VR Awards 2021

Highlights, Media, and Extras from our COVID virtual show.

Watch the Livestream

Missed the show in virtual reality? No problem, we streamed the entire show, including our pre-stream, to Youtube!

Read the Book

Learn about the show, finalists, and more in the Book of Achievement

Shared World Hop Art Installation

Before kickstarting the live ceremony we wanted to create a shared experience that really utilises the medium of virtual reality within the confines of AltspaceVR. 5 years of the VR Awards meant 5 very special world hop experiences.

Thank you to Jenifer Brooks, Mark Gill, Darren Abbott & Tracie O’Neil from the world development team we put together.

World 1 – White Room

Built by Jenifer Brooks

The design of the white room was inspired by The Matrix virtual simulation environment and was also a throwback to the three co-founder’s music-fueled nights, planning the very first VR Awards in 2017.

World 3 – Cliffs

Built by Jenifer Brooks

Like walking directly into the cover of the third international VR Awards Book of Achievement, players were able to navigate the looming cliffs of the “three” and were treated to numerous easter eggs if they looked closely enough through the looking glass. Watch out for the aliens though!

World 2 – Limitless imagination

Built by Mark Gill, Darren Abbott

A cultural throwback to the iconic scene from Blade Runner 2049 combined with Encounters of a Third Kind. World 2 featured a challenging “Simon says” style music puzzle to solve before unlocking the next leg of the journey.

World 4 – Upsidedown

Built by Mark Gill

Be immersed in the nature of a completely upside-down cityscape, developing on the concept featured on the 4th international VR Awards Book of Achievement cover designed by artist Kelly Wright, before venturing on a journey inspired by A Space Odyssey 2001 and Marvel’s Loki.

World 5 – Anniversary

Built by Jenifer Brooks

Step on to the red carpet and be whisked away to the 5th International VR Awards, but not before experiencing a one-of-a-kind audiovisual experience that gets you in the mood to celebrate. This world has all the glitz and glam you would expect from a show that celebrates the very best VR has to offer.

Missed these highlights?

Opening Ceremony Video: Creating a future for Mankind

Every year we produce a special video to mark the opening of the ceremony. This year we wanted to focus on what it means to be human, and how that will impact our journey into the metaverse.

A look back at the last 5 years of the VR Awards

5 years is both a long time and a relatively short time in the grand scheme of things. We decided to take a moment to look back on where the VR Awards started and where we are today.

Opening Ceremony Speech from AIXR Chief Executive, Daniel Colaianni

Daniel Colaianni, one of the original co-founders of the VR Awards, took to the stage to open the Ceremony. Unlike other years, the speech had a distinctly reminiscent tone, as Daniel looked back on all that the industry has achieved in the last 5 years.

Tom Furness Holoported Live into VR for the Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award

An Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest accolade that the Academy can bestow. During the ceremony, we wanted to acknowledge this fact by holoporting Tom Furness live onto the stage.

Want to know who the winners were?

With a record number of nominations for the 5th year anniversary of the VR Awards, there could of course only be a total of 13 winners and 1 Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

See the full list of winners, including their speeches by clicking on the button below!

See all 2021 Winners & Finalists

What about some behind the scenes content?

A lot of work goes into producing a virtual event, even more than a physical in-person show! We’d like to give you a bit of an insight into some of the development processes, filming, and production. Due to its technologically challenging nature, over 60 people worked on the production of the VR Awards – with a mixture of online and physically-based teams.