15 Days: Part 30 – July 1st to July 15th 2026

And The Winner is…

This isn’t just any 15 Days blog; it’s Part 30, and I’ve just one thing to write about.

It’s time to tell you all about…

Let’s catch up with the story so far. Game Dev Heroes (GDH) has been celebrating the people behind the scenes within the games industry since 2018, shining a spotlight upon those who may not have naturally received recognition for their contributions and hard work elsewhere.

Nominations for different disciplines are submitted by people within the industry and these nominations are then reviewed by a panel of developers and games industry professionals, before shortlists are released ahead of the awards ceremony, which for 2026 would be during Develop: Brighton in July.

So that’s the set-up and, in Part 28, I wrote that I’d humbly received a shortlist email from GDH on June 10th. Feeling immensely thankful, considering there were over 700 nominations submitted this year by the games industry across all fourteen categories, making it this far was a huge achievement in itself. Being the only independent shortlisted for QA was a fantastic indicator to me that, over the past five years of finding my way within this community, I must have been doing something right.

So, I’ve got my shortlist email. I’m thrilled, nervous, energised and then, I waited. And waited. And waited some more.

The time between that email and awards night on 14th July felt like a long time. It’s 35 days, in reality. For someone who loves testing as much as I do, this shortlist nomination felt incredibly exciting but I also know that unless I kept myself occupied, I wouldn’t stop thinking about it during the entire 35 days, and that would drive me crazy.

For the most part, I stayed busy. I kept up with my fitness, and did some preparation for how I would handle the run-up to the ceremony on the day and, most importantly, how I would handle the elation of a win, or the disappointment of a loss. True, it could be argued that no-one loses because just being there is recognition enough but, for me personally, it would be hard to take to be there and not win. This really means a lot to me and because it is, as far as I am aware, the only awards body that celebrates QA, I felt I’d have only one opportunity and this is it.

So, preparation. Now, I’ve done enough presentations and speeches to know that if I win, I’ll need something prepared. Going on stage with nothing can be a disaster; and it might be the only chance to impress. And if I don’t win, I would be gracious about it and happy for whoever wins, because that’s what I’ve experienced during all the time I’ve spent in this industry, community, whatever you want to call it, and people want people to succeed. At least, that’s what I see, and it’s a place I enjoy being in because I can be myself. Anyway, I spent a little time going through the points I think are most important for a speech and had something rough noted mentally, just in case.

Time ticks by. I keep myself occupied with fitness, testing, and spend a ridiculous amount of time going back and forth between the hope of a win and the disappointment of not winning. Eventually, as I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, I get bored of these internal narrative loops and just do something else. Finally, I settled down, time ticked by some more, and then I’m travelling to Brighton with Lisa, and awards night has arrived.

I’m nervous. It’s the build-up and the unknown, plus I’ve taken ages working out what to wear (I went with a smart black shirt and jeans). Yet, despite the nerves, I’ve got that useful previous experience of presenting to crowds, and in different environments, so I have a good idea of what I need to do to overcome it. In fact, I can thank Friends for a really helpful tactic that I’ve used for years. If you remember the episode where Chandler freaks out on his wedding day and Ross calms him down by suggesting he break everything into simple tasks, however small, that’s what I did. I was OK for the most part. I’d get occasional waves of nerves but knew to focus on the task ahead.

Another tactic I like to use is visualisation; imagine what it’s like throughout the day and where I can see myself in my mind’s eye. At the venue, applauding the winners. Exuding calm and grace regardless of the QA result. Or stepping onto the stage, looking at the crowd, giving my speech. Or standing in the crowd, being pleased for the winner if it’s not me. I find this really helps with nerves. I did something similar when I did a tandem skydive over the Gower Peninsula in 2016. The idea of plunging into the open sky and falling 15000 feet at 120 mph? ARGH! But imagine each step of the day and diffuse the fear with fact, all I was left with was the crazy notion of hanging out the edge of the plane door. And it’s this kind of approach that I decided to use to prepare for what would be a massive win, or a tough loss, with the comfort of being a finalist.

The time came to leave for the venue. The walk there from our hotel was short and when we arrived, we had our tickets scanned. The GDH team member scanning my ticket noted I was a finalist and complimented me on my smart shirt and appearance, saying I was taking it seriously. I simply smiled and said “Thank you.”. But he was right, I was taking it seriously. Big night.

Once inside the venue, I got my bearings and I settled down. Having attended a lot of events over the last two years, I am quietly confident when somewhere new. The room for the awards was adjoined to a bar, and there was some limited seating around the edges of the ceremony room, with a stage at the front, microphones set up, a photo area just to the left, and several tv monitors dotted around so if you cannot see the projector screen situated at the back of the stage, you can look at them instead. There were already quite a few people at the venue when we arrived so we went to the bar to grab a drink and then waited back in the main room for the awards to start. Although I had a pint in my hand, I drank just half of it and then left the rest. I needed just enough to calm myself but not too much to lose focus in case I end up on the stage.

The ceremony began and I spotted that the guy at the door who scanned my ticket (his name is Ian Goodall) was on stage with Alex Boucher MBE, welcoming everyone and giving a bit of background about GDH and what they stand for. Then, after that, the awards started.

I also spotted that they were going through the categories in the order they’d been listed on the GDH website. That meant QA was fifth. Secretly grateful that I could get an idea of how long the winners’ speeches would be per announcement, I started to edit what I’d prepared mentally to fit the tone and timing. So, I was prepped for that and if my name doesn’t get announced, no matter. No-one will ever know.

Every category had someone to present the award and they would say the name of everyone shortlisted, with the finalists’ profile photos on the big screen behind them, and then read the words from the winning nomination(s) (also shown on the big screen) from a cue card, before announcing the winner. Every single finalist got a huge cheer and every winner was roundly celebrated. All the speeches were well-received, with a growing theme of genuine thanks and unexpected delight on show.

As each category winner was announced, and as I listened to their speeches, the reality of it all was starting to dawn on me. I actually do deserve to be there, in this room filled with industry professionals. I found myself fighting back a few tears because I felt genuine pride for having got this far. But I calmed myself. Now was not the time for that.

With the nerves reappearing and really starting to kick back in as we got to the QA category, my mind kind of went into a super-focused state for a few minutes, whilst my heart started beating as hard as it ever has. Boom, Boom!, BOOM! I felt calm mentally and anxious physically. I heard the names, saw everyone’s profile photos and then the presenter, Joe Forrester, started to read the nomination.

Now, I scan read the nomination on the big screen faster than it was read out and I quickly started to hope and believe that they were talking about me. Everything written was something I had done but I couldn’t be sure because I had no idea what my fellow nominees had done either.

As the nomination kept being read, my breathing quickened and hope swelled. I hadn’t twigged that Lisa had been filming this section from the start and I’d leaned towards her to whisper ‘I think it’s me…but I’m not sure.’ I heard nothing much of the nomination after that because the more that was read, the more the anticipation of something I’d been hoping for really happening got nearer. And then I heard these words:

“And the QA Hero Award goes to…Paul James!”

Fuck. It actually happened.

Now I’d love to say I cheered, punched the air, jumped up and down but I was actually really calm. I turned to Lisa, gave her a big hug and a kiss, then made my way through the crowd to the stage. I could hear people along the way saying “Well done, Paul!”, and then I saw Ian again as I got to the stage who said something like “I bet you’re glad you wore a smart shirt now.”. I replied with an ‘Aye.’, shook his hand and smiled. I walked up the ramp to the stage, shook Joe’s hand, said ‘Thanks!”, accepted my award, and then it was time to give my speech.

And you can see what we managed to record here:

Had I chosen to take some extra time, what I would have also said was this:

”I’m here because the work I’ve done has impressed developers enough to be willing to take the time to write and submit a nomination but I am also here because these developers have given me the opportunity to show what I can do. And for that, I am extremely grateful. It’s been a long five years and there have been times I have doubted myself but with the support and encouragement of those people around me, I stand here and humbly accept this award. My sincere thanks to:

Lorenzo Boni

Stoo Cambridge

Mikel Fick

Will Hall

Tom Hardwidge

Paul Hart

Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou

James Lightfoot

Rubén López

Vincent Penning

Tom Potter

Tonda Ros

Smitner Studio

Ramon van Schaik

Tony Warriner

Kevin Wickenden

Lee Williams

David Younger

Sophie Younger

and, of course, my wonderful wife, Lisa.”

It’s a long list so maybe better for it to be here than on the night but I do realise I am lucky to know them all. I also reckon I’ve missed someone. I bet I’ve missed someone…

Immediately after my speech, I returned to Lisa to keep hold of my award, and then I left the room for a few minutes, just for some quiet and to compose myself. I couldn’t believe it. I had won!

Once I’d returned to the main room for the rest of the ceremony (I think I missed at least one category), I applauded all the winners, a big smile on my face. When it was over, music played, attendees mingled and the vibe was great. For a while, I sat quietly at the back on those edge seats and tried to take in what had happened.

I also spent a little time speaking to members of the Game Dev Heroes team and what struck me most of all is their genuine desire to celebrate the people behind-the-scenes. This was their ninth year hosting these awards and they have a slick process. The communication in the build-up was timely and exactly what I needed, and they’ve got an event that is professional but relaxed. No rows of seating, smart casual dress (but wear what you feel comfortable in), plenty of room to mingle, and lots of people there to cheer and celebrate. It’s a room full of industry professionals but it’s also a room full of people who want to enjoy the recognition of those around them. I am very proud to have been nominated but even more so for actually winning.

After it had all wound down, Lisa and I left. We took a walk along the beachfront, found a bar to have a drink and, whilst I continued to shake my head in disbelief, watched the sun set at the end of a wonderfully emotional and rewarding day.

I am the 2026 Game Dev Heroes QA Winner. Even as I write this now, a few days later, I still can’t quite believe it, but it’s true. And it always will be.

It’s been a fantastic journey so far, and I’ve no intention of stopping. We go onwards, to whatever is next.

Until next time, as always, stay safe and thank you for reading.

Paul.

P.S. I’ve delayed this blog for a while because I’ve been waiting for GDH to release more photos, etc. but they’re not available yet. Once they are, I’ll let you know and add them here.