Black In Gaming Announces 2026 Award Winners

[IBJamon]

Black In Gaming Announces 2026 Award Winners

United States — March 11, 2025 — The Black In Gaming Foundation (BIG), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and global ecosystem advancing Black leadership, innovation, and opportunity in gaming, proudly honors the outstanding achievements and contributions of Black professionals in the gaming industry, as part of the 2026 BIG Awards ceremony.

The annual BIG Awards shines a spotlight on leaders, innovators, creators, change-makers and trailblazers from across the gaming industry. Past honorees include titans from across the games industry, including Reggie Fils-Aimé, Sarah Bond, Jerry Lawson, and many more.

An evening of celebration, hosted by Dr. iAsia Brown, highlighted the remarkable achievements of the 2026 honorees whose work continues to shape the gaming industry across media, artistry, programming, development, and social advocacy.

The Board of Directors and the entire Black in Gaming community, are proud to honor and congratulate this year's Black in Gaming honorees for their remarkable contributions that will forever pave the way for a future where Black talent continues to thrive:

Gerald “Jerry” Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award: Lisette Montgomery
Excellence in Education Award: Dr. Akil Fletcher
Excellence in Media Award: Stephanie Ijoma
Excellence in Artistry Award: Danielle Wallace
Excellence in Programming Award: Jarryd Huntley
Indie Developer Award: Adanna Nedd
Industry Champion Award: Alice Winter
Industry Spotlight Award: Destinee Cleveland
Social and Economic Change Award: iAsia Brown

“This year’s honorees are true trailblazers, and their contributions to the gaming industry have opened countless doors for the next generation of Black gaming professionals,” said Black in Gaming’s Chairwoman of the Board Trinidad Hermida. “It's an honor for us to shine a spotlight on their achievements.”

Special thanks to Black in Gaming’s event partners Sony Interactive Entertainment, IGDA-F, A16z Cultural Leadership Fund, and Gameheads.

For more information about Black in Gaming, join the Discord community, follow @BlackinGaming on Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook, and search for #BlackInGaming on social media.

About Black in Gaming

Black in Gaming is a nonprofit (501c3) a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and global ecosystem advancing Black leadership through mentorship, innovation, and opportunity in the gaming industry to promote representation and provide a platform for Black voices to excel and elevate their careers in the world today.