First Finalists Announced for the 2026 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK

The first finalists for the special awards at the 2026 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK have been revealed. These special awards recognise excellence in specific areas and run in addition to the overall Best Places to Work Awards for small, medium, and large companies.

Zynga-owned NaturalMotion Games leads the nominations for special awards with five finalist appearances. London-based Rocksteady Studios follows closely behind with four nominations, while Jagex, Playground Games, and Rare have each secured three nominations.

The HR Hero Award also returns for 2026 to recognise individuals who support teams and improve workplace culture. Finalists for this category include representatives from Frontier Developments, IO Interactive, HundredStar Games, Jagex, Playground, and Playstack.

Award sponsors include IO Interactive, Games London, and Special Effect. The HR Summit and G Into Gaming Award is sponsored by Amiqus recruitment. Liz Prince MBE, Business Manager at Amiqus, stated that the awards shine a spotlight on studios turning ideas into action and help raise standards for everyone.

Winners of the special awards and the overall winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Royal Institution in London on October 1, 2026. The ceremony follows the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit at the same venue, which features keynote speaker Sasi Venables and a practical session hosted by Stellar Entertainment people and development director Niki Head.