2019 SXSW Gaming Awards nominees announced

Published , by Charles Singletary Jr

The gaming presence continues to grow at the SXSW, the yearly conglomerate of film, interactive content, and music festivals in Austin, TX, and part of that experience is the award show that happens on the penultimate day of the full event. Today, the South by Southwest programming team has revealed the finalists across the 21 unique categories for the 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards. The show is dedicated to both AAA and indie developers and gives honors to games, teams, and individuals across the gaming industry.

“2018 was an incredible year in the gaming industry,” said Andrew McNeill, Gaming Conference Manager at SXSW Gaming, in the press release for the announcement. “Developers large and small took leaps of faith to provide players with experiences unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.”

The 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards winners are determined by a weighted total between public and advisory board votes. Public votes start today and end on February 17, 2019. The event takes place on March 16 at 7 PM CT in Austin, TX and SXSW Gaming wristband and SXSW badge holders can attend the show at the Hilton Austin Downtown. If you're planning to attend, you should check out the SXSW 2019 keynotes and speakers. The Gaming Awards categories and nominees can all be found below.

2019 SXSW Gaming Awards Nominees

VR Game of the Year
Awarded to the VR game that exemplifies overall excellence in gameplay and design across any VR platform.

Excellence in SFX
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects.

Excellence in Art
Awarded to the game with the most expressive and creative artistic style.

Excellence in Animation
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding animations.

Excellence in Gameplay
Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics.

Excellence in Technical Achievement
Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming.

Excellence in Multiplayer
Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.

Excellence in Narrative
Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.

Excellence in Visual Achievement
Awarded to the game with the most well-designed and stunning visuals.

Excellence in Convergence
Awarded to the game that excels in crossover to other entertainment mediums such as film, music, toys, animation, sports and more.

Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award
Awarded to the game that best challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character, or gameplay.

Excellence in Musical Score
Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game.

Excellence in Design
Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept and best execution.

Most Promising New Intellectual Property
Awarded to a new property that risked creating something fresh and that excelled within its genre or category for the year.

Most Evolved Game
Awarded to the game that was enhanced with the best additional content after its original release.

Most Promising New Esports Game
Awarded to the online game that has the best competitive scene, or potential to grow one, and most entertainment value.

Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game
Awarded to the game that was primarily produced via crowdfunding platforms and had excelled beyond the expectations set before it.

Trending Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that consistently entertained and kept us watching on social platforms with its humor, stories, and more.

The 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards take place Saturday, March 16 at 7 PM CT and is open to all SXSW badge and wristband holders. SXSW runs from March 8 to March 17, with SXSW Gaming happening on the last two days of the event. Stay tuned to Shacknews for additional gaming and tech updates.