g.g Awards 2023 Winners Flashback!
It’s been a couple weeks since we announced the return of the guildford.games Awards for 2024, so hopefully you’ve been keeping an eye on your friends and colleagues as - with your help - they might just be winners! Or maybe you’ll find yourself the deserving champion of our coveted g.g Lad trophies…! (Click here to enter your submissions)
Let’s be honest, it is a rather fetching angle of him, yes? With just a week until nominations close, we thought we might help inspire some last-minute entries by reminding us all who won last year - a wee bit of a “where are they now?” Keeping-in-touch-with-and-shouting-about-the-community is, ultimately, what we do here; and these awards are a celebration of our many shared aspirations and achievements!
Now, without any further ado, let’s take a look at which attributes make our brightest stars shine, as we re-introduce last year's g.g awards winners!
Creative Award
For the creative boundary-pushers
Last year the award went to Shomair Hanuk from, at the time, Stellar Entertainment. Shomair got the award for his phenomenal work as a Technical and VFX Artist and impressing his colleagues with tireless effort and a (quite frankly) stellar run of creative insight; for his passion for the games industry, and his innovations outside of his day to day tasks:
And he’s funny too? A proper winner, indeed! So if you know anyone taking that step above and beyond, pushing creative bounds for your team then get their name OUT THERE!
Collaboration Award
Teamwork makes the dream work!
Last year, this award was open to both teams and individuals - and most deservingly claimed by Connor Martin of Supermassive Games. He’d barely been working with his team a year, but had continually shown up for them with his impressive acumen and work ethic. Straight out of university, and making waves of every kind - most definitely earning both this award and a promotion shortly thereafter!
Here’s to seeing more Connors in the world! And, if you know one - who pulls together in outstanding ways, connects teams and communities, and shines with drive the whole time - then you know exactly who to nominate!
Rising Star Award (formerly the Community Award)
New to town (or the industry) and absolutely killing it!
Last year, this was our ‘Community Award’ - now overhauled to represent those making real impact in the Guildford scene and beyond, without solely focusing on community-oriented roles. Just more inclusive, y’know? As it should always be!
Somebody representing both community and a shining upward trajectory is 2023’s winner, Georgina Howlett!
Whilst George was chosen for her role in Supermassive’s Community Management, she was absolutely a rising star in every conceivable way! These days, she works a truly delightful position at Penguin Publishing - talk about range! Though it’s always bittersweet seeing game-changers go far afield, we’re thrilled to keep her talents on-side as a g.g Volunteer!
It’s a big commitment and lots of work, but that’s what makes a rising star who they are! If you know someone that deserves that recognition, help us recognise ‘em and GET NOMINATING!
Education Award
The next generation starts now
This award is all about fostering the next generation of game developers; helping create Juniors today that will become the award-winning Leads of tomorrow! Striding right into that award last year was nDreams for their wonderful work with the ‘nDreams Academy’.
No doubt bolstered by their VR prowess, nDreams Academy understands that every team deserves a full range of knowledge and experience to feed the broad insight required for true innovation.
nDreams take special care when it comes to uplifting Juniors. In fact, many of the roles they hire for specify you must have less than 6 months’ experience! Skill is honed over time, and nDreams loves to promote that!
But who’s next? In the spirit of this award, let's nominate those teams striving for a better tomorrow, today!
Hopefully looking back at these paragons of excellence can spark some ideas for how to show your team some love, or even motivate you to see that light in yourself - don’t forget, you can nominate yourself too! There’s power in recognising your own achievements, after all.
2024 also sees the g.g Awards incorporate three new categories too:
1. Outstanding Studio Culture Award – Recognising studios that excel in fostering positive, inclusive, and supportive work environments.
2. Players' Choice Award – Highlighting a game developed in Guildford and launched between November 2023 and now, as chosen by the global gaming community.
3. Nick Ferguson Unsung Hero Award – Celebrating those who make significant, often unrecognised, contributions to the industry.
We at g.g can’t wait to make this year’s awards night one to truly remember, so keep your eyes peeled for more details coming soon! Thanks for reading, happy dev-ing, and we look forward to every new name sent our way. Ciao!
Written by Lizzy Plant & Hugh Wybourne.