Black Game Executives and Creatives Open Doors for Next Generation of Gamers
Voice actor Eli Harris will be honored at the gaming awards show on November 13 2021. (Picture by Leslie Gay)
The Black in Gaming Foundation is hosting its fifth annual Black in Gaming (BIG) Awards show on November 13, 2021. The award show will stream on YouTube. Game industry advocate Carl Varnado and Gaming Executive Laura Teclemariam will host the BIG Awards show.
The Black in Gaming Awards Show was established to educate others on the gaming industry and highlight Black game developers that are left out the conversation. These game developers, executives, and more will be honored for their accomplishments and creative ventures in the industry.
Varnado said that Black people are not usually recognized in the gaming industry.
“The awards show is our way of honoring the accomplishments of Black game developers and creators, industry-wide,” he said.
Black in Gaming Foundation created a safe space for Black gamers and creatives to be recognized in a white dominant industry. (Picture by Leslie Gay)
For voice actor and director Eli Harris, the world needs to see more Black people in the gaming industry. Studies show that 4% of all game developers are Black. The BIG Awards show hopes to bridge the ecosystem gap between Black creators and audiences to create more job opportunities for the Black community. Creatives like Harris hopes to change the world of gaming for Blacks.
“No one can represent our people and the struggle it took to get to where we are better than us,” Harris said. “It gives a source of encouragement to those coming up and in the struggle too. It lets them know you can make it too. Just hold on and stay on the grind.”
Harris, along with several other creatives and executives, will be awarded for their work and dedication in the gaming industry. Harris, known as the “Imagemaker,” will receive the Performance Award for his role as Elder Scrolls: Skyrim-Wyrmstooth and also for his part of Manscaped and the LFA/UFC Fight Pass.
Harris said that it’s a dream come true for him to be recognized for the work he’s put in.
“I love what I do, and getting the recognition for it is icing on the cake,” he said. “Being The Image Maker means that my voice can bring any project to life. You can have dope visuals, but without a commanding voice, you won’t hear yourself. The voice evokes emotions. It can set the mood. It can soothe pain, and it can get you excited. The spoken word created life. So for me, when I get on the mic, I'm breathing life into a project.”
Harris hopes that the gaming awards sparks interest in more Black creatives to get into the gaming industry. He tells hopefuls to invest into themselves and not take shortcuts in the industry.
“Invest in the equipment, the training, and don't take no for an answer,” Harris said. “If you really want this, you have to have a passion for it. This game is a marathon. The worst thing you can do is look at this as a get-rich-quick business because you will find yourself broke and disappointed if you doted. It's an investment financially, emotionally, and spiritually.”
Check out Harris’s website for information on future and current projects.