38th Golden Joystick Awards is going digital, voting shortlists announced late September

Golden Joystick Awards 2020 logo
(Image credit: Future)

The world’s biggest public-voted games awards, the Golden Joystick Awards, returns for its 38th year this November. This year’s show will be reimagined as a digital broadcast that celebrates the best games of the last 12 months, and looks forward to the next generation of consoles and creators. The Golden Joystick Awards 2020 will feature a variety of famous hosts, new game trailers and exclusive reports, in an exciting digital reimagining of the event that is normally broadcast from a central London location. 

Millions of votes were cast for the Golden Joystick Awards 2019, where the Resident Evil 2 Remake scooped the much-coveted Ultimate Game of the Year trophy, with notable wins for Control, Outer Wilds and Days Gone. The Golden Joystick Awards were delighted to award legendary developer Yu Suzuki - creator of Out Run, Virtua Fighter and Shenmue - its prestigious Lifetime Achievement award. The Golden Joystick Awards 2020 shortlist will be announced in late September, with new categories including Best Gaming Community, which recognises the most vibrant and inclusive online games.

The Golden Joystick Awards will be brought to you from the makers of the Future Games Show, GamesRadar’s premier digital gaming showcase event, which debuted in June, hosted by Uncharted stars Nolan North and Emily Rose. The show made its successful return at Gamescom in August, hosted by Metal Gear Solid stars David Hayter and Debi Mae West. The Future Games Show has reached millions of gamers worldwide, showcasing exclusive gameplay from over 80 games this year, with partners including Ubisoft, 2K, Sega, Team 17, Activision and many more.

Golden Joystick Awards 2018

Dark Souls' creator Hidetaka Miyazaki receives the Lifetime Achievement award from his childhood heroes, the Fighting Fantasy book authors, in our 2018 show. (Image credit: Future)

“We’re delighted to be reimagining the Golden Joystick Awards for the streaming audience. The show reached 5.6 million views across all platforms last year, and we’re thinking of new ways to make our broadcast resonate with people worldwide across Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and all major streaming platforms, now that the event is no longer tied to its central London location," said Daniel Dawkins, Content Director, Golden Joystick Awards.

“A digital show is an opportunity to make the event even more accessible and inclusive. The world’s biggest public-voted games awards should be about connecting the millions who vote each year to the games and creators they love. 2020 has been challenging in so many ways, but marks a special moment in our industry, with the dawn of a new console generation. We look forward to celebrating a new generation of consoles, and a new generation of creators, when the Golden Joystick Awards return in November 2020; highlighting gaming’s power for positive change at a time when we need it most.”

How to feature your game in the Golden Joystick Awards

The Golden Joystick Awards 2020 will celebrate the best games of the last 12 months, and feature a variety of new game trailers, exclusive announcements and special looks at new - and existing - games. Featured slots are limited, but we're looking for cool, exciting games on any platform, from indie to AAA, and you can nominate your game for inclusion in the Golden Joystick Awards 2020 right here.

For more details on the Golden Joystick Awards, including advance info on our category shortlist reveal and the start of voting, follow @gamesradar and @goldenjoysticks on Twitter, or stay tuned to gamesradar.com.

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