With Gamescom now firmly in the past, the editorial team at GamesIndustry.biz has turned its attention to the next phase of the Best Places To Work Awards – the assessment of this year’s submissions. While the primary award categories have already closed and will be judged on the basis of anonymised employee surveys, we have decided to keep the door open a little longer for the Special Awards. These ancillary categories are designed to spotlight organisations that excel in particular domains such as diversity, environmental stewardship, training, and corporate responsibility.
To give companies ample time to put forward their strongest candidates, we have extended the nomination deadline for the Special Awards until 23:59 GMT on Monday, 7 September. Unlike the headline categories, which are restricted to a shortlist derived from the employee feedback, the Special Awards are open to any UK‑based business that operates within the games sector or provides services to it.
This inclusive approach means that studios, publishers, middleware providers, and even ancillary service firms can put their names forward for recognition in the areas that matter most to their strategic goals and corporate values. The list of Special Award categories is as follows: - **Diversity Award** – Celebrates organisations that have implemented robust, measurable initiatives to increase representation and foster an inclusive culture across all levels of the company.
- **Green Award** – Recognises companies that have made significant strides in reducing their environmental footprint, whether through sustainable office practices, carbon‑offset programmes, or eco‑friendly production pipelines. - **HR Hero Award** – Highlights individuals or teams within HR who have introduced innovative policies, championed employee wellbeing, or driven cultural change that positively impacts the workforce. - **Training and Development Award** – Acknowledges firms that invest heavily in up‑skilling their staff, offering comprehensive learning pathways, mentorship schemes, and continuous professional development opportunities.
- **Education Award** – Rewards entities that contribute to the broader educational ecosystem, such as partnerships with academic institutions, scholarship programmes, or outreach initiatives that inspire the next generation of game creators. - **Corporate Social Responsibility Award** – Focuses on organisations that go beyond profit to make a tangible difference in their communities, through charitable work, ethical sourcing, or social impact projects.
- **Health and Well‑Being Award** – Honors companies that place employee health at the forefront, providing mental‑health resources, flexible working arrangements, and wellness programmes that support a balanced lifestyle. Nominations can be submitted by anyone with a legitimate interest in the nominee’s work – internal employees, external partners, clients, or even members of the public who have observed the company’s achievements. Each submission should include concrete examples, measurable outcomes, and, where possible, supporting data that demonstrates the impact of the initiative being recognised.
The judging panel, comprised of industry veterans, HR experts, and sustainability consultants, will review all entries next week. Their assessment will be based on criteria such as originality, measurable results, scalability, and alignment with the broader goals of the games industry. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony scheduled for 1 October, an event that brings together a cross‑section of the sector’s most influential figures. In addition to the awards, we would like to remind readers that tickets are still on sale for the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, which will take place on the morning of the awards ceremony.
This year’s summit is themed “The Future of People & Work,” and will feature a lineup of speakers who will discuss emerging trends in talent acquisition, employee engagement, remote work, and the evolving role of HR in a rapidly changing industry landscape. Attendees will have the chance to network with peers, share best practices, and gain insights that can be directly applied to their own organisations.
If you are considering entering a nomination, now is the perfect moment to gather evidence of your achievements, craft a compelling narrative, and submit your entry before the extended deadline. Whether you are a small indie studio that has pioneered a groundbreaking apprenticeship programme, a large publisher that has achieved carbon‑neutral status, or an HR team that has rolled out a groundbreaking mental‑health initiative, the Special Awards provide a platform to have your work recognised by your peers and the wider industry. We look forward to receiving a diverse range of nominations that reflect the vibrant, innovative, and socially responsible spirit of the UK games sector. Good luck to all participants, and we hope to see many of you at the HR Summit and the awards ceremony on 1 October.