Friday, December 13, 2024

Gayming Awards 2022

The first and only global award ceremony celebrating LGBTQ+ video gaming and queer geek culture returned for its second year on April 25th live in London and on Twitch.

The Gayming Awards, presented by Twitch, returned for its second year in April 2022. With a mission to celebrate diversity and inclusivity globally within games and interactive media, it was watched by over 320,000 live across Twitch and IGN.

The categories for this year’s Gayming Awards were expanded to include further elements of geek culture, introducing awards for Comic Books, Esports and Tabletop Gaming. Much like last year, the judge’s had a tough challenge shortlisting the nominations. 

The Gayming Awards also featured an in-person exclusive nerdy drag pre-show featuring London’s iconic Cybil’s House starring Cybil War, Aubrey Wodonga, RhyssPieces, Lolo Brow and Shardeazy Afrodesiak.

20% of all ticket sales went to the It Gets Better Project to support its mission to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe.

Watch Again

Categories

Game of the Year – sponsored by PlayStation

The Game of the Year Award celebrates the best game released in 2021, as chosen by our diverse panel of judges. 

Nominees:

  • Boyfriend Dungeon – Kitfox Games
  • Life is Strange True Colors – Deck Nine/Square Enix – WINNER
  • Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios
  • Unpacking – Witch Beam and Humble Games
Gayming Magazine Readers Award – sponsored by EA

This award celebrates Gayming Magazine readers’ favourite game of 2021. The shortlist will be drawn up by writers of Gayming Magazine and then public voting will open in February.

Nominees:

  • Boyfriend Dungeon – Kitfox Games
  • Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
  • Metroid Dread – MercurySteam/Nintendo
  • Resident Evil Village – Capcom – WINNER
  • Sable – Shedworks/Raw Fury
  • Shin Megami Tensei V – SEGA
  • Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania – Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/SEGA
  • The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles – Capcom
Best LGBTQ Indie Game – sponsored by Xbox

Indie games allow more personal and diverse stories to be told, yet regularly are overlooked for awards. This award acknowledges the best indie game made by an independent developer which is focussed on telling an LGBTQ story, or heavily features an LGBTQ element. 

For the purposes of this award, we define an ‘indie game’ as a game developed by an independent developer who is an individual or small group that is not owned by another company that makes games.

Nominees:

  • A Year of Springs – npckc
  • Boyfriend Dungeon -Kitfox
  • Lake – Gamious/Whitethorn Digital
  • Sword of the Necromancer – Grimorio of Games
  • Unpacking – Witch Beam and Humble Games – WINNER
  • When The Night Comes – Lunaris Games
LGBTQ Streamer of the Year – sponsored by Twitch

Streaming is one of the great new entertainment frontiers and LGBTQ streamers play a huge part in bringing together communities of likeminded people. This award is for the most popular LGBTQ streamer, as chosen by the watching public.  

Nominees:

Authentic Representation Award – sponsored by Marvelous Europe

Authentic representation of the LGBTQ experience is an important part of the modern entertainment world. This award recognises the best example of authentic LGBTQ representation in a game. 

  • Boyfriend Dungeon – Kitfox Games
  • Life is Strange: True Colours – Deck Nine/Square Enix
  • Unpacking – Witch Beam and Humble Games – WINNER
  • Unsighted – Studio Pixel Punk and Humble Games
Best LGBTQ Character – sponsored by Rocksteady Studios

The inclusion of LGBTQ characters in games is hugely important and can be a bold step for visibility. This award recognises the best LGBTQ character (playable or significant NPC) in a game. 

Nominees:

  • Alex Chen, Life is Strange: True Colors – Deck Nine/Square Enix – WINNER
  • Helmut Fullbear & Bob Zanotto, Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios
  • Steph Gingrich, Life is Strange: True Colors – Deck Nine/Square Enix
  • Meredith Weiss, Lake – Gamious/Whitethorn Digital
Industry Diversity Award – sponsored by Hangar 13 / 2K

Greater diversity in the games industry makes for greater diversity in games. This award celebrates the organisation who has done a significant amount of work in promoting, developing and championing diversity in the global games industry. 

Nominees:

  • I Need Diverse Games 
  • London Gaymers 
  • Ukie’s #RaiseTheGame pledge – WINNER
  • Women in Games International 
Gayming Icon Award – sponsored by Facebook Gaming

The Gayming Icon award is given to an individual that has significantly contributed towards furthering the status and increasing the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community in the gaming industry. 

Tanya DePass was named the 2022 Gayming Icon – read more about this here

LGBTQ Streamer Rising Star Class of ’22 – sponsored by Twitch

The inaugural Gayming Awards Rising Star Class of 2022 consists of six streamers, all of which have made incredible strides in their streaming career over the last year and have made significant contributions to the LGBTQ+ world within the gaming space.

Class of ’22:

Best LGBTQ Contribution to Esports Award – sponsored by Esports Technologies Inc

This award recognises the contribution of a person or organisation who has done a significant amount of work in promoting, developing and championing diversity in esports.

Nominees:

  • Amanda Stevens
  • Cloud9 White Valorant Team 
  • Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association [CMSA] 
  • Emi “CaptainFluke” Donaldson – WINNER
Best LGBTQ Tabletop Game of the Year Award – sponsored by It Gets Better UK

This award recognises the best tabletop game or supplemental released in 2021 with LGBTQ themes.

Nominees:

  • Adventuring With Pride: Queer We Go Again – Jack Dixon – WINNER
  • The House Doesn’t Always Win – Michael ‘Wheels’ Whelan
  • Thirsty Sword Lesbians – Evil Hat Productions
  • Wanderhome – Possum Creek Games
Best LGBTQ Comic Book Moment Award – sponsored by Square Enix London Mobile

This award recognises the best LGBTQ moment in a comic book in 2021. 

Nominees:

  • DC Pride #1 – DC Comics
  • Killer Queens – David Booher / Dark Horse Comics
  • The Pride Omnibus – ComiXology/Dark Horse Comics – WINNER
  • X-Factor #10 – Leah Williams / Marvel

Sponsors

The Gayming Awards are proudly sponsored by… 

Supporters

The Gayming Awards are proudly supported by… 

Bandai Namco – a Japanese multinational video game publisher

Green Man Gaming – a British-based online video game retailer, distributor and publisher

Space Ape Games – mobile games maker

CeX – With stores around the UK, Europe and Australia, CeX is a retailer in new and second video games, consoles and peripherals.

Ukie – the UK’s games and interactive entertainment industry trade body

game – the German Games Industry Association

Out Making Games – the UK games industry’s LGBTQ representation group

Games London – the agency promoting London as a hub of games making

Hits Radio Pride – a national digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Radio as part of the Hits Radio network