GMAs return with focus on talent and youth

The Games Media Awards will return this autumn to celebrate journalism in this vibrant sector. And this year a new element will be added to the mix – the Games Media Academy.

The Games Media Awards will again reward every area of games media. The prestigious Games Writer of the Year accolade will return (see below). Also, this year a new award/competition is being added which aims to discover the games writers of tomorrow.

The Games Media Academy is open to anyone looking for a first foot on the ladder. This special prize will see the winner celebrated on the night, but importantly he/she will be offered paid commissions by the leading media outlets in the games industry worth 1,000. As well as providing invaluable experience, the winner will be mentored by some of the biggest names in games media – including last year’s Games Writer of the Year, IGN’s Keza MacDonald. See below for full details of this new award.

Another change for this year, the awards (with the exception of the Games Writer of the Year and Games Media Academy accolades) will be judged by the games press only. No PRs will be invited on the judging panel.

THE CATEGORIES

Games Magazine
Games Website
Specialist Writer – Print
Specialist Writer – Online
National Newspaper – Writer
Mainstream Magazine – Writer
Games Video
Games Radio or Podcast
Games Blog
Rising Star
Coverage by a Mainstream Website
Top Tweeter
Games Media Academy
Games Writer of the Year
Games Media Legend

Lobbying opens now and runs until July 26th. You can begin lobbying now for yourself, a colleague, a favourite media brand or individual, or even a competitor. Simply email gma@intentmedia.co.uk.

NEED TO KNOW

Where: Vinopolis, Bankside, London
When: Thursday October 10th
Lobbying Opens: Now! Email your suggestions to gma@intentmedia.co.uk or gmacademy@intentmedia.co.uk for the Games Media Academy award.
Trade Tickets:Kathryn.Humphrey@intentmedia.co.uk
Sponsorship:Caroline@indigopearl.com

GAMES WRITER OF THE YEAR

After its successful debut in 2012, the Games Writer of the Year Award is returning to reward excellence in games journalism.

All games journalists – specialist, non-specialist, print and online – can enter this category. Journalists simply need to submit a piece of writing published since October 18th last year.

Once again, the nominations will be judged – totally anonymously – by award-winning journalist and Guardian columnist Tim Lott.

Submissions must be made by Monday July 26th via gma@intentmedia.co.uk

GAMES MEDIA ACADEMY

An exciting new award for this year, the Games Media Academy is supported by Future, IGN, Network-N and, of course, Intent Media.

This category is open to anyone who is currently NOT paid as a member of the games press. The award will be promoted to consumers via the games press, the media press and through media courses at universities.

Submissions should be up to 400 words long and can be a games preview, review, interview, opinion or analytical feature. The only proviso is that the piece is about video games. Consumers can enter via the gmacademy@intentmedia.co.uk email address.

12 finalists will be chosen and announced at the beginning of August and their work will be showcased in a special supplement published with MCV.

The judging panel for this category will include:

Alex Simmons – Editor-In-Chief, IGN
Richard Keith– Publisher, Future
Tim Edwards– Creative Director Network-N
Keza McDonald– UK Games Editor, IGN – and the 2012 Games Writer of the Year
Michael French– Editor-In-Chief, MCV & Develop

The winner will be announced on November 10th at the Games Media Awards ceremony. The winner will also receive 1,000 of freelance commissions from IGN, Future, Network-N and MCV/Develop.

For more information contact gmacademy@intentmedia.co.uk