The gaming industry has been a savior to many as the world went into a total lockdown in 2020. Right from kids to adults to students and professionals; it has been one of the best ways to communicate with the outer world and get entertained while staying at home. Since 2020, the gaming industry has grown exponentially. With a rising number of players and esports tournaments, it has led to an increase in consumption of gaming content and the overall industry numbers and revenue are touching the sky. Not only has the technological landscape changed, but it is also headed for the Web3 metamorphosis, of which the metaverse and NFTs will be key components. Today, everyone from esports competitors to organisations either published their NFTs or announced plans to do so. Going forward, it might also be feasible to conduct popular gamers’ NFT transactions to host tournaments or scrims could be possible on Metaverse.

Acknowledging that, Animation Xpress is launching The GEM Awards, to honor excellence throughout the gaming, esports and metaverse industry to celebrate the talents that influence and advance the medium and culture of gaming and technology. In addition to games and esports, The GEM Awards will also recognise the individuals and organisations that changed digital culture and had a positive social impact through the invention of ground-breaking Web3 applications, NFTs, and metaverses.