IGN is happy to reveal the nominees for the eighth annual SXSW Gaming Awards, and announce that we're partnering with SXSW to bring you the show on Saturday, March 20. You can vote for your favourites now. From 5pm Pacific / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern on March 20, you'll be able to watch the show right here on IGN.com or our IGN Twitch channel, as well as SXSW Online and SXSW Gaming's Twitch. 43 nominees across 12 categories make up this year's line-up, including the likes of IGN game of the year Hades, Dreams, Ghost of Tsushima, Half-Life: Alyx, Cloudpunk, and many more. You can vote for your choices of winner right now on the SXSW website – winners will be chosen based on public votes, as well as SXSW staff and advisors' votes. You can check out the full list of nominees below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/17/hades-review"]

Video Game of the Year

Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres.

• DOOM Eternal — id Software / Bethesda Softworks
• Ghost of Tsushima — Sucker Punch Productions  / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Hades — Supergiant Games
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios
• The Last of Us Part II — Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Indie Game of the Year

Awarded to the indie game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres.

• Bugsnax — Young Horses
• Cloudpunk — Ion Lands
• Crown Trick — NExT Studios / Team17
• Deep Rock Galactic — Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
• Huntdown — Easy Trigger Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
• Ikenfell — Happy Ray Games / Humble Games
• Monster Sanctuary — Moi Rai Games / Team17
• Raji: An Ancient Epic — Nodding Heads Games / Super.com
• Risk of Rain 2 — Hopoo Games / Gearbox Publishing
• The Last Campfire — Hello Games

Tabletop Game of the Year

Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre.

• Calico — Flatout Games
• Fort — Leder Games
• Oceans — North Star Games
• The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine — KOSMOS
• The Search for Planet X — Renegade Game Studios / Foxtrot Games

VR Game of the Year

Awarded to the VR game that exemplifies overall excellence in gameplay and design across any VR platform.

• Down the Rabbit Hole — Cortopia Studios / Beyond Frames Entertainment
• Half-Life: Alyx — Valve
• Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond — Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
• Star Wars: Squadrons — Motive Studios / Electronic Arts
• The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners — Skydance Interactive

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.

• Astro's Playroom — Team ASOBI! / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Dreams — Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• If Found… —  Dreamfeel / Annapurna Interactive
• Tell Me Why — DONTNOD Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios
• The Last of Us Part II — Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Excellence in Animation, Art, & Visual Achievement

Awarded to the game with the most well-designed and stunning visuals, including animation effects and graphics.

• Assassin's Creed Valhalla — Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft
• Cloudpunk — Ion Lands
• Final Fantasy VII Remake — SQUARE ENIX
• Ghost of Tsushima — Sucker Punch Productions  / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios

Excellence in Game Design

Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept, gameplay mechanics, and best execution.

• Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time — Toys for Bob / Activision
• Desperados III — Mimimi Games / THQ Nordic
• Hades — Supergiant Games
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios
• Watch Dogs: Legion — Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft

Excellence in Score

Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game.

• Cyberpunk 2077 — CD Projekt Red / CD Projekt
• DOOM Eternal — id Software / Bethesda Softworks
• Final Fantasy VII Remake — SQUARE ENIX
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios
• Trials of Mana — Xeen / SQUARE ENIX

Excellence in Multiplayer

Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.

• Deep Rock Galactic — Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
• Huntdown — Easy Trigger Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
• Risk of Rain 2 —  Hopoo Games, Gearbox Publishing
• Star Wars: Squadrons — Motive Studios / Electronic Arts
• VALORANT — Riot Games

Excellence in Narrative

Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.

• Ghost of Tsushima — Sucker Punch Productions  / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Hades — Supergiant Games
• Immortals Fenyx Rising — Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft
• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales — Insomniac Games /  Sony Interactive Entertainment
• The Last of Us Part II — Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Excellence in Audio Design

Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects.

• Bugsnax — Young Horses
• DOOM Eternal — id Software / Bethesda Softworks
• Observer: System Redux — Bloober Team
• Star Wars: Squadrons — Motive Studios / Electronic Arts
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 — Vicarious Visions / Activision

Excellence in Technical Achievement

Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming furthest or most effectively.

• Astro's Playroom — Team ASOBI! / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Dreams — Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Genshin Impact — miHoYo
• Ghost of Tsushima — Sucker Punch Productions  / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Microsoft Flight Simulator — Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé has said he instinctively knew the Nintendo Switch would be a success, and that his confidence in the hybrid console made it easier for him to retire. In a wide-ranging interview with Gamertag Radio's Danny Peña, which you can listen to in the tweet below, Fils-Aimé explained why he intuitively knew that the Switch would capture the hearts and minds of gamers across the globe. It was this feeling, Fils-Aimé said, that allowed him to call time on his 16-year career with Nintendo, which he had been giving serious thought to since the passing of Satoru Iwata in 2015. "It's not a surprise," Fils-Aimé said. "And, candidly, knowing that it was going to be successful is what helped make my retirement decision easy, because I knew the company was going to be in great shape for at least a few years."

The 16th anniversary special episode of @gamertagradio is live! Episode 1103: A talk with @Reggie. #PodcastExclusive

Audio: https://t.co/Q7R8bAgH6b Video: https://t.co/PXAhWzRRy1 pic.twitter.com/I4x1rIrgOq — Danny Peña (@godfree) February 15, 2021

Nintendo recently revealed that the Switch had surpassed the lifetime sales of its 3DS handheld device, with 79.87m units sold worldwide. Discussing why he thought the Nintendo Switch was so popular among gamers, Fils-Aimé explained that the hybrid system "met a fundamental consumer desire" that games companies had been trying to crack for years. "The system was solving for a key player complaint," Fils-Aimé said. "And that complaint is, 'I’m having fun, I’m playing my game, and now I need to stop because I got to go to work or school, and I can’t take my game with me. I can’t continue playing that game.' So Switch, with the opportunity to play on that big screen TV, then take it out of the dock and go play in handheld mode, it met a fundamental consumer desire. That was the triggering moment." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/15/nintendo-switch-treat-yourself-to-nintendo-switch-trailer"] Elaborating on why he thought the Nintendo Switch would be such a special console, Fils-Aimé described the moment that he was presented with a prototype by the late Iwata-san, and likened the experience to two other Nintendo projects that made him feel excited for the future of the company. "The first time I saw the Nintendo DS, the hair on the back of my neck stood up," he said. "The team was demoing an early, early prototype of what would become Nintendogs. Immediately I saw the potential. The first time I picked up a Wii Remote and played a rudimentary experience that would become Wii Sports, I knew it was gonna be magical. The day that I sat with Mr. Iwata and held a prototype Switch and we talked about the concept, I knew it was going to be magical." Fils-Aimé retired as president of Nintendo of America in 2019, and left behind a transformative legacy for the company. We spoke to him ahead of him receiving the New York Game Awards' Andrew Yoon Legend Award about a career of making people smile. In other Nintendo news, a new 50-minute Direct presentation has been announced for February 17, which will focus on upcoming and already released titles. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Power is a UK-based freelance writer. Follow him on Twitter. Thumbnail credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé has said he instinctively knew the Nintendo Switch would be a success, and that his confidence in the hybrid console made it easier for him to retire. In a wide-ranging interview with Gamertag Radio's Danny Peña, which you can listen to in the tweet below, Fils-Aimé explained why he intuitively knew that the Switch would capture the hearts and minds of gamers across the globe. It was this feeling, Fils-Aimé said, that allowed him to call time on his 16-year career with Nintendo, which he had been giving serious thought to since the passing of Satoru Iwata in 2015. "It's not a surprise," Fils-Aimé said. "And, candidly, knowing that it was going to be successful is what helped make my retirement decision easy, because I knew the company was going to be in great shape for at least a few years."

The 16th anniversary special episode of @gamertagradio is live! Episode 1103: A talk with @Reggie. #PodcastExclusive

Audio: https://t.co/Q7R8bAgH6b Video: https://t.co/PXAhWzRRy1 pic.twitter.com/I4x1rIrgOq — Danny Peña (@godfree) February 15, 2021

Nintendo recently revealed that the Switch had surpassed the lifetime sales of its 3DS handheld device, with 79.87m units sold worldwide. Discussing why he thought the Nintendo Switch was so popular among gamers, Fils-Aimé explained that the hybrid system "met a fundamental consumer desire" that games companies had been trying to crack for years. "The system was solving for a key player complaint," Fils-Aimé said. "And that complaint is, 'I’m having fun, I’m playing my game, and now I need to stop because I got to go to work or school, and I can’t take my game with me. I can’t continue playing that game.' So Switch, with the opportunity to play on that big screen TV, then take it out of the dock and go play in handheld mode, it met a fundamental consumer desire. That was the triggering moment." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/15/nintendo-switch-treat-yourself-to-nintendo-switch-trailer"] Elaborating on why he thought the Nintendo Switch would be such a special console, Fils-Aimé described the moment that he was presented with a prototype by the late Iwata-san, and likened the experience to two other Nintendo projects that made him feel excited for the future of the company. "The first time I saw the Nintendo DS, the hair on the back of my neck stood up," he said. "The team was demoing an early, early prototype of what would become Nintendogs. Immediately I saw the potential. The first time I picked up a Wii Remote and played a rudimentary experience that would become Wii Sports, I knew it was gonna be magical. The day that I sat with Mr. Iwata and held a prototype Switch and we talked about the concept, I knew it was going to be magical." Fils-Aimé retired as president of Nintendo of America in 2019, and left behind a transformative legacy for the company. We spoke to him ahead of him receiving the New York Game Awards' Andrew Yoon Legend Award about a career of making people smile. In other Nintendo news, a new 50-minute Direct presentation has been announced for February 17, which will focus on upcoming and already released titles. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Power is a UK-based freelance writer. Follow him on Twitter. Thumbnail credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Microsoft has announced the Xbox Wireless Headset, a new headset for Xbox consoles including the new Series X and S. The black-and-green over-ear headset has a retractable microphone, PU leather earcups, and a metal inner headband. The edges of the earcups are rubberised rotary dials, used to adjust the volume and game/chat audio balance. The overall aesthetic has been designed to be “intentionally understated” to allow it to blend into its surroundings alongside the Xbox Series X/S console. At $99.99, it will retail at a similar price point to many gaming-focused headsets, and is the same price as Sony’s equivalent Pulse 3D headset for PlayStation 5. Similar to the PS5, the Xbox Series X/S has dedicated custom audio hardware to allow for spatial audio over headphones. The new Xbox Wireless Headset supports Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Headphone: X, the trio of 3D audio systems available on Xbox. While the headset comes in the wake of the Xbox Series X/S, it is compatible across all of Microsoft’s supported devices, and so will work with Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, too. The headset uses the Xbox Wireless technology system to connect to Xbox consoles without needing a dongle, and can pair with a phone or PC over Bluetooth. The headset can also simultaneously pair with a phone and a console. This, for example, will allow you to play games on your Xbox while chatting to friends on Discord using the same headset, which is perfect for cross-platform play. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/16/xbox-wireless-headset-launch-trailer"] On the microphone side, the headset uses dual beamforming microphone elements to pick up your voice rather than surrounding and background noise. Voice isolation tuning also helps you fine tune how much ambient noise the microphone picks up. There’s also an optional auto-mute function that turns your microphone off when you are not speaking. Active and mute states are indicated with an LED light. The Xbox Wireless Headset will be available from March 16 in “most” markets, with pre-orders available from the Microsoft Store and some other retailers, such as Amazon, today. For more from Xbox, check out the latest episode of our dedicated Xbox show, Unlocked. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Microsoft has announced the Xbox Wireless Headset, a new headset for Xbox consoles including the new Series X and S. The black-and-green over-ear headset has a retractable microphone, PU leather earcups, and a metal inner headband. The edges of the earcups are rubberised rotary dials, used to adjust the volume and game/chat audio balance. The overall aesthetic has been designed to be “intentionally understated” to allow it to blend into its surroundings alongside the Xbox Series X/S console. At $99.99, it will retail at a similar price point to many gaming-focused headsets, and is the same price as Sony’s equivalent Pulse 3D headset for PlayStation 5. Similar to the PS5, the Xbox Series X/S has dedicated custom audio hardware to allow for spatial audio over headphones. The new Xbox Wireless Headset supports Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Headphone: X, the trio of 3D audio systems available on Xbox. While the headset comes in the wake of the Xbox Series X/S, it is compatible across all of Microsoft’s supported devices, and so will work with Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, too. The headset uses the Xbox Wireless technology system to connect to Xbox consoles without needing a dongle, and can pair with a phone or PC over Bluetooth. The headset can also simultaneously pair with a phone and a console. This, for example, will allow you to play games on your Xbox while chatting to friends on Discord using the same headset, which is perfect for cross-platform play. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/16/xbox-wireless-headset-launch-trailer"] On the microphone side, the headset uses dual beamforming microphone elements to pick up your voice rather than surrounding and background noise. Voice isolation tuning also helps you fine tune how much ambient noise the microphone picks up. There’s also an optional auto-mute function that turns your microphone off when you are not speaking. Active and mute states are indicated with an LED light. The Xbox Wireless Headset will be available from March 16 in “most” markets, with pre-orders available from the Microsoft Store and some other retailers today. For more from Xbox, check out the latest episode of our dedicated Xbox show, Unlocked. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Marvel Studios has announced Assembled, a new documentary series of specials that will start streaming exclusively on Disney+ from March. The studio revealed that Assembled will take viewers "behind-the-scenes of the shows and movies of the MCU, following the filmmakers, cast and crew, and Marvel heroes every step of the way," with the first episode in the series, "The Making of WandaVision," set to premiere on the platform on March 12, 2021 — one week after the final episode of WandaVision on March 5.

Marvel Studios' ASSEMBLED, a new documentary series of specials, goes behind the scenes of the shows and movies of the MCU. The first special, ASSEMBLED: The Making of @WandaVision, is streaming March 12 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/fM6TxF0VuW

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) February 16, 2021

Each episode will drop on the streamer shortly after the related theatrical releases and series completions have arrived on the big screen or small screen. Viewers will glimpse exclusive on-set footage of the likes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, while Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner will appear on the series to detail the genesis of the Black Widow movie, and upcoming Hawkeye series. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/12/wandavision-episode-6-review"] The first episode of the series, Assembled: The Making of WandaVision, will pull back the curtain on the groundbreaking MCU sitcom, offering fans fresh insight into the production's concept and sitcom influences, filmmaking methods, and the "challenges and ultimate rewards" of performing an entire episode in front of a live studio audience. Series stars Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff) and Paul Bettany (Vision) will be joined by newcomers to the MCU, such as Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau) and Kathryn Hahn (Agnes), along with returning favorites like Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis) and Randall Park (Jimmy Woo) to provide an immersive and in-depth examination of the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] There should be plenty to unpack in the first Assembled special as WandaVision has a habit of leaving viewers with more questions than answers, paving the way for numerous theories and discussions. With that being the case, IGN's staff recently gathered around the digital campfire to thrash out the major theories, questions, and speculation surrounding the show after Episode 6 left us with a lot to dissect. Want to know more? Read IGN's review of Season 1, Episode 6. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Marvel Studios has announced Assembled, a new documentary series of specials that will start streaming exclusively on Disney+ from March. The studio revealed that Assembled will take viewers "behind-the-scenes of the shows and movies of the MCU, following the filmmakers, cast and crew, and Marvel heroes every step of the way," with the first episode in the series, "The Making of WandaVision," set to premiere on the platform on March 12, 2021 — one week after the final episode of WandaVision on March 5.

Marvel Studios' ASSEMBLED, a new documentary series of specials, goes behind the scenes of the shows and movies of the MCU. The first special, ASSEMBLED: The Making of @WandaVision, is streaming March 12 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/fM6TxF0VuW

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) February 16, 2021

Each episode will drop on the streamer shortly after the related theatrical releases and series completions have arrived on the big screen or small screen. Viewers will glimpse exclusive on-set footage of the likes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, while Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner will appear on the series to detail the genesis of the Black Widow movie, and upcoming Hawkeye series. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/12/wandavision-episode-6-review"] The first episode of the series, Assembled: The Making of WandaVision, will pull back the curtain on the groundbreaking MCU sitcom, offering fans fresh insight into the production's concept and sitcom influences, filmmaking methods, and the "challenges and ultimate rewards" of performing an entire episode in front of a live studio audience. Series stars Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff) and Paul Bettany (Vision) will be joined by newcomers to the MCU, such as Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau) and Kathryn Hahn (Agnes), along with returning favorites like Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis) and Randall Park (Jimmy Woo) to provide an immersive and in-depth examination of the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] There should be plenty to unpack in the first Assembled special as WandaVision has a habit of leaving viewers with more questions than answers, paving the way for numerous theories and discussions. With that being the case, IGN's staff recently gathered around the digital campfire to thrash out the major theories, questions, and speculation surrounding the show after Episode 6 left us with a lot to dissect. Want to know more? Read IGN's review of Season 1, Episode 6. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Nintendo has announced that a 50 minute Nintendo Direct will take place on Wednesday, February 17 at 2pm PT/5pm ET/10pm GMT and will feature "roughly 50 minutes of information focused on available games like Super #SmashBrosUltimate and games coming to #NintendoSwitch in the first half of 2021." As usual, Nintendo shared the news on Twitter with no further details, but this will be the first proper Nintendo Direct since September 4, 2019. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/11/zelda-breath-of-the-wild-sequel-reveal-trailer"] The timing of this Nintendo Direct is also important to note as it arrives a few days before The Legend of Zelda's 35th anniversary on Sunday, February 21. Many are hoping for a similar celebration of Zelda as Nintendo did for Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary in 2020. While there are still The Legend of Zelda games that have yet to be ported to Switch, including Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Ocarina of Time, many will undoubtedly be hoping for any more news for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The last time we heard any substantial update about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 was in September of 2020, when Eiji Aonuma, the producer of the Legend of Zelda series, told fans that they'd have to "wait a bit longer" for news on the sequel to IGN's game of the year in 2017. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/super-smash-bros-ultimate-sephiroth-character-reveal-trailer"] Nintendo did specifically mention that we'd be getting news about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which will have many assuming it will be about the next fighter arriving in the game following Final Fantasy 7's Sephiroth. What are you hoping to see in this Nintendo Direct? Let us know below! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Nintendo has announced that a 50 minute Nintendo Direct will take place on Wednesday, February 17 at 2pm PT/5pm ET/10pm GMT and will feature "roughly 50 minutes of information focused on available games like Super #SmashBrosUltimate and games coming to #NintendoSwitch in the first half of 2021." As usual, Nintendo shared the news on Twitter with no further details, but this will be the first proper Nintendo Direct since September 4, 2019. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/11/zelda-breath-of-the-wild-sequel-reveal-trailer"] The timing of this Nintendo Direct is also important to note as it arrives a few days before The Legend of Zelda's 35th anniversary on Sunday, February 21. Many are hoping for a similar celebration of Zelda as Nintendo did for Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary in 2020. While there are still The Legend of Zelda games that have yet to be ported to Switch, including Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Ocarina of Time, many will undoubtedly be hoping for any more news for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The last time we heard any substantial update about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 was in September of 2020, when Eiji Aonuma, the producer of the Legend of Zelda series, told fans that they'd have to "wait a bit longer" for news on the sequel to IGN's game of the year in 2017. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/super-smash-bros-ultimate-sephiroth-character-reveal-trailer"] Nintendo did specifically mention that we'd be getting news about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which will have many assuming it will be about the next fighter arriving in the game following Final Fantasy 7's Sephiroth. What are you hoping to see in this Nintendo Direct? Let us know below! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

IGN is pleased to announce that it has been nominated for four awards at the L.A. Press Club's 13th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. IGN as a whole, represented by Editor-in-Chief Tina Amini and Director of Content Strategy and Partnerships Terri Schwartz, has been nominated in the Entertainment Website category. Senior Editor & Features Producer Joshua Yehl has been nominated in the Diversity in the Entertainment Industry, Print/Online category for his essay, 'How I Learned to Grieve and Heal Through Star Wars'. The piece connects Star Wars' first onscreen, same-sex kiss to Yehl's grieving process around the death of his friend Drew Leinonen, who was among those killed at the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Yehl's piece previously won a SoCal Journalism Award. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/09/the-lie-that-helped-build-nintendo"] News Editor Matt Kim has been nominated in the Online Hard News category for his 2019 report, 'Blizzcon Protestors Share Why They’re Fighting for Free Speech at Blizzard’s Big Event'. Centring on the effects of Blizzard's banning of Hearthstone pro Ng Wai “blitzchung” Chung following the Hong Kong protests, the piece saw Kim speaking to Blizzard fans protesting outside the developer's convention. The piece was previously nominated for a SoCal journalism award. Executive Editor of News Joe Skrebels and Senior Video Producer Dale Driver were nominated in the Documentary or Special Program, Short category for 'The Lie That Helped Build Nintendo', a documentary feature about Swedish businessman Owe Bergsten, who became entwined with the rise of Nintendo and helped further the company's success in the west. The full list of nominees is available now, and winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony this spring. [poilib element="accentDivider"]