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Koji Kondo, longtime composer for The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. franchises, will be inducted into the Academy of Interactvie Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame at this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards. The presentation will take place at the 27th annual D.I.C.E. Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the ceremony on Thursday, February 15, at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET.
“I am deeply thankful for being selected by D.I.C.E. for this important award,” Kondo writes in a press release. “It is a true honor to be recognized 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 for years to come.”
Meggan Scavio, president of AIAS, says Kondo’s musical work is timeless and impactful, spanning multiple generations of fans across the world. Scavio adds, “For over 39 years, he has delighted us all 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.”
Kondon was born on August 13, 1961, in Nagoya-City in the Aichi-prefecture of Japan. He began working for Nintendo in April 1984 after graduating from the Osaka University of Arts, according to a press release. At Nintendo, Kondo was responsible for sound programming, music, and sound effects for the company’s now-two biggest franchises, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.
Kondo’s portfolio includes musical composition for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario Sunshine, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and last year’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder, amongst others. Today, he is the senior officer of Nintendo’s entertainment planning and development division.
After his induction into the AIAS Hall of Fame, Kondo will join the likes of Ed Boon, Tim Schafer, Connie Booth, Todd Howard, Hideo Kojima, Leslie Benzies, Bonnie Ross, Dan and Sam Houser, and Tim Sweeney, to name a few.
For more about the composer and the music he’s created, read Game Informer’s interview with Koji Kondo from last year here, and then check out this story about an upcoming Legend of Zelda orchestral concert Nintendo is uploading to YouTube next month. After that, read Game Informer’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder review.
What’s your favorite Koji Kondo song? Let us know in the comments below!