Black In Gaming Awards Show (BIG) Partners with Netflix

Black in Gaming Awards Show Returns to Honor Gaming Executives and Developers Gordon Durity, Electronic Arts; Josiana Valverde, Ubisoft, and more sponsored by Netflix.

After a year-long hiatus, The 6th Annual Black in Gaming Awards show (BIG) returns bigger and better than ever – to recognize and celebrate the significant contributions and achievements of ‘hidden figures’ in the game developer space while advocating for diversity and inclusion.

The cutting-edge event will converge at the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, on Thursday, March 23rd at 6:00 PM PST / 9:00 PM EST live in-person for the first time since 2019. The sixth annual Black in Gaming (BIG) Awards will honor content creators, developers, and gamers who have played pivotal roles in shaping the gaming industry. The awards show will also be live-streamed on Facebook and Instagram.

Honorees

Honorees include Josiana Valverde, Head of Special Projects, Diversity & Inclusion at Ubisoft receiving the Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award; Michael Lee, Senior Director Global Talent and Acquisition receiving the Industry Champion Award; Dr. Kishonna Gray, Associate Professor in Writing, Rhetoric, & Digital Studies and Africana Studies at the University of Kentucky receiving the Education Award; Shawn Alexander Allen, founder of games company NuChallenger receiving the Excellence in Design Award; and more. See the full list below.

To uplift this celebration, Netflix has returned as a partner to help enhance BIG’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

“Research shows that Blacks make up a staggering 2% of the video game industry and only 11% of Black characters are featured as the central player outside of athletes in sports games. The BIG awards underscore the need for black gaming professionals. We give executives and developers a platform to be recognized while creating a fun and unique experience – all during a time when it’s so desperately needed,” said Laura Teclemariam, Black in Gaming’s Chairwoman of the Board.

In an effort to address these disparities, The BIG Awards recently transitioned into an official 501(c) organization; which was founded with the purpose of bridging communities and creating a more equitable and representative space for all. In 2022, The BIG Foundation set out for the “BIG 5-in-5”– an organizational goal to increase Black representation in the gaming ecosystem from 2% to 5% by 2028. BIG is working with various corporations to hit this lofty– yet tangible target.

Each year, The BIG Awards showcases trailblazing change-makers within the industry and this year is no different. Previous honorees include Reggie Fils-Aime, former President/COO of Nintendo of America Inc., Julian Walshaw-Vaughan, Vice President of Engineering of Roblox, Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO of Entertainment Software Association, and more.

The complete list of Black in Gaming Awards for 2023 includes:

Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award

Josiana Valverde, Head of Special Projects, Diversity & Inclusion at Ubisoft

Legacy Award

Gordon Durity, Executive Audio Director at Electronic Arts

Champion Award

Michael Lee, Senior Director, Global Talent Acquisition at Electronic Arts

Education Award

Dr. Kishonna Gray, Associate Professor and Author at University of Kentucky

Excellence in Media

Jeffery Rousseau, Writer at Gamesindustry.biz

Excellence in Programming

Scott Anderson, Senior Graphics Engineer at Unity Technologies

Excellence in Design Award

Shawn Alexander Allen, Founder of NuChallenger

Industry Spotlight Award

PlayStation Studio QA

Indie Developer Award

Glow Up Studio

Legacy Award Gordon Durity Executive Audio Director at Electronic Arts
Excellence in Design Award Shawn Alexander Allen Founder of NuChallenger
Excellence in Media Jeffery Rousseau Writer at Gamesindustry.biz
Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award Josiana Valverde Head of Special Projects, Diversity & Inclusion at Ubisoft
Champion Award Michael Lee Senior Director, Global Talent Acquisition at Electronic Arts
Indie Developer Award Latoya Peterson Co-Founder and CXO Glow Up Studio
Excellence in Programming Scott Anderson Senior Graphics Engineer at Unity Technologies
Education Award Dr. Kishonna Gray Associate Professor and Author at University of Kentucky
Industry Spotlight Award PlayStation Studio QA

For more information on Black In Gaming, please visit www.thebigfoundation.org

ABOUT BLACK IN GAMING FOUNDATION

The Black in Gaming (BIG) Foundation, a 501(c) organization, is a volunteer community dedicated to cultivating, supporting, and promoting Black professionals in the video game industry. By actively working on creating opportunities for Black people in the video game industry, BIG also develops action plans to combat systemic institutionalized racism that manifests itself in unsafe spaces, microaggressions, and hidden discrimination in the workplace.

More at www.thebigfoundation.org

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Tags: #Gaming, Awards, Black in Gaming, Black In Gaming Awards, Black in Gaming Foundation, Happenings, Netflix, San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.