Game Cinematics Take Center Stage as Dispatch, Battlefield 6, and Fortnite Lead Inaugural Cinematic Awards Nominations
Los Angeles, CA — January 23, 2026
The 1st Annual Cinematic Awards, presented by the Society for Game Cinematics and Unreal Engine, are proud to recognize this year’s nominees across twelve featured categories.
Leading the pack are Dispatch with eight nominations, followed by Battlefield 6, and Fortnite’s The Lost Chapter: Yuki’s Revenge, with seven nominations each across categories including direction, editing, sound design, original music, performance, and overall cinematic achievement.
Other major contenders include 2025’s breakout Game of the Year Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Destiny 2, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Borderlands 4, Ghost of Yōtei, and more titles across the game industry that have championed narrative storytelling through game cinematics.
The Cinematic Awards are the first industry honors dedicated exclusively to the craft that bridges film and interactive media, spotlighting the creators behind some of the most iconic and unforgettable moments in games.
“We are incredibly impressed by the work represented in our inaugural year. The exceptional caliber of the entries made the review process both challenging and deeply rewarding for our nomination judges,” said Emily Hsu, President and Co-Founder of the Society for Game Cinematics. “These nominees demonstrate how vital cinematic craft has become to modern video gaming. Their work showcases an extraordinary level of creative and technical ambition across a diverse slate of game titles, reinforcing this community’s impact and the importance of finally recognizing it through a dedicated show.”
The 1st Annual Cinematic Awards will take place on March 10, 2026, at the AMC Metreon 16 IMAX Theater in San Francisco during the week of the GDC Festival of Gaming.
The full list of nominees is available at cinematicawards.com.
The Society for Game Cinematics is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the recognition, education, and advancement of cinematic storytelling within interactive entertainment. Through advocacy, community building, and industry events, SGC supports the artists and teams who craft cinematic experiences in games. For more information about the Society for Game Cinematics and the Cinematic Awards, visit www.societyforgamecinematics.org.
Note (February 1, 2026): This release has been updated to note that Dispatch leads with eight nominations.
