Connect with us

In Da House Media

BLACK IN GAMING AWARDS SHOW (BIG) SPARKS ENTHUSIASM AS EVENT COMES TO A CLOSE – HIGHLIGHT CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK DEVELOPERS IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY

Black in Gaming (BIG) Awards Class of 2023 honorees, along with past honorees and Chairwoman of the Board pose for the annual honoree photo

Events

BLACK IN GAMING AWARDS SHOW (BIG) SPARKS ENTHUSIASM AS EVENT COMES TO A CLOSE – HIGHLIGHT CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK DEVELOPERS IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY

Black in Gaming Awards Show Returns to Honor Gaming Executives for their 25+ years of service Gordon Durity, Electronic Arts; Josiane Valverde, Ubisoft and more!

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 29, 2023 – At the intersection of Black culture and gaming is the 6th Annual Black in Gaming Award show hosted by the Black In Gaming Foundation, returning in full force to recognize and celebrate the contributions of ‘hidden figures’ in gaming.
The highly anticipated event took place in San Francisco at the iconic War Memorial & Performing Arts Center. Jam-packed with the industry’s most elite content creators, developers, and gamers, the event featured several attendees, including; Cheryl Hurd (former NBC News Reporter,) Amir Rahimi (VP of Game Studios at Netflix,) John Vignocchi (Head of 3rd Party Portfolio Management at Nintendo,) past honorees Marcus Montgomery (Xbox,) Damon Packwood (GameHeads,) and Gordon Bellamy (USC,) along with many more distinguished guests. 
In hopes of advocating for industry-wide reform, the awards show honored industry professionals and allies who have played pivotal roles in shaping this space. The event unveiled honorees in ten categories celebrating the accomplishments of people of color this past year across the fields of social influence, artistry, education, and legacy. 
“Black gaming innovators are reshaping the narrative by creating more ownership and opportunities for others to thrive in the industry. The Black In Gaming Foundation is utilizing its platform to honor unsung black pioneers – and I could not be honored to produce this year’s show,” said Laura Teclemariam, Black in Gaming Foundation’s Chairwoman of the Board and Executive Producer of the awards show.
Honorees included: Josiane Valverde, Head of Special Projects, Diversity & Inclusion at Ubisoft Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award; Michael Lee, Industry Champion Award; Dr. Kishonna Gray, Director of the Critical Gaming Lab Education Award; Shawn Alexander Allen, founder of games and culture company NuChallenger Excellency in Artistry Award, 2023 BIG Honoree and BIG Foundation Board Member Carl Varnado and more. 
Full list of 2022 winners:
Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement AwardJosiane Valverde, Head of Special Projects, Diversity & Inclusion at Ubisoft
Legacy AwardGordon Durity, Executive Audio Director at Electronic Arts
Champion AwardMichael Lee, Senior Director, Global Talent Acquisition at Electronic Arts
Social Impact and Economic Change AwardCarl Varnado
Education Award Dr. Kishonna Gray, Associate Professor and Author at University of Kentucky
Excellence in MediaJeffery Rousseau, Writer at Gamesindustry.biz
Excellence in ProgrammingScott Anderson, Senior Graphics Engineer at Unity Technologies
Excellence in Design AwardShawn Alexander Allen, Founder of NuChallenger
Industry Spotlight AwardPlayStation Studio QA, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Indie Developer AwardGlow Up Studio 

ABOUT BLACK IN GAMING FOUNDATION
The Black in Gaming (BIG) Foundation, a 501(c) organization, is a volunteer community dedicated to cultivating, supporting, and promoting Black professionals in the video game industry. By actively working on creating opportunities for Black people in the video game industry, BIG also develops action plans to combat systemic institutionalized racism that manifests itself in unsafe spaces, microaggressions, and hidden discrimination in the workplace. 

For more information on Black In Gaming, please visit www.thebigfoundation.org 
Continue Reading
You may also like...

Celebrity photographer and disabled Vietnam veteran Jerome Dorn embodies the very definition of resilience. Born in Philadelphia, the fifth of seven children, Dorn stayed focused throughout his youth, eventually obtaining his degree in Criminal Justice. Dorn has worked with the Philadelphia Police Department, Department of Justice, World Wide Detective Agency, and several other high profile security groups. Throughout his successful career, Dorn wrestled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, an aftereffect of his military service. Battling the pain and debilitating effect of PTSD, Dorn found comfort behind the camera. Photography proved to be not only therapeutic, but life changing as well. Dorn picked up his first camera in 1970 while serving in Vietnam and knew instantly that behind the lens was where he belonged. His shooting style and photographs were special, generating a buzz in the industry. In 1985, he began his career in photojournalism, working in a variety of genres. Dorn’s credentials include fashion, lifestyle photography, photojournalism, and celebrity/red carpet coverage. Working with MSNBC, Jet Magazine, and major publications in Philadelphia and around the country, Dorn has had the honor of capturing the images of hundreds of notable celebrities and politicians including President Barack Obama, George Bush Jr, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Maya Angelou, Jesse Jackson, Rihanna, Snoop Dog, Will Smith, and Tyler Perry. Photography has sent Dorn around the globe, inspiring his passion for civil activism. In 1995, Dorn assembled and led a group of forty-two men to the Million Man March. Together, they spent five days walking from Philadelphia to Washington DC. In his travels, Dorn observed a common theme amongst the youth of the world. Many of the children he encountered seemed lost. Understanding that opportunities for at-risk youth are minimal, Dorn was inspired to make a difference. Established by Dorn in 2011, InDaHouseMedia was built on the idea that there is room in the house for everyone. With InDaHouseMedia, Dorn’s mission is to provide the future generation with positive direction through sports, music, and photography.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Events

To Top