Grant Kirkhope facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grant Kirkhope
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 10, 1962 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Origin | Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, voice actor |
| Years active | 1995–present |
Grant Kirkhope (born 10 July 1962) is a talented Scottish composer and voice actor who creates music and voices for video games and movies. You might know his work from famous games like GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Perfect Dark. He has been recognized for his amazing music, earning nominations for important awards like the BAFTA, ASCAP, and IFMCA awards.
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Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Grant Kirkhope was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His mother was a dancer, and his father loved music, which helped Grant discover music early on. He taught himself to play the guitar when he was just 11 years old! He also learned to play the trumpet in a classical style.
Grant grew up in Knaresborough, England, from age five. After studying music, he played guitar in several bands. In October 1995, he joined a famous video game company called Rare. There, he met other composers like Robin Beanland.
A Career in Game and Film Music
Grant Kirkhope is a highly respected composer who has created music for many popular video games and films. A composer is someone who writes music. His music for the game Viva Piñata was nominated for a BAFTA award in 2007. BAFTA awards are given for excellence in film, television, and video games.
His work on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was also nominated for "Best Score" by the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA). This group recognizes great music in films and games.
Grant also won the IFMCA award for "Best Original Score" for the game Civilization: Beyond Earth in 2015. He was nominated again for its expansion, Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide.
In 2020, he won an award for "Best Score" at the Silicon Beach Film Festival for the movie Shadows. His music for the animated short film The Wrong Rock was nominated for an award in 2021. In 2022, the music he helped create for the movie The King's Daughter won the People's Vote Award at the World Soundtrack Awards. His music for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope was also nominated for an award.
Life in the United States
In 2012, Grant Kirkhope moved to the United States to work on the game Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. He became a citizen of the United States in 2017. He and his family now live in southern California.
Grant Kirkhope's Work
Games He Worked On
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Killer Instinct 2/Gold | Played live guitar and trumpet |
| Donkey Kong Land 2 | Adapted music from another game | |
| 1997 | GoldenEye 007 | With other composers |
| Blast Corps | Played live guitar | |
| 1998 | Banjo-Kazooie | |
| 1999 | Donkey Kong 64 | |
| 2000 | Banjo-Tooie | |
| Perfect Dark | With other composers | |
| 2002 | Star Fox Adventures | Played live guitar |
| 2003 | Grabbed by the Ghoulies | |
| 2005 | Conker: Live and Reloaded | Played live guitar |
| 2006 | Viva Piñata | With Steve Burke |
| 2008 | Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise | With Steve Burke |
| Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts | With other composers | |
| 2012 | Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning | With Mark Cromer |
| CityVille 2 | ||
| 2013 | Desktop Dungeons | With Danny Baranowsky |
| Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse | Remade music and added new songs | |
| 2014 | Puzzle Charms | |
| Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z | ||
| The Enchanted Cave 2 | ||
| Civilization: Beyond Earth | With other composers | |
| 2015 | Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide | With other composers |
| Crypt of the NecroDancer | Special thanks | |
| Rare Replay | Special thanks | |
| 2016 | Ghostbusters | |
| 2017 | Dropzone | |
| Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle | Also scored Donkey Kong Adventure DLC | |
| Yooka-Laylee | With other composers | |
| A Hat in Time | Guest composer | |
| Tangledeep | Guest composer | |
| 2019 | Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair | With other composers |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Arranged "Spiral Mountain" music | |
| Interstellar Space: Genesis | With Ryan McQuinn | |
| Cadence of Hyrule | Special thanks | |
| 2020 | World of Warcraft: Shadowlands | With other composers |
| Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning | With Mark Cromer | |
| 2021 | Minecraft Dungeons: Hidden Depths | With other composers |
| 2022 | Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope | With Gareth Coker and Yoko Shimomura |
| TBA | Lobodestroyo | Guest composer |
| Poglings | Guest composer | |
| N/A | Hex Heroes |
Films He Scored
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | We Sit. We Drink. No Guns. | Short film |
| 2017 | Mulva Lends a Hand | |
| Heavy Flow | ||
| Killer Charm | ||
| 2018 | Roadmap Jerusalem | |
| Hammer Jackson | ||
| The Wrong Rock | ||
| 2021 | The Handler | |
| Bringing Back Goldeneye | ||
| 2022 | Shadows | |
| The King's Daughter | With other composers | |
| 2023 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Composer of the DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64 (not officially credited) |
| TBA | The Charisma Killers | |
| Murder Syndicate |
Voice Acting Roles
Grant Kirkhope is also a talented voice actor! He has voiced many characters in video games.
| Year | Title | Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Banjo-Kazooie | Mumbo Jumbo, Jinjo, The Jinjonator |
| 1999 | Donkey Kong 64 | Donkey Kong |
| 2000 | Banjo-Tooie | Mumbo Jumbo, Jamjars, King Jingaling, Jinjo |
| 2003 | Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge | Mumbo Jumbo, Jinjo |
| Grabbed by the Ghoulies | Cursed Mummy, Zombie Pirates | |
| Donkey Kong Country (GBA version) | Donkey Kong | |
| Donkey Konga | Donkey Kong | |
| Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour | Donkey Kong | |
| Mario Kart: Double Dash | Donkey Kong | |
| 2004 | Mario vs. Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong |
| Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA version) | Donkey Kong | |
| 2005 | Donkey Kong Jungle Fever | Donkey Kong |
| Mario Kart Arcade GP | Donkey Kong | |
| Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA version) | Donkey Kong | |
| 2006 | Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis | Donkey Kong |
| Donkey Kong Banana Kingdom | Donkey Kong | |
| Viva Piñata | Barkbark, Cocoadile, Elephanilla, Rashberry | |
| 2007 | Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 | Donkey Kong |
| 2008 | Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise | Barkbark, Cocoadile, Elephanilla, Rashberry |
| Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts | Jamjars | |
| 2009 | Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! | Donkey Kong |
| 2010 | Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! | Donkey Kong |
| 2013 | Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move | Donkey Kong |
| Mario Kart Arcade GP DX | Donkey Kong | |
| 2017 | Macbat 64 | Monkey |
| Yooka-Laylee | Crazy Kirkhope | |
| 2019 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Mumbo Jumbo, Jinjo |
| 2021 | Terrain of Magical Expertise | Captain Gast |
Grant also helped choose the voice actors for the Viva Piñata cartoon show.
See also
In Spanish: Grant Kirkhope para niños
