As we all move towards our net zero carbon targets, the new Sustainability Star award recognises an individual, team or company that has passionately embraced the cause and put in place significant changes to the way their studio or company works to reduce impact and be more sustainable.

Entry Requirements:

Please submit an overview of the person or group detailing the relevant initiatives and the changes they have achieved within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023). Please limit your entry to 500 words.

Judges are particularly interested in studios who are involving their players within these initiatives. They may ask more questions after submission.

This award recognises a team responsible for exceptional and creative game design via the use of controls, level design, pacing and mechanics.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why this game deserves the Best Game Design award and what is extraordinary about the team’s work. Give examples from the nominated game and how the team’s work supported the overall goals of the game. What makes this game design stand out?

Judges will look for innovation, creativity and technical achievement.

Rewarding a game that demonstrates distinction in the use of sound or music to improve player experience.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why this game deserves the Best Audio award and what is extraordinary about it. Give examples from the nominated game and how the team’s work supported the overall goals of the game. What makes the audio in this game stand out?

Judges will look for innovation, creativity and technical achievement.

This award will recognise the creation of the best new intellectual property.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your nominated game deserves the Best Original IP award and what is extraordinary about it. Give examples from the game, its inspirations and what the goals were. What makes this original IP stand out?

Judges will look for innovation, creativity and technical achievement.

Recognising a game which demonstrates exceptional achievement in visual art and/or animation, across any genre.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why this game deserves the Best Visual Art award and what is extraordinary about the team’s work. Give examples from the nominated game and how the team’s work supported the overall goals of the game. What makes the visual art in this game stand out?

Judges will look for innovation, creativity and technical achievement.

Rewarding a team who have far exceeded expectation in their storytelling to create an outstanding player experience – through innovative or ground-breaking writing.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why this game deserves the Best Narrative award and what is extraordinary about the team’s work. Give examples from the nominated game and how the team’s work supported the overall goals of the game. What makes this narrative stand out?

Judges will look for innovation, creativity and technical achievement in dialogue and narrative design.

The award which recognises technological innovation in the video game space. This could be a pioneering gameplay experience, a breakthrough new development technique, inventive hardware or anything showing true innovation.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why the team responsible for this innovation deserves the Best Technical Innovation award and what’s extraordinary about their work. Explain how they came up with the new idea, what makes it so ground-breaking and why it has been such a success. What makes this project and the achievements of the team stand out?

Judges will look for a real departure from anything that has gone before, plus evidence of critical and/or commercial success.

This award celebrates an individual who has shown a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity within the games industry.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why this person deserves the Diversity award and what is extraordinary about what they’ve achieved. Give examples of how they’ve successfully promoted diversity and inclusion. What makes this person stand out? Include any supporting evidence and testimony within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023)

Judges will look for a trailblazer who has gone above and beyond to further the cause of diversity in our industry.

Recognising a UK-based individual, in-house team or external agency that has shown outstanding achievement in promoting a game – including marketing, PR, influencer relations and community development.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why you, your team or organisation deserves to be recognised as our Marketing Star. Give us an overview of your strategy, goals and successful execution for a campaign which launched within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023) including details of the brief, objectives, strategy, tactics, outputs, outcomes and budget.

Please include one testimonial regarding your work on this campaign from another function within your business or from your client.

Judges will look for creativity, innovative approaches, delivery on brief and within budget, plus the resulting commercial success.

Recognising the organisation that has provided the highest quality of service and contributed the most to usability, testing and localisation within the game developer community.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your organisation deserves the Best QA and Localisation award. What is your core business and how has your product/service supported game developers? Please describe in depth one title that you’re especially proud of helping bring to market within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023) and why. You may provide up to three customer testimonials.

Judges will look for excellence in service levels, delivery on brief and resulting critical and/or commercial success for the client.

This award recognises the organisation that has provided exceptional audio assets (voice acting, music or sound effects) or visual assets (porting or creating sections of the game) for the game developer community.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your organisation deserves the Best Creative Provider award. What is your core business and how has your product/service supported game developers? Please describe in depth one title that you’re especially proud of helping bring to market within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023) and why. Please provide up to three customer testimonials.

Judges will look for innovation, creativity, excellence in service levels, delivery on brief and resulting critical and/or commercial success for the client.

For this award we’ll be rewarding the organisation that has provided outstanding hardware and/or technological support for UK game developers. This could include third party engines, motion capture tools, dev kits or microprocessors.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your organisation deserve the Best Technology Provider award. Please describe in depth one title that you’re especially proud of helping bring to market within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023) and why. Please provide up to three customer testimonials.

Judges will look for innovation, excellence in service levels, delivery on brief and resulting critical and/or commercial success for the client.

Recognising an in-house team that has shown outstanding policies and initiatives, and produced impressive results in successfully recruiting, retaining and developing talent within their team.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your team deserves to be recognised as our Talent Development Star. Give us an example of your achievements within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023) and tell us how you contributed to your company's success. 

Judges will look for innovative, inclusive approaches and the resulting success.

Recognising an external organisation that has shown outstanding policies and initiatives, and produced impressive results in successfully recruiting new team members for development studios.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your organisation deserves to be recognised as our Recruitment Star. Give us an example of your best placement within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023) and tell us how you contributed to your client's success. Please provide up to three client testimonials.

Judges will look for innovative approaches and the resulting success.

The Tomorrow's Star award will recognise the achievements of new talent in the games industry. Nominees should be below senior management or director level.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why this person deserves the Tomorrow's Star award and what is extraordinary about what they’ve achieved. Give examples of how they’ve successfully contributed to your organisation. What makes this person stand out? Include any supporting evidence and testimony within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023)

Judges will look for an individual who strives to achieve success and results, inspires others and has the potential to become a future leader in our industry.

Recognising an organisation that has shown outstanding support helping developers get their game published. This can include via funding, discoverability, research or anything else that helped secure a successful route to market for new games.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your organisation deserves to be recognised as our Publishing Star. Give us examples of a game or games you’re really proud to have supported within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023) and tell us how you contributed to their success. Please provide up to three testimonials from developers you’ve worked with.

Judges will look for innovative approaches and the resulting critical and/or commercial success for the developer.

This award will be given to the game that offers best overall player experience on a mobile phone or tablet.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why this game deserves the Best Mobile Game award and what’s extraordinary about it. Give examples from the nominated game & explain what makes this game and the team’s achievements stand out?

Judges will look for innovation, creativity and technical achievement.

Rewarding the game that stands out above all others in terms of gameplay, storytelling, art style, character development, creativity and overall player experience - across all genres and platforms.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why this game deserves the Best Game award and what’s extraordinary about it. Give examples from the nominated game, their inspirations and what the goals were. What makes this game stand out as the Best Game?

Judges will look for innovation, creativity and technical achievement not just commercial success.

This award will go to a studio with ten or fewer employees who’ve achieved exceptional critical and commercial success during the qualifying period.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your studio deserves to win Best Small Studio. What makes your studio and the achievements of your team stand out? Explain your company culture and team dynamic, what’s remarkable about your game(s), development and production process and community engagement?
Link to examples of your latest game(s) from within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023)

Judges will look for evidence of all round outstanding achievement and individuality as well as critical and commercial success.

This award celebrates any studio with five or more employees who’ve achieved exceptional critical and commercial success during the qualifying period.

Entry Requirements:
Tell us why your studio deserves to win Best Studio. What makes your studio and the achievements of your team stand out? Explain your company culture and team dynamic, what’s remarkable about your game(s), development and production process and community engagement?
Link to examples of your latest game(s) from within the qualifying period (1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023)

Judges will look for evidence of all round outstanding achievement and individuality as well as critical and commercial success.