gameawards.com

What gameawards.com Is and What The Game Awards Are

The website gameawards.com is the official online home of The Game Awards, an annual awards show that honors excellence in the video game industry. It’s where you’ll find information about nominees, winners, categories, voting details, livestreams, and other news related to the event and its live ceremony each year.

The Game Awards were created in 2014 by video game journalist Geoff Keighley after his work on the Spike Video Game Awards and have become one of the most watched events in gaming. Held in Los Angeles, the awards celebrate achievements across game design, storytelling, performance, innovation, esports, community engagement, and more.

The show is known for mixing traditional award presentations with world premieres of upcoming games, trailers, and special announcements from major developers and publishers.

How The Game Awards Works

Eligibility and voting:
Games released before a cutoff date in November each year are eligible for nomination. A panel of industry media outlets and critics — often over 100 organizations — votes on nominees. Winners are typically chosen by a 90% jury vote and 10% fan vote (the latter conducted online and through social platforms such as Discord or regional voting platforms).

The categories cover many aspects of game creation and culture:

  • Game of the Year (GOTY) – the most prestigious award, judged on overall excellence.
  • Craft awards – including Best Game Direction, Narrative, Art Direction, Music, Audio, etc.
  • Genre-specific awards – like Best Action Game, Best RPG, Best Family Game, and more.
  • Special categories – such as Best Esports Game, Content Creator of the Year, Innovation in Accessibility, and Players’ Voice (which is directly fan-voted).

The show also includes performances and industry celebrations beyond awards, designed to spotlight both creative achievements and upcoming developments in gaming.

Historic Winners and Recent Highlights

The Game Awards have crowned Game of the Year winners since their first ceremony in 2014. Over time, the winners list has become a snapshot of what games and developers defined each year.

Here’s a quick look at some past Game of the Year winners up to the latest 2025 event:

  • 2014Dragon Age: Inquisition
  • 2015The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • 2016Overwatch
  • 2017The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • 2018God of War
  • 2019Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
  • 2020The Last of Us Part II
  • 2021It Takes Two
  • 2022Elden Ring
  • 2023Baldur’s Gate 3
  • 2024Astro Bot
  • 2025Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (the night’s biggest winner, taking multiple awards including Game of the Year)

The 2025 ceremony was notable in how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated across major categories such as Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, and others, highlighting both its technical and creative success.

What You’ll Find on the Official Site

On gameawards.com, the official site, you can expect to find:

  • Nominee lists across all categories for the current year.
  • Winners pages after the live event concludes.
  • Historical archives (Rewind) of past shows and winners.
  • FAQ and information pages explaining the show format, voting, and streaming details.
  • Access to livestreams and voting links during the active awards period.

The site is updated annually to reflect current nominees and winners, typically in November and December, in the lead-up to or immediately after the ceremony.

Why It Matters

For developers and publishers, winning at The Game Awards can significantly raise a game’s profile and boost sales or community engagement. For players, it’s a chance to see which titles are being recognized by peers and critics, and to catch announcements about upcoming games and industry trends.

Over the years, the awards have grown in influence and global viewership, with millions tuning in online from around the world. They’ve also sparked conversations about what makes a great game and have highlighted the diversity of experiences within the medium.

Key Takeaways

  • gameawards.com is the official site for The Game Awards, the major annual video game awards show.
  • The show was founded in 2014 by Geoff Keighley and mixes awards with trailers and world premieres.
  • Winners are chosen by a combination of jury votes and fan voting.
  • The top honor, Game of the Year, highlights the best overall game of that year.
  • Recent winners like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 illustrate evolving trends and industry strengths.

FAQ

Q: When does The Game Awards take place?
Most years it’s held in early to mid-December, with nominees announced in November.

Q: Can fans vote for the awards?
Yes — fan voting makes up about 10% of the decision in most categories and is done online.

Q: Are only blockbuster games nominated?
No — both AAA and independent games are eligible, and indie titles have won top awards. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in 2025 is a recent example.

Q: Where is the ceremony held?
The show has been held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles for many years.

Q: Does the site stream the awards?
Yes — gameawards.com links to livestreams and often embeds broadcast options during the event.

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