Jessica Curry

Jessica Curry is an English composer, radio presenter, and former co-head of the British video game development studio The Chinese Room. She won a BAFTA award in 2016 for her score for the video game Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and received an honorary doctorate from Abertay University in 2023.

She has also written and presented several national radio shows, including High Score for ClassicFM, Sound of Gaming for BBC Radio 3, Magic Classical, and BBC World Service. She has written and hosted live concerts at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and BBC Maida Vale.

Career

When Dan Pinchbeck was developing his experimental video game Dear Esther he turned to his wife Curry to write a score. Thus Curry became the co-founder of The Chinese Room game studio.

Following the success of that game, The Chinese Room went on to develop Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs which Curry describes as her first "journey into interactivity."

In April 2016, Curry won a BAFTA at the 12th British Academy Games Awards for her music on Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.

In 2018, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to music, along with her efforts in the promotion of games and game music within arts and culture and her dedication to making the industry a better place to work, she was awarded the Outstanding Contribution award by MCV Women in Games.

After her departure from The Chinese Room, Curry embarked on various other projects including a collaboration with poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy

In October 2016 Curry's score to Dear Esther was performed live by a full orchestra at London's Barbican Centre to coincide with the release of the game for the PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

In January 2017, it was announced that Curry would present High Score, Classic FM's six-episode series on video game music. In October 2017 it was announced that Curry's show was renewed for another six episodes, starting 4 November.

Starting October 2019, Curry presented Sound of Gaming on BBC Radio 3, a weekly series on video game music.

In 2022 Curry's music rounded out the first ever Prom dedicated to games music.

In June 2025, Curry released Shielding Songs, an album mostly made up of new versions of her favourite pieces featuring the London Voices choir.

Personal life

Curry and husband Dan Pinchbeck have been together since 2000. They are based in Brighton and have one child, Oscar.

She is the daughter of the late James Curry, of the Currys Electrical chain, and writer Chris Curry Cliff. Her step father, the late Tony Cliff, was a Radio 4 drama producer.

Awards BAFTA Awards 2013 Dear Esther Best Audio

Best Audio Best Music D.I.C.E. Awards 2016 Everybody's Gone to the Rapture

2021 Little Orpheus

Ivor Novello Awards

Little Orpheus Best Original Video Game Score MCV Women in Games Awards

Jessica Curry Outstanding Contribution Game Audio Network Guild Awards

Dear Esther Best Audio

Jessica Curry Rookie of the Year

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs Best Soundtrack

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs Best Original Vocal: Songs

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Music of the Year

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Best Interactive Score

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Best Mix

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Best Soundtrack Album

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Best Original Song

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Best Dialogue

So Let Us Melt Best Music for a Casual/Social Game

So Let Us Melt Best Music for an Indie Game

So Let Us Melt Best Sound Design in a Casual/Social Game

Little Orpheus Best new original IP audio Other awards

Works