A gospel-inspired Super Mario medley has clinched a Grammy, outshining Wicked star Cynthia Erivo and marking the group’s second Nintendo cover to achieve this honor, despite Nintendo not receiving any nominations.

The 8-Bit Big Band, a cover band known for its renditions of video game music, has snagged its second Grammy Award with a gospel-infused medley from Super Mario.

While the Grammy Awards have historically included a few video game tracks, they only recently introduced a dedicated category for this genre. The first notable win was in 2011 when the theme from Civilization 4, “Baba Yetu,” took home the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals. Despite a treasure trove of memorable tunes, Nintendo’s music has only recently garnered its second award, and neither win has been attributed directly to Nintendo.

The band previously won the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella in 2022 for their cover of “Meta Knight’s Revenge” from Kirby Super Star and received a nomination in 2025 for their rendition of “Last Surprise” from Persona 5. Now, they’ve triumphed again in the same category.

Their latest award comes from the Super Mario Praise Break medley, which includes beloved tracks like the main theme, “Bob-omb Battlefield,” and “Gusty Garden Galaxy.” This win for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella puts them ahead of competitors like Wicked star Cynthia Erivo. However, their nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album did not secure a win, losing out to the Christian McBride Big Band.

In the newly established category for video game music, Austin Wintory, known for his work on Journey, won with his score for Sword of the Sea. Wintory has received four nominations, with Journey being the only video game score ever nominated for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.

The Grammy category has a history of favoring film adaptations, making Sword of the Sea’s victory over contenders like Star Wars Outlaws’ DLC and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle a bit unexpected. Notably, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was absent from the nominations, prompting Wintory to express that he would “happily trade places” with that game before the ceremony.