Japanese composer and pianist Yoko Shimomura will receive the BAFTA Fellowship at the BAFTA Games Awards on April 8 for her contribution to the games industry, the British Academy said on Monday. She has composed “countless era-defining video game soundtracks enjoyed by millions of players worldwide, including the Kingdom Hearts series, Final Fantasy XV, Mario & Luigi,” and more, BAFTA highlighted.
The Fellowship is the arts charity’s most prestigious honor.
Shimomura also composed the soundtracks for such games as Xenoblade Chronicles, Streets of Rage, the Mana series, Super Mario RPG, Live A Live, Radiant Historia, Parasite Eve, Breather of Fire, and Street Fighter II.
“I am who I am today thanks to all the people who have supported me, allowing me to continue being involved with the music that I love and discovering the medium of games where that music can flourish, said Shimomura.
Said BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip: “A pioneer of video game music, pianist and composer, Yoko has created unforgettable soundtracks for so many beloved games and paved the way for women in the industry at a time when it was overwhelmingly male-dominated. Her groundbreaking work has already inspired countless artists and will continue to resonate for generations.”
Shimomura is now a freelance composer after having worked for video games companies Capcom and Square Enix.
Her work spans “a wide range of genres, from rhythmical computer-generated sounds to large-scale classical orchestral pieces, though she is particularly well-known for her melodious and poignant songs, as well as her intense and dramatic pieces,” BAFTA said.
Previous recipients of the BAFTA Fellowship include the likes of Warwick Davis, Hideo Kojima, Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Martin Scorsese, Shuhei Yoshida, Helen Mirren, and Thelma Schoonmaker. The 21st annual BAFTA Games Awards take place on Tuesday, April 8 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and will be streamed live on BAFTA’s YouTube and Twitch channels
