Origins Report: Origins Awards Ceremony

I’m preparing to cover the Origins awards at 8. I’m doing a few live updates, then below that is the list of categories (and check out the nominees list), and I’ll update the winners live as they’re announced. I should add: this is the 33rd Annual Origins Awards.

8:02 PM: GAMA Executive Director Anthony Gallela just stopped by my table to say Hello before the show. He appears to be wearing a formal shirt and jacket and a not quite as formal seeming black kilt. He surprised me by having pockets to keep a shark in. He is kind enough to not mention that I’m the only person who has a table to himself.

8:05 PM: The lights have been dimmed slightly, but the show is officially running late to start. Backstage it appears that a staff member is hurriedly working on a computer. My guess is that it’s to plug all the winners into the PowerPoint display. I’m pretty sure that the process of having people vote at the show is new, and the voting closed two hours ago. We’ll see if they pull it off, or if the awards “mysteriously” start late to compensate.

8:08 PM: Yep, it was powerpoint, since they accidentally switched the projector to show all the slides. An official is standing in front of the projector, presumably to block the winners from being spotted early. At least it’s a good sign that they’re done.

8:10 PM: Two tables away from the elite game designer table: Alan Moon, Richard Borg, and Mike Gray all together. Since some of them are nominated and some are presenting, it looks like all the seating in the room is a free-for-all.

8:14 PM: The music playing is a collection of lounge singer covers of pop songs. Previously was “The Lovecats”, now “Everybody Hurts.” I’m pretty sure there was a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover in there somewhere too. Show now 15 minutes late to start as they work out the projector (which I assume is the only thing keeping them from starting). Not really complaining about the wait, just hoping my battery holds out.

8:25 PM: It begins!

Miniatures Game or Expansion of the Year
Winner: HORDES: Monstrous Miniatures Combat

Miniature or Miniatures Line of the Year
Winner: Colossal Red Dragon

Non-Collectible Card Game or Expansion of the Year
Winner: Munchkin Impossible

Origins Vanguard Awards
(not selected by the ballot)
Winners: Pieces of Eight, Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare

CCG or Expansion of the Year
Winner: Pirates: Davy Jones’ Curse

Historical Miniatures Game of the Year
Winner: Vlad the Impaler

Historical Miniatures Line of the Year
(the introductory speech was done in Spanish)
Winner: 40mm American Civil War line

Historical Board Game of the Year
Winner: Command & Colors Ancients
(It’ll be cool if Battlelore wins too, showing that people will buy the same system done with different themes)

Origins Hall of Fame Inductees
Jonathan Tweet
Alan R. Moon
Pendragon: The Role-Playing Game of Arthurian Britain
Napoleon’s Battles

Play by Mail/Email Game of the Year
Winner: Starweb

Non-Fiction Publication of the Year
Winner: Dragon Magazine
(“Long live Dragon!” called out someone in the audience- and from the presenter: “Thank you to Wizards of the Coast for giving us the sympathy vote”)

Fiction Publication of the Year
(the presenter, Mike Stackpole, was introduced as “the man who killed Chewbacca”)
Winner: Dungeon Magazine

Game Accessory of the Year
Winner: Settlers of Catan Event Deck

(Here there was a great Tribute to those who worked in the industry and passed away in the past year. I’m sorry but didn’t get the name list.)

Roleplaying Game Supplement of the Year
Winner: Deadlands Reloaded

Roleplaying Game of the Year
Winner: Burning Empires

Board Game or Expansion of the Year
Winner: Treehouse
(Andy was so excited he forgot to grab his award!)

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