Awards to take place in-person at SVA Theatre on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023
Today, New York Videogame Critics Circle (NYVGCC) revealed the lineup of musical guests, comedians, and special presenters that will be involved in the 12th Annual New York Game Awards. During the show, guests can expect two musical performances featuring hip hop artist Open Mike Eagle and Lower East Side rock legend Mike Fornatale, humor from Daily Show writers Devin Delliquanti and Matt Negrin, and award presentations from Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton and young chess champion Tanitoluwa Adewumi.
Open Mike Eagle
With albums like Dark Comedy, Open Mike Eagle has carved out a unique identity as an artist that finds the funny while touching on socio-political themes. His newest album, Component System with the Auto Reverse, released this past October to widespread acclaim and was named one of NPR’s Best Hip Hop albums of 2022. He has also made appearances on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and more.
Mike Fornatale
Mike Fornatale is a veteran of the NY-local music scene and has performed with acts such as The Left Banke, The Monks, The Washington Squares, Tom Clark, Handsome Dick Manitoba, Murderer’s Row, Loser’s Lounge, and many more. He brings a background of classic rock & roll sound as well as multi-instrumental and vocal talent.
Devin Delliquanti
Known for his Emmy-nominated work on The Daily Show, Devin is an accomplished writer, producer, comedian, and frequent collaborator with the New York Game Awards. He will again produce a new installment of the “In Memoriam” segment, a comedic look back at the best game deaths featured in 2022 games and industry trends that have come and gone.
Matt Negrin
Matt is a Senior Producer at The Daily Show creating award-winning and Emmy-nominated content for the show. He is also an accomplished writer with featured work in publications such as Bloomberg, GQ, Politico, and ABC News. He will present the NYC GWB Award for Best DLC.
Bill Plympton
Bill Plympton will present this year’s Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game. Plympton is a two-time Oscar nominee for his work on animated Shorts like Your Face. His most recent short film, Demi’s Panic, won multiple awards at the Big Apple Film Festival, USA Film Festival, and San Francisco Independent Film Festival. Plympton is no stranger to games either as he was Lead Animator on 1995 PC Game, Take Your Best Shot.
Tanitoluwa Adewumi
At only 12 years old, Tanitoluwa is an internationally-renowned chess player who holds the title of FIDE Master. He won the New York State Chess Championship at age 8 and competes in tournaments all over the world. He is also the author of My Name Is Tani . . . and I Believe in Miracles: The Amazing True Story of One Boy’s Journey from Refugee to Chess Champion. Tanitoluwa will be presenting the Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game at this year’s show.
