Yoko Shimomura to be honoured with a BAFTA Fellowship at the Games Awards next week

It's almost time for the annual BAFTA Games Awards, as the awards ceremony will be hosted in London next week on April 8. With that edging closer and almost here, BAFTA has now revealed who will be the recipient of the honourable Fellowship award this year, with none other than Japanese composer and pianist Yoko Shimomura selected.

Known as the creator of countless memorable and iconic soundtracks, including for Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy XV, Mario & Luigi, Xenoblade Chronicles, Street Fighter II, Streets of Rage, the Mana series, Super Mario RPG, Live A Live, and more, Shimomura has been selected for her "outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television".

Shimomura has also commented on being selected for the BAFTA Fellowship award, stating: "I am absolutely delighted to receive such an amazing and prestigious award as this, although, honestly speaking, I still cannot quite believe it. I am who I am today thanks to all the people who have supported me, allowing me to continue being involved with the music that I love and discovering the medium of games where that music can flourish. I am deeply grateful to everyone in the games industry, to those who ask me to write my music and to all those who listen to it. I would like for them, and for everyone who has been a part of my life, to join with me in celebrating this award. Thank you so much."

The Fellowship award has previously gone to a collection of famous and iconic names in the world of entertainment, including Martin Scorsese, Gabe Newell, Hideo Kojima, Warwick Davis, Shuhei Yoshida, Shigeru Miyamoto, Tim Schafer, Helen Mirren, Peter Molyneux, John Carmack, and more.