Photo courtesy of Polygon

Music lovers tune into the Grammys, TV fans watch the Emmys and theatre people throw Tony parties. But what do video game fans have? They have the Game Awards.

The Game Awards was founded in 2014 by media entrepreneur Geoff Keighley, who also serves as the host and producer of the program. Games are selected for consideration, according to the official website of The Game Awards, “by an international jury of over 100 global media and influencer outlets, selected for their history of critical evaluation of video games.” Notable participants in this year’s awards are the entertainment outlets “IGN,” “Game Informer” and “The Los Angeles Times.” A game must be released to the public on or before a set cutoff date, with this year’s deadline being Nov. 19. While the nominees are chosen purely by the jury, final winners for each category are chosen by the jury and public fan voting.

The nominations were released on Nov. 16, in a series of Tweets posted to The Games Awards Twitter account, @thegameawards, with 30 categories of awards ranging from Game of the Year to Best Art Direction to Innovation in Accessibility and Most Anticipated Game. But the Game Awards honors more than just the games themselves; five categories – Content Creator of the Year, Best Performance, Best ESports Coach, Best ESports Athlete and Best ESports Team – serve to highlight the people who make gaming and the gaming community what it is: a community where people can get together and just have fun.

The Game Awards represent another facet of a return to a normal life after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year’s ceremony was held virtually on Dec. 10, 2020, while the upcoming Awards will be presented in the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. The official website states the 2021 awards will be an invite-only ceremony and public tickets will not be sold but will also be available to stream on major streaming services. An exact list has not been announced.

“We are very excited to return to the Microsoft Theater for a special night to celebrate the past, present and future of video games,” said Keighly in an article originally published by Deadline. “Our goal is to bring the entire community together to celebrate the most powerful form of entertainment in the world and recognize emerging voices that represent the future of the medium.”