How to win an Indie Publishing Award
Awards and criteria detailed inside
Alongside our brand new digital event -- GI Live: Online -- we will debut a special awards event to celebrate excellence in publishing, investment and promotion of indie games.
The awards will cover investment, crowd-funding, PR and marketing, publishing generally, community management and storefronts, and we will also reveal the best unsigned game from the GI Live: Online showcase.
For a chance to win an award, we will need you to submit some details as to why you should be considered. We except nominations on behalf of yourself and on behalf of other businesses. Lobbying closes Friday, February 26th. The GamesIndustry.biz team will then whittle down the finalists to a shortlist, where a panel of industry judges will help decide the ultimate winner.
An indie game, for the purposes of this event, is any game primarily developed by a team that is not publicly owned or owned by a larger corporation. If you want to check whether you are eligible, please contact chris.dring@gamesindustry.biz. Indie publishers are publishers of indie content, not necessarily an independently-owned publisher, so the likes of Team17, Private Division and EA are welcome to take part.
You can enter the awards through here.
Here are the details of the criteria for each category, which should help you with your entry.
Indie PR & Marketing Campaign of the Year
Who is eligible?
Any indie developer, publisher or agency that ran a strong PR & marketing campaign in 2020 for an independently-made video game. Campaigns can take in social media, online promotions, store activity, trailers, media coverage, and general advertising.
Judging criteria:
Effective communication with gamers through own channels and media (paid and organic)
Innovation and creativity in marketing and communication activity
Able to demonstrate influence on commercial performance
Impact vs size of the budget
Overall strategy approach
How do I make my opinion heard?
All readers can put forward a nominee via this form. Please include supporting campaign details, success metrics and any relevant testimonials.
Crowd-funding Campaign of the Year
Who is eligible?
Any indie developer or publisher that ran a successful crowd-funding campaign for a new indie game in 2020.
Judging criteria:
Strong communication with gamers and backers
Effective use of stretch goals
Influence on funding results
Media Coverage
Community engagement
Customer satisfaction
How do I make my opinion heard?
All readers can put forward a nominee via this form. Please include supporting campaign details, success metrics and any relevant testimonials.
Indie Publisher of the Year
Who is eligible?
Any indie publisher that published or supported one or more indie game in 2020, delivering strong commercial success and brand awareness.
Judging criteria:
Store relations
Product(s) coverage
Commercial performance
Marketing success
Developer relations
How do I make my opinion heard?
All readers can put forward a nominee via this form. Please include supporting details of successful products, including metrics, and any relevant testimonials.
Indie Investor of the Year
Who is eligible?
Any games investor of indie studios or games in 2020, who go beyond simply investing in the team, and works with teams to deliver growth, whilst respecting studio independence
Judging criteria:
Developer relationship(s)
Funding flexibility
Going beyond investment to support the team
Respecting studio independence
Connections
Demonstration of investment success
How do I make my opinion heard?
All readers can put forward a nominee via this form. Please include supporting details of any investment success, including metrics, and any relevant testimonials.
Indie Community Management of The Year
Who is eligible?
Any external and/or internal community team or individual that delivered excellent support for an indie game in 2020.
Judging criteria:
Influence on audience
Effective communication
Impact against budget
Creativity and innovation
How do I make my opinion heard?
All readers can put forward a nominee via this form. Please include supporting campaign details, success metrics and any relevant testimonials.
Storefront of the Year
Who is eligible?
Any games storefront that promoted or sold video games from indies in 2020.
Judging criteria:
Promotion of indie content
Discoverability of products
Commercial success for indie teams
Support for indie teams
How do I make my opinion heard?
All readers can put forward a nominee via this form. Please include any details of 2020 successes, including metrics and any relevant testimonials.
Unsigned Game of the Show
Who is eligible?
Any game without a publisher that was showcased as part of GI Live: Online
Judging criteria:
Innovation
Quality of demo/trailer
Effective pitch
How do I make my opinion heard?
This award is entirely judged by ReedPop journalists based on games submitted to GI Live: Online. Games that will be considered are titles included in the GI Live: Online showcase, and you must upload your game by Friday, April 2nd to be considered.
Special Recognition Award
Who is eligible?
Any individual or company who has achieved excellent support for the indie games community in 2020
Judging criteria:
The GamesIndustry.biz will pick a winner based on advice from the industry
How do I make my opinion heard?
Please email chris.dring@gamesindustry.biz with any individual or business who you feel should be recognised by Friday, February 26th.