The last decade of The Game Awards has brought countless memorable musical performances from some of the industry’s most talented individuals as the 10th annual Game Awards draw to a close this week. Let’s take a look at some of the best live performances from the awards ceremony.
Cuphead: The Delicious Final Course
Show The Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course brought a rare genre of music to The Game Awards, with three singers dressed as cranes singing songs that sounded like something you’d hear in cartoons from a century ago. Moreover, The show also offered a new look at Cuphead’s upcoming DLC.
Stefanie Joosten sings Quiet’s theme song
Stefanie Joosten’s performance of Quiet’s theme from Metal Gear Solid 5 starts off reserved and simple. and grows to become overflowing with emotion at the end It’s a wonderful song full of emotion. and raw performance Her work gave a glimpse into what live music at The Game Awards can deliver.
The Game Awards Orchestra performs the ultimate Super Smash Bros. theme
The Super Smash Bros. theme is like an angel’s cry that instantly stirs strong emotions. It doesn’t matter if you’re tied to a fighter on the platform. This performance takes place on the same day that the game releases worldwide. The show was the perfect way to welcome the game that would define the Switch era and dominate discussions for years to come.
Koji Kondo and Imagine Dragons play Zelda songs.
It’s hard to imagine legendary composer Koji Kondo teaming up with Imagine Dragons to perform a song from Zelda, but it was the performance that truly gave the first Game Awards its stamp. and set the tone for many unexpected musical acts to follow. It features Mr. Kondo on piano and members of Imagine Dragons on strings and vocals. This show gives us a rare taste of music from the Legend of Zelda series.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Soundtrack
Music plays a big part in making Red Dead Redemption 2 immersive in the Old West. If you close your eyes and listen to this live performance You will feel like you are walking into the hall at sunset or sitting in the back of a horse drawn carriage. A standout moment is the performance of Unshaken, a song that beautifully sums up the hardships of Red Dead 2’s protagonist, Arthur Morgan.
Eddie Vedder shows Future Days
There’s something special about needlepoint that perfectly captures the thoughts and emotions of a character. Even though it wasn’t actually written for them, there is no better example of how Pearl Jam’s Future Days captures the inner turmoil that Joel felt during The Last of Us Part 2. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder performed the song in person at the Game Awards 2020 (remote due to the pandemic) and it was a big moment for fans and the creators of TLOU 2 .
CHVRCHES Shows Death Stranding
Those who were able to roll the credits in Death Stranding were treated to the beautiful music of CHVRCHES, named after the Kojima Productions game, when the band appeared on stage at the 2019 ceremony to perform with a live orchestra. We were blessed with an incredible performance by lead singer Lauren Mayberry.
Sam Lake dances to Poets of the Fall
When Poets of the Fall took the stage to perform Herald of Darkness from Alan Wake 2 at the 2023 Game Awards, it felt more like a well-executed stage production. Performing as their fictional counterparts, the Old Gods of Asgard, Poets of the Fall’s performance is part of Alan Wake 2’s story playing out in the real world. It’s a great way to honor the game’s deeply meta nature while also providing an entertaining show for everyone watching the show. Moreover, Sam Lake, creative director of Remedy Entertainment, Join the band on stage and dance to the music. We probably won’t see anything like this again. And it’s a performance that could only happen at The Game Awards.
Mick Gordon performs Doom
It’s hard to imagine id Software’s 2016 Doom reboot without the brain-shattering soundtrack composed by Mick Gordon, which is why Gordon’s performance of the Doom soundtrack at the 2016 Game Awards still stands. Most memorable moments from throughout the ceremony Only Doom’s soundtrack was able to completely transform an awards venue into a hot rock festival. And it’s still impossible not to get up and strum the air guitar when he returns for a legendary performance eight years later.
Orchestra The Game Awards 2017
It’s a Game Awards tradition for the orchestra to play a medley of songs from every game nominated for Game of the Year before the coveted awards are handed out. 2017 continues to be one of the year’s that Strongest for modern game launches And the live performance that year was considered quite big. You’ll hear Nintendo’s mesmerizing theme for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to the mighty river in the desert from Persona 5, only to conclude with Kate Higgins taking the stage to sing Jump Up, Super Star, the iconic song. The uniqueness of Super Mario Odyssey with the New Donk City festival played on the big screen? It’s nearly 10 minutes of some of the best music ever in a video game. And this show is still a perfect microcosm of the legendary year that was 2017.
Here are the Game Awards entries that have stuck with us most over the past decade. We look forward to seeing some memorable performances in 2024 and beyond.
