Black in Gaming Awards Turns 10! Nominations Open for a Decade of Gaming Excellence

GAMING CRUSADERS, IT’S TIME TO GIVE THE PEOPLE BUILDING THIS INDUSTRY THEIR FLOWERS!

Games don’t appear out of thin air, baby. Behind every memorable character, groundbreaking mechanic and unforgettable world is a community of creators, designers, artists, engineers and leaders making it happen. The Black in Gaming Foundation is preparing to celebrate that work in a big way as the BIG Awards reach their 10th anniversary.

The awards ceremony takes place Monday, March 1, 2027, during the GDC Festival of Gaming. Nominations are open through Friday, January 8, 2027, giving the gaming community an opportunity to recognize people whose creativity and leadership deserve a brighter spotlight.

Previous honorees include Reggie Fils-Aimé, Sarah Bond and gaming pioneer Jerry Lawson. That’s a reminder that gaming history isn’t just a timeline of consoles and blockbuster releases. It’s also the story of people who helped make the industry possible and those pushing it forward today.

As somebody who spends a lot of time championing creators, I love seeing recognition programs that encourage people to look beyond the loudest brand names. The people doing meaningful work aren’t always the ones with the biggest marketing budgets or the most social-media followers. Sometimes they’re the innovators whose influence you feel everywhere without knowing their names.

The celebration continues on Tuesday, March 2, with BIG Fest, a day of workshops, panels, professional development and networking. That’s a smart pairing: celebrate achievements one day, then create opportunities for the next generation the following day.

The organization invites community members to submit nominations for deserving gaming professionals. Specific programming and venue details are expected later, so anyone planning to attend should follow the official updates.

Learn more about the foundation and nomination process through Black in Gaming.

Ten years of celebrating talent, creativity and opportunity in gaming? That’s worth supporting. If you know somebody doing outstanding work behind the scenes, don’t just applaud them in privatelook into giving them the recognition they’ve earned. WEPAAAA!

For the latest updates, visit the official Black in Gaming website, follow BIG on X, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn, and join the official Discord community.