game composers have praised his work for its emotional depth and dreamy soundscapes, with some even saying parts of the soundtrack give off Björk-like vibes.

What’s really cool about all this is what it says about video game music today. These soundtracks aren’t just background noise anymore. They’re being treated like real, serious compositions, something you can sit down and listen to even when you’re not playing the game. Seeing both a jazz orchestra remixing Mario and a game composer winning big at the Grammys on the same night feels like a small but real moment for gaming culture.


Sure, the Grammys still had the usual big pop names winning the main awards. But tucked between all that glamour was a reminder that game music has officially arrived at the grown-ups’ table. And honestly? Watching Super Mario help a jazz band win a Grammy might be the most internet-coded thing to happen this year.


If this is the future of award shows, we’re not mad about it at all.