The 10th annual New York Game Awards show went fully digital for the first time tonight, as another celebration for what the video game industry had to offer in 2020. The New York Game Awards was exposed to a larger possible audience than ever before, and may see a huge viewer turnout as a result, especially since The Game Awards also saw a huge viewership increase with its extensive digital format.
For those who don't know, The New York Game Awards is run by the New York Videogame Critics Circle (NYVGCC), a non-profit organization that works with underserved communities in New York City. Between helping provide opportunities for students in the Bronx and Lower East Side, and letting older adults experience the thrills of VR, the organization gives back to the community in multiple ways. Helping the NYVGCC in their mission is Reggie Fils-Aime. The former president of Nintendo of America regularly works with the organization, and was the co-host for tonight's New York Game Awards.
As is often the case with gaming awards shows, everyone looks to see what receives the Game of the Year award, which in this case is aptly named the Big Apple Award. Many of the titles nominated will be familiar, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Final Fantasy VII: Remake, and Hades have appeared on many other Game of the Year lists as well. Even though The Last of Us Part II now has the most GOTY wins in history, fans of the game were probably still hoping for another win going into the night.
For fans who were not able to watch the awards show live, here are all the New York Game Awards nominees and winners for the 12 categories celebrated this year.
The 2021 New York Game Awards Winners
Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The Last of Us Part II
Final Fantasy VII: Remake
DOOM Eternal
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Hades (WINNER)
Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game
Dreams
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (WINNER)
Moving Out
Good Job!
Drake Hollow
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Astro’s Playroom
A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game
Roundguard
Necrobarista
Creaks
Little Orpheus
Good Sudoku
Genshin Impact (WINNER)
Wide Ocean Big Jacket
Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game
Half-Life: Alyx (WINNER)
Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
Dreams
Paper Beast
Star Wars Squadrons
Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The Longing: Patience
Hades (WINNER)
Fall Guys
Spiritfarer
Umurangi Generation
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Final Fantasy VII: Remake
The Last of Us Part II
Teenage Blob
Hades (WINNER)
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Fuser
Ghost of Tsushima
Statue of Liberty Award for Best World
Ghost of Tsushima (WINNER)
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Hades
Umarangi Generation
Demon’s Souls
Cyberpunk 2077 (for PC)
Herman Melville Award for Best Writing
The Last of Us Part II
If Found
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Hades (WINNER)
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Cyberpunk 2077 (for PC)
Treachery in Beatdown City
Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game
Laura Bailey as Abby in The Last of Us Part II
Ashley Johnson as Ellie in The Last of Us Part II
Briana White as Aerith in Final Fantasy VII: Remake
August Black as Tyler Ronan in Tell Me Why
Logan Cunningham as Lord Hades / Poseidon / Achilles / Charon / The Storyteller / Asterius in Hades (WINNER)
Nadji Jeter as Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077
Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake
Final Fantasy VII: Remake (WINNER)
Resident Evil 3
Mr. Driller: DrillLand
Black Mesa
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2
Demon’s Souls
Captain Award for Best Esports Team
DAMWOM Gaming
San Francisco Shock
Red Bull OG CS:GO (WINNER)
Dallas Empire
TSM Valorant
Shea Stadium Award for Best Esports Event
Street Fighter League
Overwatch League (WINNER)
League of Legends Worlds
IEM Katowice
Mortal Kombat 11 Final Kombat
Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism
Maddy Myers
Jason Schreier (WINNER)
Nicole Carpenter
Emanuel Maiberg
Kazuma Hashimoto
Claire L. Evans
Zoyander Street
Ewan Morgan
And there are all the winners in all 13 categories for the 2021 New York Game Awards! Congratulations are in order for all the winners, and hopefully gaming fans were satisfied with some of the winners. Hades fans might be especially happy, as the game practically swept up every award it was nominated for. Viewers were also treated to amazing musical performances featuring music from The Last of Us Part II, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Hades, and even a throwback to Supergiant Games' Bastion.
Keep up with Reggie Fils-Aime and the work of the NYVGCC in the podcast "Talking Games With Reggie and Harold." Hopefully, the fundraising at the awards gala will help continue the mission of the NYVGCC to help mentor and benefit the underserved. While the industry will obviously be in a different situation for next year's New York Game Awards, it will be interesting to see if the Critic's Circle invests more in a digitally-formatted show, like this year.
Source: NYVGCC