IGDA Foundation Announces 2025 Gerald Lawson Award Winner
Opens Applications for Virtual Exchange 2025
The IGDA Foundation (IGDA-F) is proud to honor Muriel Tramis with this year's Gerald Lawson Award, shining a light on her achievements in the game development space.
The Gerald Lawson Award for Achievement in Game Development honors the accomplishments of people who identify as underrepresented minorities in the game development community, with a specific recognition of their work directly related to game development. “...Jerry (Gerald) Lawson pioneered home video gaming in the 1970s by helping create the Fairchild Channel F, the first home video game system with interchangeable games.” (source) The award will be presented during GDC at GamesBeat’s Crossfire Lounge event taking place on Tuesday, March 18.
Tramis is an engineer from Martinique and is recognized as the first Black woman video game designer, whose works include the very first wargame Freedom: Rebels in the Darkness, and a multitude of adventure games such as Méwilo, Geisha, Fascination, Lost in Time, and Urban Runner. Tramis is also an advocate for women in the French tech and gaming industry, supporting recruitment and training programs to bring more diverse perspectives into European studios.
The IGDA-F will also be providing its GDC programming for ten talented grantees, in large part thanks to the generous support of the GDC organizers. This year’s grantees include participants from two key IGDA-F cohorts: Velocity, which supports professionals transitioning from other industries into games, and NGL (Next Gen Leaders), which focuses on retaining and empowering marginalized developers. These grantees will have the opportunity to benefit from GDC and IGDA-F programs, expanding their networks and connecting with industry professionals. In addition, the IGDA-F is offering CV/Portfolio review sessions for GDC attendees in Community Sessions, with IGDA-F alumni and industry professionals providing feedback to GDC attendees in the Moscone Center.
Since 2008, the IGDA-F has supported over 1,000 alumni who work across the industry. The IGDA-F is sponsored by the generosity of companies such as GDC, Stride PR, and Double Fine Productions, all long-term supporters of the IGDA-F.
“We are very pleased to offer our support to such a forward-thinking and inclusive organization,” said Kevin Johnson, Double Fine’s Director of Development. “The IGDA Foundation’s initiatives have such a positive and important impact on our industry, and we’re very keen to see that continue.”
The organization is also now accepting applications for the 2025 Virtual Exchange, the online-only grantee program providing learning opportunities for game industry hopefuls and its next gen leaders. The IGDA-F’s Virtual Exchange is a six-week program that provides grantees with workshops, career coaching, and personalized mentorship for industry newcomers and veterans alike from game industry professionals. Applications for this year’s program are now open through March 24th, 2025.
“We’re very excited to be presenting so many opportunities to our ambitious grantees this year,” said Alyssa Walles, Executive Director, IGDA-F. “We hope that those selected for these grants will find the experiences and connections they foster to be invaluable stepping stones for their careers in gaming.”
To find out more about the IGDA Foundation’s initiatives and apply for the Virtual Exchange, visit https://www.igdafoundation.org/application. To stay up to date on IGDA-F news, please follow us on Linkedin and Bluesky.
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About the IGDA Foundation
The International Game Developers Association Foundation (IGDA-F) is dedicated to advancing inclusivity and diversity in the gaming industry by providing opportunities, education, and support for individuals from underrepresented communities. The IGDA-F is sponsored by a generous group of industry companies, including Double Fine Productions, Stride PR, GDC, and Premack Rogers. Since 2008, the IGDA-F has supported more than 1,000 alumni who now develop games at both AAA and indie studios. For more information, visit https://igdafoundation.org
Media Contacts
Eliott Garcia / Haylee Kiedrowski
Stride PR for IGDA Foundation
eliott@stridepr.com / haylee@stridepr.com
