The winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Royal Institution in London on October 1

We are thrilled to reveal the finalists for the special awards at the UK GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards 2026.

These awards recognise excellence in specific areas, and they run in addition to the overall Best Places to Work Awards for small, medium, and large companies.

Zynga-owned NaturalMotion Games once again leads the pack in terms of the overall number of nominations for special awards, appearing as a finalist in five categories.

Close behind is London-based Rocksteady Studios with four nods, while Jagex, Playground Games, and Rare have each secured three nominations.

2026 also sees the return of the HR Hero Award, which recognises an individual who goes above and beyond to support teams and improve the workplace culture. This year's award features 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. "The Best Places To Work Awards shine a spotlight on the studios and businesses that are turning those ideas into action," said Liz Prince MBE, Business Manager, Amiqus. "Bringing the industry together to both learn from each other and celebrate success helps raise standards for everyone, and we're proud to play a part in that.”

The winners of the special awards, in addition to the overall winners, will be announced at a ceremony at The Royal Institution in London on October 1, 2026.

The ceremony will follow the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, sponsored by Amiqus, which takes place earlier in the day at the same venue. Keynote speaker Sasi Venables, founder of the HR Confidence Club, will be talking about the future of people leadership amid changing workplace expectations for people professionals, while Niki Head, people and development director at Stellar Entertainment, will be hosting a practical session titled: Challenge without conflict: how HR becomes a "critical friend" to leadership.

Other topics covered by the HR Summit will include:

• Insights into working effectively with trade unions
• How to effectively support and manage neurodivergent staff
• Creating strategies for workforce, leadership, and capability challenges created by the rising use of AI in the workplace
• Practical insights into handling AI-generated casework in employee relations

More information on the HR Summit can be found here, and the full line up of speakers and talks will be announced shortly. Tickets for this year's event (including entry to the Best Places to Work Awards) can be bought here.

Below is the list of special award finalists for the 2026 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK:

• Jagex: The Runescape Company
• NaturalMotion Games
• Playground Games
• Rocksteady Studios
• Wushu Studios

• Maverick Games
• NaturalMotion Games
• Rare
• Snap Finger Click

• Dink
• Electric Square
• Jagex: The Runescape Company
• Rocksteady Studios
• Two Point Studios

• NaturalMotion Games
• Playground Games
• Rare
• Rocksteady Studios

• Behaviour Interactive UK
• Hangar 13
• NaturalMotion Games
• Rare
• Rocksteady Studios

• Behaviour Interactive UK
• Jagex: The Runescape Company
• NaturalMotion Games
• Playground Games

• Yvonne Dawes, Frontier Developments
• Tuoya Joe, HundredStar Games
• Gary Martin, Jagex: The Runescape Company
• Carmen Martino, Playstack
• Anna Stone, Playground Games
• Leah Wilson, IO Interactive

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