Birth name Grant Kirkhope Name Grant Kirkhope Website www.grantkirkhope.com | Years active 1995–present Occupation(s) Composer Genres Video game music | |
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Instruments Keyboards, guitar, trumpet Role Composer · grantkirkhope.com Albums Desktop Dungeons Original S, Viva Pinata, Banjo‑Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckonin, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond E Profiles | ||
Chase interviews grant kirkhope composer of banjo kazooie civilization beyond earth yooka laylee
Grant Kirkhope (born 10 July 1962) is a British video game composer. Kirkhope has been nominated for various BAFTA, ASCAP, and IFMCA awards for his contributions to video game music.
Contents
- Chase interviews grant kirkhope composer of banjo kazooie civilization beyond earth yooka laylee
- Special guest grant kirkhope guest grumps
- Early life and education
- Career
- Works
- References
Special guest grant kirkhope guest grumps
Early life and education
Kirkhope was brought up in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire from the age of 5, and attended King James's School. Kirkhope played in various bands after leaving the Royal Northern College of Music, including Zoot and the Roots along with the saxophonist, Snake Davis. Kirkhope also spent many years as part of "the Big Bad Horns" which were part of UK rock band Little Angels. At the age of 33, he was employed by Rare. Before joining Rare, in October 1995, he played for two bands called Syar and Maineeaxe where he played the guitar and already knew Robin Beanland, another Rare composer. Kirkhope's music featuring an electric guitar is played on an Ernie Ball/Musicman EVH given to him by Eddie Van Halen. Kirkhope's skills on guitar can be heard on Killer Instinct Gold, Perfect Dark, Star Fox Adventures or Grabbed by the Ghoulies.
Career
Kirkhope is a BAFTA, ASCAP and IFMCA nominated British composer who has created the soundtrack for video games that have sold in excess of 30 million copies. Kirkhope’s score for Viva Piñata was nominated by BAFTA in the Original Score category in its 2007 awards.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was nominated for Best Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media by the International Film Music Critics Association and in the Cue Awards 2012 for Best Overall Score, Best Video Game Score and Grant was also nominated for Best Break Out Composer.
He was nominated in the 2015 ASCAP Composer’s Choice Awards for his work on “Civilization: Beyond Earth” and also won the Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media 2015 from the International Film Music Critics Association for the same score. Civilization: Beyond Earth also won Best Score: Video Game at the Cue Awards 2015. He was nominated in the 2016 ASCAP Composer’s Choice Awards for his work on Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide and was also nominated for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media 2016 from the International Film Music Critics Association for the same score. Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide was also nominated for Best Score: Video Game at the Cue Awards 2016.
Works
Kirkhope was also involved in choosing which voices by the team at 4Kids would be used in the Viva Piñata cartoon.