It’s fantastic to see better representation of women in the games industry through a new awards series by GamesBeat: the GamesBeat BOSS Mode Awards.

Positioned around the idea of being “not chosen by title, chosen by impact,” the inaugural BOSS Mode Awards were created to celebrate and elevate women across games, media and technology. After a public nominations process and review by GamesBeat’s judging committee, the shortlist was narrowed to 10 women leaders in each of three categories, with winners set to be announced at GamesBeat Summit in LA in May 2026.

The awards are intended to spotlight measurable impact and leadership at a time when gaming’s influence extends far beyond its own sector. 

We are especially proud to see Adele Simpson, Executive Vice President of Performance Marketing, included on the shortlist for the Future Boss Rising Star Award, a category which honours “up-and-coming women in the industry who have managed to make a splash in a short time,” making Adele’s nomination a strong recognition of rising leadership and meaningful contribution within the wider games business.

The three award categories reflect different kinds of influence and achievement across the industry. Alongside the Future Boss Rising Star Award, the BOSS Mode Woman of the Year Award honours a woman who has significantly influenced the industry over the past year, and the Final BOSS Award for Lifetime Achievement highlights a legend who has worked in the industry for more than 10 years and made a lasting positive impact on the space.

Below is the full shortlist of nominees, as published by GamesBeat.

BOSS Mode Woman of the Year:

• Zoe Bell, executive producer of games at The New York Times
• Trinidad Hermida Black, chair of the board of directors of Black in Gaming
• Jen Donahoe, executive producer and host of Deconstructor of Fun and founder and chief strategist of JadeInferno Consulting
• Amy Huang, chief executive officer of Mattel163
• Eunice Lee, chief operating officer of Scopely
• Laura Miele, president of EA Entertainment
• Dr. Nika Nour, SVP and head of international business development of Savvy Games Group
• Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change
• Maya Rogers, chief executive officer of The Tetris Company
• Rebecca Shepard, senior vice president, general manager and global play lead of Magic: the Gathering at Wizards of the Coast

Future Boss Rising Star Award:

• Noor Amin, senior tech game designer at Riot Games
• Kübra Gündoğan, co-founder and CEO of Loom
• Rachell Hofstetter, creator known as Valkyrae
• Keisha Howard, founder of Sugar Gamers
• Magali Huot, director of games marketing for mainstream games at Netflix
• Amanda Kruse, vice president of business development at Blumhouse
• Fatma Meheni, co-founder and studio director of Last Lion Studio
• Talia Shmuel, director of slate strategy at Scopely
• Adele Simpson, executive vice president of performance at Green Man Gaming
• Sharon Wang, product marketing manager at Meta

Final BOSS Award for Lifetime Achievement:

• Kim Centeno, vice president of product marketing and strategy at Blizzard Entertainment
• Susan Cummings, chief executive officer of 10Six Games
• Felicia Day, actress, producer and writer
• Vicki Dobbs Beck, interim chief product officer of Lucas Learning
• Kate Edwards, chief executive officer of Geogrify
• Jennifer Hale, voice actress
• Amy Hennig, co-president of the New Media Division at Skydance Media
• Helene Juguet, managing director of Ubisoft Film and TV Paris
• Holly Longdale, vice president and executive producer of World of Warcraft
• Jade Raymond, producer and game industry executive

Congratulations to Adele on her nomination, and to all of this year’s inaugural BOSS Mode nominees!