NYX Game Awards 2026
Competition Brief
The NYX Game Awards is an international recognition program operated under the International Awards Associate (IAA), a network of over 34 awards programs across creative industries. The competition targets video game developers, marketing agencies, publishers, and studios from any country worldwide, covering both independent and major productions.
Entries span multiple platforms including PC, mobile, console (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), and Meta Quest VR. The program also includes categories for game creativity, marketing campaigns, audio, design, and digital content, making it one of the broader award programs in scope within the gaming sector.
Games must have been released after January 1, 2024, or be currently in development. Submissions are entirely online.
Intent
To provide a global recognition platform for video games, game design, interactive entertainment, and related creative work across both AAA and independent studios worldwide.
Purpose
The awards aim to offer international visibility and credibility to developers, studios, publishers, and creative agencies working across all gaming platforms and formats. Winners gain access to press tools, featured profiles, and media coverage through the IAA network.
Requirements
- Entry must have been created or released within the last 2 years (after January 1, 2024)
- Entries may come from any country
- Both published and unpublished (in-development) games are eligible
- Entry brief recommended at approximately 350 words
- Audio/video must be submitted via a direct URL on YouTube, Vimeo, or Youku
- Non-English entries must include a written translation or adaptation
- Judging is blind — entrant information is removed from all submissions
- Scoring is on a scale of 1 to 100 across five criteria: Creativity/Concept, Content/Planning/Execution, Visuals/Design, Innovation/Functionality, and Overall Impression
Jury
The 2026 NYX Game Awards Grand Jury Panel includes the following members:
- Ralph Miller – Creative Executive Producer, RMP/San Francisco. 34 years in project development and design. Executive producer at Nintendo overseeing tradeshow design and special projects.
- Vladimir Gersl – Executive Producer, GoldKnights. Two BAFTA nominations. Former lead roles with Activision and Sony. CEO of Cyber Sail Consulting.
- Achim Heidelauf – Founder and Consultant, Heathrun Consulting. Over 25 years in the game industry. Worked on Victor Vran, Martha is Dead, and Chorus.
- Robert Wesołowski – CEO, KLABATER. Two decades in the video game sector. Former finance and operations role at CD PROJEKT SA. Collaborations with Blizzard, Activision, and Disney.
- Brent Liang – Founding Team, Fractal. Venture background at Goat Capital, co-founded by Twitch founder Justin Kan.
- Amelia Xi Li – Integrated Media Designer, RLMG. Master’s degree in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University. Worked on Among Us VR, Party Versus (Meta Quest), and Puzzle Sculpt (Apple Vision Pro).
- Vasily Petrenko – CEO and Co-Founder, Another World VR Corporation. Global leader in free-roam VR experiences for location-based entertainment. Co-founded Time Quest Lab in 2014.
- Vitalii Lustin – Game Client Developer, SpinPlay Games. Over a decade of experience in online casino and social gaming. Previously contributed to Yggdrasil Gaming.
- Alex Brodsky – CEO, Playsense. Former head of Wargaming’s in-house agency. Clients include Riot Games, Ubisoft, Krafton, and Tencent.
- Sai Krishna Chaitanya Chigili – Game Data Engineer, Amazon Games. Google Certified Professional Data Engineer specializing in scalable data infrastructure for gaming.
- Karla Reyes – Founder and Studio Director, Anima Interactive and Code Coven. Head of Business Development at Code Coven global accelerator. Co-founded Square Enix RED.
- Rupali Sharma – Senior Product Manager, Take Two Interactive. Over eight years in game technology at Take Two and Electronic Arts. Worked on FIFA, Sims, and Apex Legends.
- Aland Failde – Senior Vice President Marketing, Second Dinner Studios. Harvard Business School MBA. Former marketing roles at Blizzard (Hearthstone) and Activision (Call of Duty, Destiny).
- Ed Mills – Co-Founder and CEO, Hitcents and Hero Digital Entertainment. Pioneer in mobile gaming with Hollywood connections including Tom Hanks and Stan Lee.
- Anton Söderhäll – Executive Producer, Goodbye Kansas. Involved in over 150 projects spanning AAA games, film, TV, and interactive media. Specialist in digital humans and performance capture.
- Ahmad Al-Natsheh – CEO and Technical Director, Khosouf Studio Middle East FZ LLC (UAE and Saudi Arabia). Over 10 years across PlayStation titles, educational software, and large-scale VR theme park experiences.
- Xianzhe Li – Co-Founder and CTO, WhisperGames. Publisher of Disco Elysium, Wildermyth, and Conan Exiles. Has evaluated over 10,000 games.
- Kristi Ramot – Founder and Marketing Manager, 360 Hydra OÜ. Pioneer of the first marketing agency exclusively serving independent game developers in the Baltic region.
- Gage Allen – Founder, CEO and Creative Director, Player One Trailers. Worked on game trailers for Baldur’s Gate 3, Stellaris, and Divinity: Original Sin 2.
- Cody (Codiak) – Co-Owner, Legacy Gaming. Over 20 years of gaming experience and 8 years in branding and marketing with major media corporations.
- John Bulahan – Game Producer II, Riot Games. Over 11 years in the industry. Credits include Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Forza Motorsport 7, and ARK: Survival Evolved.
- Jae Leong – Judging Committee Chairperson, International Awards Associate (IAA). Oversees coordination of jury panels across all IAA programs.
- Justin Patrascu – YouTuber and Content Creator. Former Java developer turned full-time gaming content creator covering RPGs, shooters, and strategy titles.
- Harivardan Jayaraman – Group Product Manager, Meta. Former roles at Kabam (Marvel: Contest of Champions) and Zynga. Builds products for over 2 billion daily users.
- Luke Wild – Content Creator, Sardonic Pale Brit / Star or Shovelware. YouTube channel focused on critiquing Nintendo Switch games, particularly indie titles.
- Maria – Content Creator, eurothug4000. YouTube video essayist since 2018 exploring the artistic and visual dimensions of video games.
- Jivitesh Singh Dhaliwal – Technical Game Designer and Developer, That’s No Moon. Master’s degree in Game Design from USC School of Cinematic Arts. Worked with Tender Claws and Sony Pictures.
- Justin Burnham – Chief Creative Officer, 3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks. Founded SXSW Gaming. Former roles at Devolver Digital and Good Shepherd Entertainment.
- Joaquin Lynch Garay – Associate Creative Director, Anomaly. Former Creative Director at Havas Worldwide New York and Leo Burnett Shanghai. Campaigns for Coca-Cola, Under Armour, and PayPal.
- Jim Redner – Founder, Redner PR. Over two decades in gaming PR. Part of the Xbox 360 launch team. Clients include Oculus VR and Gearbox/2K Games.
- Valentin Briukhanov – Lead Game Designer, CodeCombat. Over 9 years in game design specializing in educational gaming content for CheckiO, Ozaria, and CodeCombat.
- Lisa Pendse – Vice President of Marketing, Quantic Dream (Paris). Nearly 20 years of marketing expertise. Former worldwide marketing lead for the Just Dance franchise.
- Claire Ferrin – Content Creator and Freelance Writer. Over 10 years covering the video game industry. Runs the YouTube channel fgw specializing in walkthroughs and indie highlights.
- Olga Iadreeva – Head of 2D Animation, MYTONA. Oversees animation quality and directs in-game sequence storyboards for international productions.
- Mike Sorrenti – Producer and Creative Director, Game Pill Inc. Over 16 years in interactive media. Produced over 100 game titles for clients including Nickelodeon, Marvel, and National Geographic.
- Michael Spegar – Senior Account Manager, CITIES. Managed physical releases of Fortnite, Minecraft Legends, and Stardew Valley across North America.
- Emily Black – Software Engineer and Game Curator, Blizzard Entertainment. Former roles at Mojang and Xbox. Key contributor to Minecraft Legends launch and Xbox Game Pass strategy.
Entry Fees
| Entry Type | Early Bird May 8 – Jun 3, 2026 | Regular Jun 4 – Jul 1, 2026 | Final Jul 2 – Aug 5, 2026 | Final Extension Aug 6 – Sep 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Category – 1st Entry | $250 | $270 | $290 | $310 |
| Game Category – Additional Category | $165 | $185 | $195 | $205 |
| Game Category – Additional Entry | $250 | $270 | $290 | $310 |
| Game Creativity – 1st Entry (Single) | $115 | $135 | $155 | $165 |
| Game Creativity – 1st Entry (Campaign) | $185 | $205 | $215 | $225 |
| Game Creativity – Additional Category (Single) | $95 | $110 | $120 | $130 |
| Game Creativity – Additional Category (Campaign) | $130 | $150 | $160 | $165 |
| Game Creativity – Additional Entry (Single) | $115 | $135 | $155 | $165 |
| Game Creativity – Additional Entry (Campaign) | $185 | $205 | $215 | $225 |
| Annual Administrative Fee (per participant, all periods) | $30 flat fee | |||
Note: Early Bird pricing is the lowest available entry point. Fees increase with each subsequent period.
Rewards
| Benefit | Game of the Year | Special Recognition | Grand Winner | Gold Winner | Silver Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Statuette (included) | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Eligible to Purchase Statuette | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Winner’s Highlight Page | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Mentioned in Winner Press Release | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Mentioned in e-Newsletter | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Featured on Muse.World (Media Partner) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dedicated Social Media Post | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Winner’s Interview | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated Winners’ Page | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Physical Winner’s Certificate | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Winner’s Badge and Logo Usage Rights | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Press Release Template | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 5-Year Listing on NYX Website | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Note: No cash prizes are awarded. Rewards are recognition-based. The physical statuette is only included for Game of the Year and Special Recognition winners. All other levels may purchase it separately.
Key Dates
| Period | Dates |
|---|---|
| Early Bird Entry Period | May 8 – Jun 3, 2026 |
| Regular Entry Period | Jun 4 – Jul 1, 2026 |
| Final Entry Period | Jul 2 – Aug 5, 2026 |
| Final Extension Period | Aug 6 – Sep 9, 2026 |
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
The NYX Game Awards is organized by the International Awards Associate (IAA), a commercial entity operating over 34 parallel award programs across various creative sectors. The jury panel is publicly disclosed and includes professionals from studios such as Riot Games, Take Two Interactive, Blizzard, Amazon Games, and Quantic Dream, which provides a measurable degree of transparency. That said, the program functions primarily as a fee-based commercial recognition platform rather than an industry peer-reviewed award. Entry fees range from $115 to $310 per submission with no cash prizes offered, placing the financial value entirely on visibility and badge-based marketing. For independent developers and small studios, participation may serve as a portfolio credential or PR tool, though the practical weight of this award within the core gaming industry remains limited compared to bodies such as BAFTA Games or The Game Awards. The broad category structure, exceeding 300 entries, raises questions about the selectivity of the evaluation process.
Final Thoughts
The NYX Game Awards operates within a well-documented commercial awards ecosystem run by the IAA. The organizer has a traceable history across multiple creative industries and has attracted entries from recognized studios including Sony Interactive Entertainment, Naughty Dog, Bethesda, and Electronic Arts.
However, it functions differently from industry-driven awards. There are no cash prizes. The statuette is free only for the top two tiers and must be purchased separately by all other winners. With over 300 categories, winning a category is not necessarily a mark of standing out against a highly curated field.
For studios and developers looking to build international visibility, add credentials to a portfolio, or generate press material, the program offers practical tools at a defined cost. For those seeking peer-level recognition within the core gaming industry, the weight of this award may not carry the same standing as more selective, non-commercial programs.
The jury composition is relatively transparent and includes professionals from across the industry spectrum, from AAA producers to indie-focused marketers and content creators. This breadth supports diverse evaluation but also reflects the program’s wide-net approach. Those interested in design and creative competitions across industries will find this program consistent with how commercial recognition programs generally operate globally.
Registration Deadline
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