- Winners will be announced at the BAFTA Games Awards on Thursday 30 March from 18.50 BST, exclusively live on BAFTA’s Twitch channel
BAFTA today announces the nominations for the 2023 BAFTA Games Awards, celebrating the very best in games of 2022. A total of 45 games received nominations.
View the full list of nominations HERE.
The nominations announced today highlight a broad range of British-made and international games, from the biggest studios to small independent development teams.
Celebrating the art and craft of games and the people who make them, the BAFTA Games Awards bring the very best work of 2022 to wider public attention and inspire game-makers of the future.
Highlights include:
- 14 nominations for God of War Ragnarök
- Eight nominations for Stray
- Seven nominations for Elden Ring
- Five nominations each for A Plague Tale: Requiem, Horizon Forbidden West, Immortality, Tunic and Vampire Survivors
- Four nominations for Citizen Sleeper
Games and esports presenter Julia Hardy, alongside four of Twitch’s top streamers, (Tubbo, CaptainPuffy, Leahviathan and Sharese), announced the nominations today via livestream exclusively on BAFTA’s Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/bafta.
God of War Ragnarök, the follow-up to the BAFTA-winning God of War, is the most-nominated game since the BAFTA Games Awards began in 2004.
BAFTA’s Game Beyond Entertainment category features games with social issues at their core and tackle a range of topics from climate change and deforestation to dementia and fake news.
Nominations in the Game Beyond Entertainment category are: Citizen Sleeper, Endling – Extinction is Forever, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, I Was A Teenage Exocolonist, Not For Broadcast and We’ll Always Have Paris
Nine of the 12 people named in the Performer categories are among this year’s first-time nominees. They are: Alain Mesa, Charlotte McBurney, Manon Gage, Siobhan Williams, Adam J Harrington, Alison Jaye, Charlotta Mohlin, Laya Deleon Hayes and Ryan Hurst. The other three – Christopher Judge, Sunny Suljic and Danielle Bisutti – were previously nominated in 2019 for their performances in 2018’s God of War.
Voting is now open for the EE Game of the Year, the only award voted for by the public. The shortlist is Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West, Immortality, Marvel Snap and Stray. Vote now at https://ee.co.uk/baftagames.
Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said: “Congratulations to all our nominees, and to the thousands of talented craftspeople behind today’s nominated games. This year’s BAFTA Games Awards recognise extraordinary storytelling, craft and performance. It’s a real privilege, not only to celebrate the breadth and depth of talent in the games industry, but also to bring their work to wider the public. I can’t wait to celebrate the achievements of this vibrant industry at the ceremony on 30 March.”
Tara Saunders, Chair of BAFTA’s Games Committee, said: “It’s fantastic to see such a broad and diverse range of games celebrated in this year’s BAFTA Games Awards nominations – with indie titles, mobile games and triple-A blockbusters all represented and competing across multiple categories. It is heartening to see so many games, especially those in Game Beyond Entertainment category, that tackle complex issues and discuss the world around through engaging and enriching stories in ways only possible within our medium. I firmly believe that all these nominees represent the very best in their craft and, whether deep and meaningful or just good honest fun, show us just how essential games are in our lives, culture and society.”
The BAFTA Games Awards will take place on Thursday 30 March at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and will be livestreamed exclusively on BAFTA’s Twitch channel from 18.50 BST. Games and esports host Frankie Ward will host the ceremony; the hosts for the livestream show will be announced soon.
More than 1,000 BAFTA games members and specialist juries comprising experienced games industry practitioners, from a range of backgrounds in game development and production, voted for today’s nominations, as well as the winners that will be announced on 30 March.
The Awards are supported by BAFTA’s Official Games Partners Epic Games, Playstation and Xbox, with EE sponsoring the Game of the Year Award, the only award voted for by the public. Find out more at www.bafta.org/games/awards/partners.
BAFTA curates a year-round global programme of events and initiatives that support the games industry. This includes events for the industry at large and a bespoke programme for BAFTA members and BAFTA Connect, a new type of global BAFTA membership for individuals actively building their careers and networks in the film, games and television industries. The BAFTA Games programme includes masterclasses, panels and networking events alongside the annual BAFTA Games sessions which platform the annual nominees through a series of events and showcases. BAFTA’s Young Game Designer initiative gives educators and young people aged 10-18 an insight into the industry and access to expertise to help develop their ideas and build networks.
The BAFTA Games Awards is part of the London Games Festival, which runs from 29 March to 8 April online and at in-person venues. Find out more at https://games.london/.
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Accreditation
Accreditation for this year’s BAFTA Games Awards is now open. To apply, email [email protected]. Accreditation closes on Thursday 16 March, 23.59 GMT.
Notes to Editors:-
Categories for top nominated Games
God of War Ragnarök (14) – Animation, Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Best Game, Game Design, Music, Narrative, Performer in a Leading Role (2), Performer in a Supporting role (4) and Technical Achievement
Stray (8) – Animation, Audio Achievement, Best Game, Debut Game, Music, Narrative, Original Property and Technical Achievement
Elden Ring (7) – Artistic Achievement, Best Game, Game Design, Multiplayer, Music, Original Property and Technical Achievement.
A Plague Tale: Requiem (5) – Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Music, Narrative and Performer in a Leading Role.
Horizon Forbidden West (5) – Animation, Audio Achievement, Game Design, Performer in a Supporting Role and Technical Achievement.
Immortality (5) – Artistic Achievement, Narrative, Performer in a Leading Role, Performer in a Supporting Role and Technical Achievement.
Tunic (5) – Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Debut Game, Game Design and Music.
Vampire Survivors (5) – Best Game, British Game, Debut Game, Game Design and Original Property.
Citizen Sleeper (4) – British Game, Game Beyond Entertainment, Narrative and Original Property.
The BAFTA Games Awards is part of the London Games Festival, which runs from 29 March to 8 April online and at in-person venues. Other festival highlights include the return of Ensemble, an exhibition celebrating UK games professionals from Black, Asian and underrepresented ethnicities, and the Games Finance Market. LGF is backed by the Mayor of London and delivered by Games London – an initiative from the city’s screen industries agency Film London and video game trade body Ukie (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment), which has generated nearly £100m for games businesses since 2015.
About BAFTA
BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For more, visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726).
