Golden Joystick Awards 2009

For immediate distribution

8th October 2009 The Golden Joystick Awards is delighted to announce Sean Lock as host of the 27th annual awards ceremony.

One of the finest and most original comedians around today, Lock is taking the helm for one of the interactive entertainment industry’s biggest nights. He will join the illustrious club of past presenters that includes Matt Lucas, Frankie Boyle and Jonathan Ross.

A British Comedy Award and Time Out Comedy Award winner, Lock features regularly as a captain on Channel 4‘s ‘8 Out Of 10 Cats’ and has become an British TV audience favourite through his appearances on BBC’s ‘QI’.

The 2009 awards are already the most successful in its rich history with a record breaking 970,000 votes so far having been cast by gamers in a celebration of the year’s best video games. The Golden Joysticks are the games industry’s most-loved awards and the industry’s standing as a leading mass market form of entertainment looks set to be reflected in the popularity of 2009’s event as votes surge toward the 1 million barrier.

Emma Parkinson, organiser of the Golden Joystick Awards said “This year’s Golden Joystick Awards are already the most successful ever in terms of votes cast. We’re delighted that gamers have been inspired to vote in their hundreds of thousands by the very best that today’s video games industry has to offer. We look forward to ensuring the event itself is a fitting celebration of entertainment’s most vibrant industry.”

Featuring 15 gamer-voted categories, the event is the world’s longest-running video games awards, first held back in 1982. With just a few tables remaining, almost 800 guests will be entertained at the ceremony. Votes cast now at www.goldenjoystick.com will decide who scoops a prestigious Golden Joystick when the winners are announced at the ceremony at London’s Park Lane Hilton on Friday, 30th October. Voting for the awards closes on October 26th 2009. The categories are;

Family Game of the Year

Handheld Game of the Year

Mobile Game of the Year

The MSN Multiplayer Game of the Year

Nintendo Game of the Year

The ShortList One to Watch

Online Game of the Year

PC Game of the Year

PlayStation Game of the Year

Publisher of the Year

Retailer of the Year

The Rampage Soundtrack of the Year

The Amiqus Games UK Developer of the Year

The Ultimate Game of the Year together with Zavvi.co.uk

Xbox Game of the Year

For more information about the Golden Joystick Awards please contact Justin Crosby on 0207 100 3999 justin@boomdialogue.com

For more information about Future UK please contact Will Guyatt, Future, 01225 822517

About Future

Future plc is an international special-interest media group that is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR). Founded in 1985 with one magazine, today we have operations in the UK, US and Australia creating over 180 special-interest publications, websites and events for people who are passionate about their interests. We hold strong market positions in games, film, music, technology, cycling, automotive and crafts. Our biggest-selling magazines include T3, Total Film, Digital Camera, Fast Car, Classic Rock, Guitar World, Official Xbox Magazine, Official Playstation Magazine, Nintendo Power, Maximum PC and MacLife. Our websites include gamesradar.com, bikeradar.com, techradar.com, and musicradar.com. Future produces over 4 million magazines each month; we attract more than 18 million unique visitors to our websites; and we host 25 annual live events that attract hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts. In addition, Future exports, syndicates or licenses its publications to 90 countries internationally, making us the UK's number one exporter and licensor of monthly magazines.