 In a feature for Gamasutra, Scott B. Morton, although praising the music itself, declared that Morrowind's soundtrack did not work effectively with the game's gameplay, accomplishing little as an emotional device. Morrowind's soundtrack is ambient, with cues only for battle encounters. In Morton's view, the lack of variation, of response to the game's action, and of length — Morrowind's soundtrack is only 45 minutes long — leaves players detached from the game world. Alexander Brandon, in another Gamasutra feature, praised Morrowind's soundtrack for its innovative instrumentation. In Brandon's opinion, its use of orchestral elements in conjunction with synthesized ones, and the use of what Brandon termed "the 'Bolero' approach", left the game's soundtrack feeling "incredibly dramatic". In February 2003, Morrowind was nominated for the category of "Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition" at the 6th Annual Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences's Interactive Achievement Awards, but lost to Medal of Honor: Frontline.
