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Composer and pianist Yoko Shimomura received the BAFTA Fellowship at the 21st BAFTA Games Awards on 8 April 2025. BAFTA announced the honour on 31 March, describing the Fellowship as its most prestigious award and recognizing an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television. BAFTA’s announcement selected Shimomura for her contribution to the games industry.
What the BAFTA Fellowship recognizes
BAFTA describes its Fellowship as an honour for an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television. In announcing Shimomura as the 2025 recipient, the organization called it its most prestigious honour. The award was presented during the 21st BAFTA Games Awards on 8 April 2025.
Why Yoko Shimomura was chosen
Shimomura’s career spans distinct corners of video-game music: the arcade-era fighting game Street Fighter II, role-playing series such as Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, and orchestral game scores. BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip called her a pioneer of video-game music, praised her memorable soundtracks, and said her work helped pave the way for women in an industry that was overwhelmingly male-dominated when Shimomura began. Millichip also said Shimomura’s work had inspired artists and would continue to resonate across generations.
Games and series in Shimomura’s career
BAFTA’s list of representative credits includes these titles and series:
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- Kingdom Hearts
- Final Fantasy XV
- Street Fighter II
- Super Mario RPG and the Mario & Luigi series
- Xenoblade Chronicles
- Streets of Rage
- The Mana series, including Legend of Mana
- Live A Live, Radiant Historia, Parasite Eve and Breath of Fire
This is a selection of credits, not a complete catalogue. BAFTA identifies Shimomura as a Japanese composer and pianist, a freelance composer, and a former employee of Capcom and Square Enix (formerly Square). Its announcement lists her department as Instrumental Music (piano). The Hong Kong Philharmonic’s concert biography says she graduated from the Osaka Junior College of Music in 1988 and also highlights work on Street Fighter II, Super Mario RPG, Legend of Mana, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XV.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Shimomura’s response to the award
In BAFTA’s announcement, Shimomura said she was delighted to receive the Fellowship, while admitting she could hardly believe it. She credited the people who had supported her and enabled her to continue making music, and expressed gratitude to the games industry, the people who commissioned her work and those who listen to it.
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- Banda sonora original de Xenoblade Definitive Edition
- Tipo de producto: Abis Music
- Marca: Importación Japonesa
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