19th annual NAVGTR award winners revealed, Nintendo takes home some awards

The National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers®, a 501(c)(3) non-profit media organization of 820 media voters and 9,500 subscribers, has announced winners for its 19th annual awards program honoring video game art, technology, and production.

The NAVGTR® Awards honor 57 competitive categories recognizing achievement in animation, art direction, character design, controls, game design, game engineering, musical score, sound effects, writing, and more. Since its inception, the academy has recognized over 5,300 talented individuals.

Leading all winning games is Control (6), followed by Death Stranding and The Outer Worlds with 5. Untitled Goose Game and A Plague Tale: Innocence tied with 4 wins each. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice won 3 NAVGTR® Awards, including top honors as Game of the Year. Star Wars® and The Legend of Zelda® were the only franchise properties to win multiple awards.

Among developers, Remedy Entertainment led developers with six wins for Control. Its publisher, 505 Games, picked up an additional award for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night in the category of Outstanding Control Precision. The grand total of 7 NAVGTR® Awards was the largest for the year.

Number of Awards Won per Game

06 Control
05 Death Stranding
05 The Outer Worlds
04 A Plague Tale: Innocence
04 Untitled Goose Game
03 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
02 Dreams
02 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
02 The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
02 Vader Immortal

Number of Awards Won per Development Studio

06 Remedy Entertainment
05 Kojima Productions
05 Obsidian
04 Asobo Studio
04 House House Games
03 Capcom
03 FromSoftware
02 Cryo Interactive Ent
02 ILMxLAB
02 Nintendo
02 Respawn

Number of Awards Won per Publisher

07 505 Games
06 Nintendo
05 Private Division
05 Sony Interactive Entertainment
04 Electronic Arts
04 Focus Home Interactive
04 Panic
03 Activision
03 Capcom
03 FromSoftware
02 Cryo Interactive Ent
02 Devolver Digital
02 Disney

Number of Awards Won per Individual (multiple wins only)

03 Ludvig Forssell
02 Hidetaka Miyazaki
02 Jacob Strasser
02 Leonard Boyarsky
02 Michael McMaster
02 Nico Disseldorp
02 Stuart Gillespie-Cook

Complete List of Winners

NAVGTR Animation, Artistic

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Astral Chain
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Untitled Goose Game – WINNER

NAVGTR Animation, Technical

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Control – WINNER
Days Gone
Devil May Cry 5
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

NAVGTR Art Direction, Contemporary

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Control – WINNER
Disco Elysium
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Yoshi’s Crafted World

NAVGTR Art Direction, Fantasy

Borderlands 3
Devil May Cry 5
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The Outer Worlds – WINNER

NAVGTR Art Direction, Period Influence

A Plague Tale: Innocence – WINNER
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey
Layers of Fear 2
The Sinking City
Total War: Three Kingdoms

NAVGTR Camera Direction in a Game Engine

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Astral Chain
Devil May Cry 5 – WINNER
Sayonara Wild Hearts
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

NAVGTR Character Design

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Indivisible
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Outer Wilds
The Outer Worlds – WINNER

NAVGTR Control Design, 2D or Limited 3D

eFootball PES 2020
Kids
Madden NFL 20
NBA 2K20
The Messenger – WINNER

NAVGTR Control Design, 3D

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Astral Chain
Control – WINNER
Devil May Cry 5
Gears 5

NAVGTR Control Design, VR

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
Asgard’s Wrath
Concrete Genie
Stormland
Vader Immortal – WINNER

NAVGTR Control Precision

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – WINNER
NBA 2K20
The Messenger
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
Yoshi’s Crafted World

NAVGTR Costume Design

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Apex Legends
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – WINNER

NAVGTR Direction in a Game Cinema

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Control – WINNER
Resident Evil 2
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

NAVGTR Direction in Virtual Reality

A Fisherman’s Tale
Blood & Truth
Concrete Genie
Trover Saves the Universe
Vader Immortal – WINNER

NAVGTR Engineering

Dreams – WINNER
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Slay the Spire
Tetris 99
Total War: Three Kingdoms

NAVGTR Gameplay Design, Franchise

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
John Wick Hex
Tetris 99
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – WINNER

NAVGTR Gameplay Design, New IP

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Apex Legends
Baba is You
Disco Elysium
Untitled Goose Game – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Classic Revival

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Resident Evil 2 – WINNER
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove
World of Warcraft Classic

NAVGTR Game, Franchise Action

Borderlands 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Devil May Cry 5
Gears 5
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Franchise Adventure

Shenmue III – WINNER
The Walking Dead: The Final Season

NAVGTR Game, Franchise Family

Dragon Quest Builders 2
Kingdom Hearts III
Luigi’s Mansion 3 – WINNER
Pokemon Sword & Shield
Super Mario Maker 2

NAVGTR Game, Franchise Fighting

Dead or Alive 6
Jump Force
Mortal Kombat 11
River City Girls
Samurai Shodown – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Franchise Racing

Dirt Rally 2.0
F1 2019
NASCAR Heat 4
Need for Speed Heat – WINNER
Team Sonic Racing

NAVGTR Game, Franchise Role Playing

Etrian Odyssey Nexus
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne – WINNER
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Sunless Skies

NAVGTR Game, Franchise Sports

FIFA 20
Madden NFL 20
MLB The Show 19
NBA 2K20
NHL 20 – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Music or Performance-Based

Cadence of Hyrule – WINNER
Sayonara Wild Hearts

NAVGTR Game, Original Action

Apex Legends
Astral Chain
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Control
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Original Adventure

A Plague Tale: Innocence – WINNER
Afterparty
Katana Zero
Outer Wilds
The Sinking City

NAVGTR Game, Original Family

Farm Together
Gato Roboto
Knights and Bikes – WINNER
Sky: Children of the Light
Vane

NAVGTR Game, Original Fighting

GORN – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Original Racing

Dangerous Driving – WINNER
Lonely Mountains Downhill

NAVGTR Game, Original Role Playing

Disco Elysium
GreedFall
Indivisible
Oninaki
The Outer Worlds – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Original Sports

Killer Queen Black – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Puzzle

Photographs – Puzzle Stories
Superliminal
Tetris 99
The Sojourn
Untitled Goose Game – WINNER

NAVGTR Game, Simulation

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey
Hypnospace Outlaw
Planet Zoo – WINNER
Tropico 6

NAVGTR Game, Special Class

Bury Me, My Love
Dreams – WINNER
Heaven’s Vault
Neo Cab
Sea of Solitude

NAVGTR Game, Strategy

Age of Wonders: Planetfall
Fire Emblem: Three Houses – WINNER
John Wick Hex
Total War: Three Kingdoms
Wargroove

NAVGTR Graphics, Technical

Astral Chain
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Control – WINNER
Days Gone
Metro Exodus

NAVGTR Lighting/Texturing

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Astral Chain
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Control – WINNER
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

NAVGTR Original Dramatic Score, Franchise

Call of Duty Mobile
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Far Cry New Dawn
Kingdom Hearts III – WINNER
Total War: Three Kingdoms

NAVGTR Original Dramatic Score, New IP

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Anthem
Days Gone
Death Stranding – WINNER
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

NAVGTR Original Light Mix Score, Franchise

Devil May Cry 5
Judgment
One Piece: World Seeker
Shenmue III
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – WINNER

NAVGTR Original Light Mix Score, New IP

Astral Chain – WINNER
Concrete Genie
Sky: Children of the Light
The Messenger
The Sojourn

NAVGTR Performance in a Comedy, Lead

Trover Saves the Universe – Justin Roiland as “Trover” – WINNER

NAVGTR Performance in a Comedy, Supporting

The Outer Worlds – Ashly Burch as “Parvati” – WINNER
Trover Saves the Universe – Doug Benson as “Upgrade Teddy”
Trover Saves the Universe – Rich Fulcher as “Fat Little Jerk”

NAVGTR Performance in a Drama, Lead

A Plague Tale: Innocence – Charlotte McBurney as “Amicia” – WINNER
Far Cry New Dawn – Cara Ricketts as “Mickey”
Judgment – Takuya Kimura as “Yagami”
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Cameron Monaghan as “Cal Kestis”
Telling Lies – Logan Marshall-Green as “David”
The Walking Dead – Melissa Hutchison as “Clementine”

NAVGTR Performance in a Drama, Supporting

A Plague Tale: Innocence – Edan Hayhurst as “Lucas”
A Plague Tale: Innocence – Tabitha Rubens as “Melie”
Death Stranding – Mads Mikkelsen as “Cliff” – WINNER
Judgment – Pierre Taki as “Hamura”
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Debra Wilson as “Cere Junda”

NAVGTR Song Collection

Astral Chain
Death Stranding – WINNER
Kingdom Hearts III
Need for Speed Heat
Sayonara Wild Hearts

NAVGTR Song, Original or Adapted

Astral Chain – “Dark Hero”
Days Gone – “Days Gone Quiet”
Death Stranding – “BB’s Theme” – WINNER
Judgment – “Arpeggio” by Alexandros
Kingdom Hearts III – “Don’t Think Twice”

NAVGTR Sound Editing in a Game Cinema

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Days Gone
Death Stranding – WINNER
Resident Evil 2
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

NAVGTR Sound Effects

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Astral Chain
Days Gone
Death Stranding
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – WINNER

NAVGTR Sound Mixing in Virtual Reality

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – WINNER
Asgard’s Wrath
Concrete Genie
Twin Peaks VR
Vader Immortal

NAVGTR Use of Sound, Franchise

Borderlands 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – WINNER
Devil May Cry 5
Gears 5
Layers of Fear 2

NAVGTR Use of Sound, New IP

A Plague Tale: Innocence
Blair Witch
Days Gone
Death Stranding
Untitled Goose Game – WINNER

NAVGTR Writing in a Comedy

Afterparty
Devil May Cry 5
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey
The Outer Worlds – WINNER
Trover Saves the Universe

NAVGTR Writing in a Drama

A Plague Tale: Innocence – WINNER
Bury Me, My Love
Disco Elysium
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

NAVGTR Game of the Year

Control
Disco Elysium
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Resident Evil 2
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – WINNER