Presenters Will Include Michael Anthony, Talent from G4TV, Kadeem Hardison, ESL Gaming’s Ramon Hermann, Maria Ho, Cxmmunity’s Ryan Johnson, Doug Jones, Ivan Mbakop, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team, Taybor Pepper, Corey Reynolds, Cory Strassburger, Stephanie Sheh, Alan Tudyk, World Boxing’s Butterbean & Larry Holmes and WrestleQuest’s Jeff Jarrett
The South by Southwest® Gaming Awards (SXSW®), celebrating the wide reach of gaming across areas such as art, design, narrative, gameplay, cultural innovation, and more, has today announced that this year’s virtual Ceremony will be co-hosted by two of TV’s freshest faces — Jana Morrison (“Astrid”; Dragalia Lost video game, voice talent, English version) and Samantha Aucoin (“Lilly”), the heroic leads of Astrid & Lilly Save the World, SyFy network’s new, critically acclaimed series hailed as a “charming” and “refreshing” modern take on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. In addition, a diverse roster of presenters from entertainment and sports has been assembled (see below), as well as some special partnerships and premiere content set to shape this ninth annual gaming industry celebration into a distinct, must-stream awards season event, Produced by Georgia-based Peach Maria Productions (pronounced muh-RY-uh), executive produced by Laurie Lockliear (upcoming esports reality competition series GameMaster), the Awards will stream for free as part of SXSW Online on March 12, 2022, at 7 p.m. CT.
Several platforms will be integrated to create the SXSW 2022 experience across web, mobile and TV. A dedicated SXSW TV app can be accessed via Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV. In addition, SXSW TV is now available on iOS and Android. Additional live content, including Keynotes, Featured Sessions and Music Showcases, can be found in each of the 24-hour channels, during the SXSW 2022 event dates (March 11-20, 2022)..
In terms of content, this year’s Ceremony will feature a first-ever integrated animated narrative, produced by Web3 animation studio, Toonstar (The Gimmicks, the first community-driven animated NFT series), in partnership with 6th Wall, the Web3 arm of Mila Kunis’ Orchard Farm Productions (Stoner Cats), Featuring a signature quirky, expressive and fast-paced animation style, these NFT animated characters and their friends set on a misguided adventure to this year’s SXSW Gaming Awards and beyond. See “The Gimmicks Road to SXSW” teaser clip HERE. In addition, viewers of this year’s Ceremony on March 12 will have special access to an exclusive offer from The Gimmicks.
Plus, TIk Tok sensation, pop punk band Punk Rock Factory (YouTube; Disney’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” cover) has written a new song, with its energetic video making its world premiere during the show. According to the South Wales-based band, they “rehearse, write, record, mix, master and film everything themselves in one dedicated space affectionately called The Sausage Factory and frequently bring friends along to enjoy the fun.”
The presenters reflect the most dynamic talent, executives and storytellers across the film/TV/music/gaming industry and sports, and represent some of the most distinctive and acclaimed projects in entertainment.
Presenters and talent appearing include (in alphabetical order):
- Michael Anthony, (Raising Dion, upcoming Paramount family action film Secret Headquarters)
- Kadeem Hardison, (upcoming AMC’s Moonhaven, A Different World)
- Ramon Hermann, SVP Americas, ESL Gaming
- Maria Ho (Women in Poker HALL OF FAME 2018 inductee, The Amazing Race)
- Cast members from G4TV’s Attack of the Show, Invitation to Party and XPlay
- Ryan Johnson, CEO, Cxmmunity
- Doug Jones (Star Trek: Discovery, upcoming Hocus Pocus 2)
- Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team
- Ivan Mbakop (Hawkeye)
- Taybor Pepper (NFL/San Francisco 49er’s long snapper, former Michigan State Spartan)
- Corey Reynolds (Resident Alien)
- Cory Strassburger (a.k.a. “Blu,” visual effects artist and one-man-band creator of YouTube show Xanadu)
- Stephanie Sheh (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, voice actress, ADR director, writer and producer)
- Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien, upcoming Disney’s Peter Pan & Wendy)
- World Boxing’s Eric “Butterbean” Esch (3x Super Heavyweight Champion) & Larry Holmes (Hall of Fame Boxer & Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World)
- WrestleQuest’s Jeff Jarrett(My World with Jeff Jarrett)
“We’re so excited…NO… ECSTATIC to be your hosts for the 2022 SXSW Gaming Awards!,” said first-time co-hosts, Astrid & Lilly Save The World co-stars and on/off-set best friends Jana Morrison (“Astrid”) and Samantha Aucoin (“Lilly”). “As gamers and award show season stans, we promise an all-out good time with plenty of fun surprises.”
For more of the ladies’ reaction, watch HERE. Catch all-new episodes of Astrid & Lilly Save The World on Wednesdays at 10 P.M. ET/PT on SYFY.
As previously announced live on G4TV’s XPlay, leading nominees include: “Kena: Bridge of Spirits,” from developer and publisher Ember Lab, scored four nominations. Five titles – “Deathloop,” “Inscryption,” “Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker,” “Forza Horizon 5” and “Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” – each took three nominations.
Additionally, 12 titles received two nominations each, including “Before Your Eyes,” “Chicory: A Colorful Tale,” “Hell Let Loose,” “It Takes Two,” “Loop Hero,” “Lost Words: Beyond the Page,” “Resident Evil Village,” “Returnal,” “The Medium,” “The Wild At Heart,” “Unpacking” and “Valheim.”
Each year the SXSW Gaming Awards honor excellence throughout the industry, celebrating the talent that influences the medium and culture of gaming. The annual Gaming Awards celebrate the technical, artistic and design achievements of each year’s best titles and their creators. Following a rigorous process of nominee selections, this year’s Awards will feature 40 unique games contending for honors in 12 categories (see list of nominees below).
As with each year, the SXSW community voted between February 1-8, 2022. Final winners will be determined through a weighted total of public voting, advisory board and SXSW staff input.
2022 FINAL NOMINEES
(Listed by Game, Developer and Publisher)
SXSW GAME OF THE YEAR
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker | SQUARE ENIX® | SQUARE ENIX® |
| It Takes Two | Hazelight | Electronic Arts |
| Psychonauts 2 | Double Fine Productions | Xbox Game Studios |
| Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Resident Evil Village | Capcom | Capcom |
INDIE GAME OF THE YEAR
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Chicory: A Colorful Tale | Greg Lobanov | Finji |
| Death’s Door | Acid Nerve | Devolver Digital |
| Inscryption | Daniel Mullins Games | Devolver Digital |
| Kena: Bridge of Spirits | Ember Lab | Ember Lab |
| Loop Hero | Four Quarters | Devolver Digital |
| Lost Words: Beyond the Page | Sketchbook Games | Modus Games |
| The Medium | Bloober Team | Bloober Team |
| The Wild At Heart | Moonlight Kids | Humble Games |
| Unpacking | Witch Beam | Humble Games |
| Valheim | Iron Gate Studio | Coffee Stain Publishing |
TABLETOP GAME OF THE YEAR
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Cascadia | Randy Flyn, Beth Sobel, Dylan Mangini, Molly Johnson, Robert Melvin, Kevin Russ, and Shawn Stankewich | Flatout Games |
| Dune: Imperium | Dire Wolf Digital | Dire Wolf Digital |
| Oath: Chronicles of Empire & Exile | Cole Wehrle | Leder Games |
| Roll Camera! The Filmmaking Board Game | Malachi Ray Rempen | Keen Bean Studio |
| That Time You Killed Me | Peter C. Hayward, Jeff Fraser, and Alex Cutler | Pandasaurus Games |
VR GAME OF THE YEAR
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| After The Fall | Vertigo Games | Vertigo Games |
| Demeo | Resolution Games | Resolution Games |
| Lone Echo II | Ready at Dawn | Oculus Studios |
| Resident Evil 4 VR | Armature Studio | Oculus Studios |
| Song in the Smoke | 17-BIT | 17-BIT |
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.
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Before Your Eyes | GoodbyeWorld Games | Skybound Games |
| Chicory: A Colorful Tale | Greg Lobanov | Finji |
| Life is Strange: True Colors | Deck Nine Games | SQUARE ENIX® |
| Lost Words: Beyond the Page | Sketchbook Games | Modus Games |
| Unpacking | Witch Beam | Humble Games |
EXCELLENCE IN ANIMATION, ART & VISUAL ACHIEVEMENT
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Deathloop | Arkane Lyon | Bethesda Softworks |
| Exo One | Exbleative | Future Friends Games |
| Forza Horizon 5 | Playground Games | Xbox Game Studios |
| Kena: Bridge of Spirits | Ember Lab | Ember Lab |
| The Wild At Heart | Moonlight Kids | Humble Games |
EXCELLENCE IN GAME DESIGN
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Deathloop | Arkane Lyon | Bethesda Softworks |
| Inscryption | Daniel Mullins Games | Devolver Digital |
| Loop Hero | Four Quarters | Bethesda Softworks |
| Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Returnal | Housemarque | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
EXCELLENCE IN ORIGINAL SCORE
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| The Artful Escape | Beethoven & Dinosaur | Annapurna Interactive |
| Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker | SQUARE ENIX® | SQUARE ENIX® |
| Kena: Bridge of Spirits | Ember Lab | Ember Lab |
| The Medium | Bloober Team | Bloober Team |
| Wytchwood | Alientrap Games | Whitethorn Games |
EXCELLENCE IN MULTIPLAYER
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Back 4 Blood | Turtle Rock Studios | Warner Bros. Games |
| Halo Infinite | 343 Industries | Xbox Game Studios |
| It Takes Two | Hazelight | Electronic Arts |
| Riders Republic | Ubisoft Annecy | Ubisoft |
| Valheim | Iron Gate Studio | Coffee Stain Publishing |
EXCELLENCE IN NARRATIVE
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Deathloop | Arkane Lyon | Bethesda Softworks |
| Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker | SQUARE ENIX® | SQUARE ENIX® |
| Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy | Eidos-Montréal | SQUARE ENIX® |
| Kena: Bridge of Spirits | Ember Lab | Ember Lab |
| Lost in Random | Zoink Games | Electronic Arts |
EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO DESIGN
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Forza Horizon 5 | Playground Games | Xbox Game Studios |
| Hell Let Loose | Black Matter | Team17 |
| Inscryption | Daniel Mullins Games | Devolver Digital |
| Resident Evil Village | Capcom | Capcom |
| Twelve Minutes | Luis Antonio | Annapurna Interactive |
EXCELLENCE IN TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
| GAME | DEVELOPER | PUBLISHER |
| Before Your Eyes | GoodbyeWorld Games | Skybound Games |
| Hell Let Loose | Black Matter | Team17 |
| Forza Horizon 5 | Playground Games | Xbox Game Studios |
| Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Returnal | Housemarque | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
This year, SXSW will offer a hybrid event (in-person with online viewing and participation options). Recognizing that the Covid-19 landscape is changing rapidly, SXSW has updated its Covid-19 guidelines and will continue to coordinate with both the City of Austin and Austin Public Health on further guidance. More details on SXSW’s Covid protocols are available at sxsw.com/covid19-guidelines
The online SXSW Schedule provides a complete rundown of 2022 programming, broken down by time and event category, with the ability to build a customized schedule. To get started, please visit schedule.sxsw.com.
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2022 will take place March 11–20, 2022.
SXSW 2022 is sponsored by White Claw, Blockchain Creative Labs, Porsche, and The Austin Chronicle.
