The Gayming Awards 2023 will be held on Broadway on March 7, 2023, reports Gamesbeat.
The event was founded in 2021 by Robin Gray, founder of Gayming Magazine, the world’s first LGBTQ+ online gaming publication. Although the event was initially an online-only event, the 2022 iteration had a limited audience of 400 attendees at London’s Troxy Theatre and drew 320 thousand viewers online.
“We are live on Broadway this time, hopping over the pond,” said Gray. “And we are joined by returning friends in the shape of Devolver Digital, Facebook gaming and Rocksteady studios, but also our new presenting partners Logitech for Creators and Streamlabs.”
Alongside those mentioned, other sponsors include Sumo Digital, Gay Gaming Professionals, NYC Gaymers, and the German Games Industry Association, with additional sponsors to be announced.
The awards celebrate diversity and inclusion within the games industry, including LGBTQ+ characters and creators. Gray founded the show believing that the quality of LGBTQ+ representation in gaming was growing, and deserved to be recognised.
The categories are:
Gayming Icon Award – sponsored by Facebook Gaming
Gayming Magazine Readers’ Award – sponsored by Devolver Digital
LGBTQ Streamer of the Year Award – sponsored by Streamlabs
LGBTQ Streamer Rising Star Class of ’23 – sponsored by Logitech for Creators
Best LGBTQ Character Award – sponsored by Rocksteady Studios
Game of the Year Award
Best LGBTQ Indie Game Award
Authentic Representation Award
Industry Diversity Award
Best LGBTQ Contribution to Esports Award
Best LGBTQ Tabletop Game of the Year Award
Best LGBTQ Comic Book & Manga Moment Award
The event will be streamed on Twitch and IGN, as well as OTT Broadcast, continuing last year’s hybrid approach. No venue has been announced for the event as of yet.
“We’re aiming for half a million people this time watching. It’s driven by accessibility and the global reach of gaming.”
A big step for the community
Despite the progress the industry has made in terms of accurately and respectfully portraying the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the growing diversity within the industry itself, Gray believes that the industry still makes mistakes in its attempts to be inclusive.
“I think the community is becoming savvier and savvier with what you have made authentically, meaning devs do consultation with organisations or groups that give advice,” Gray said. “We are maybe still seeing examples where people have done a queer character and maybe haven’t done the homework.”
Despite this, Gray concedes that representation for the LGBT+ community has come a long way, and notes that the progress is visible – for example, Rockstar made the decision to remove transphobic elements from a recent Grand Theft Auto remaster.
Earlier this month, Take-Two Interactive and Gay Gaming Professionals began releasing a series of videos highlighting the inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees at the studio.
