Today, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) announced that Koji Kondo will be honored at the 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas. Kondo has been selected as a Hall of Fame inductee.
Kondo is no stranger to Nintendo fans. After joining the company in 1984, he was responsible for sound programming, music, and sound effects in Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario Sunshine, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Mario 3D World, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder are just a few of his other works. His current role is Senior Officer of the Entertainment Planning & Development Division.
Speaking about the award, Kondo stated:
“I am deeply thankful for being selected by D.I.C.E. for this important award. It is a true honor to be recognized in this way, and I am extremely humbled. Thanks to the help from the many people surrounding me and the support from our customers and fans, I was fortunate enough to be involved in game music development for decades. I am grateful for everyone who helped and supported me. I will continue my efforts in the music and sound aspects of development to hopefully make everyone’s game experience even more enjoyable in the years to come.”
Meggan Scavio, president of the AIAS, also mentioned: “Koji Kondo’s musical work is timeless and impactful, spanning multiple generations of fans across the world. For over 39 years, he has delighted all of us in the industry with sounds and songs that are recognized by so many fans and became a pop culture phenomenon. We are honored to be able to induct Kondo-san into the Hall of Fame.”
Previous Hall of Fame recipients include Tim Schafer (2022), Ed Boon (2021), Connie Booth (2020), Bonnie Ross (2019), Todd Howard (2017), Hideo Kojima (2016), Leslie Benzies (2014), Dan and Sam Houser (2014), and Tim Sweeney (2012).
Last year, the Super Mario Bros. theme became the first gaming track in the Library of Congress. Read more about that here.
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