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The biggest night in gaming – the closest thing the industry has to its own Oscars ceremony – is almost upon us.

Live from Los Angeles in just a few days, The Game Awards will honour the best the medium had to offer this year, honouring everything from the biggest blockbusters to the smallest independent debuts.

Gaming reporter Martin Kimber and technology reporter Tom Acres are here with their tips for some of the most competitive categories – and you can keep scrolling for the full list of nominees.

Best game

A Plague Tale: Requiem
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Stray
Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Martin’s pick: Horizon Forbidden West

It’s very difficult to pull off a successful sequel, but Guerrilla Games has done just that. You’ll struggle to find a prettier game with a bigger, more expansive map. It offers excellent replayability and thus value for money, it is addictive, and did I mention it’s pretty? Plus, robot dinosaurs! What’s not to like?!

Tom’s pick: Stray

Quite the debut from French indie studio BlueTwelve Studio. This surprisingly moving dystopian adventure painted a bleak yet hopeful picture of the fragility of life, and how it endures. Not content with nuanced commentary on capitalism and its impact on the planet, you also play as a very cute cat. And there’s a meow button!

'Robot dinosaurs' made their return in Guerilla's sequel
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‘Robot dinosaurs’ made their return in Guerilla’s sequel. Pic: Sony
Stray features inarguably the cutest main character of the year
Image:
Stray features inarguably the cutest main character of the year

Best narrative

A Plague Tale: Requiem
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Immortality

Martin’s pick: Horizon Forbidden West

In the first Horizon, it felt like the developers came up with the concept of robot dinosaurs and built the whole game around that idea. However, this sequel boasts a much more fleshed out story, captivating even the players who just want to take on a mechanised velociraptor with a bow and arrow.

Tom’s pick: God Of War Ragnarok

God Of War’s reinvention four years ago was a triumph, plucking the vengeful protagonist Kratos out of his Greek comfort zone and into Norse mythology – with a son, no less. The stranger in a strange land setup was inherently less novel this time, but his metamorphosis from one of gaming’s most two-dimensional meatheads into a touching and relatable depiction of fatherhood goes from strength to strength, with quite the emotional pay-off.

Horizon Forbidden West was one of the best looking games of the year
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Horizon Forbidden West was one of the best looking games of the year. Pic: Sony
Kratos meets all manner of great characters on his latest journey, including Ratatoskr the squirrel
Image:
Kratos meets all manner of great characters on his latest journey, including Ratatoskr the squirrel

Best art direction

Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Scorn
Stray

Martin’s pick: God Of War Ragnarok

I played this recently with some friends, who genuinely couldn’t tell the difference between the cinematics and the gameplay. If you basically want a playable, violent Pixar film, this is the game for you.

Tom’s pick: Elden Ring

FromSoftware’s games have always boasted tremendous art direction, and each have brought its dark, fantasy tendencies to bigger audiences. Elden Ring was a collaboration with Game Of Thrones creator George RR Martin, showcased by the sheer scope and detail of its world. There’s an almost impossible-to-imagine level of variety, with every corner you turn invariably offering something new. Best art or not, it’s definitely got the most.

God Of War Ragnarok boasts some typically enormous creatures
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God Of War Ragnarok boasts some typically enormous creatures
The scope and variety of Elden Ring's world is unmatched. Pic: Bandai Namco
Image:
The scope and variety of Elden Ring’s world is unmatched. Pic: Bandai Namco

Best family game

Kirby And The Forgotten Land
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope
Nintendo Switch Sports
Splatoon 3

Martin’s pick: Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

If I could give this game all of the above awards, I would. It’s been so long since they released one of these, I was worried they’d mess with the perfect recipe – but they didn’t. Collectible characters, stud multipliers and hilarious cinematics all make a return. A must-play for every family member (and Star Wars nerd).

Tom’s pick: Nintendo Switch Sports

I didn’t realise how much I missed the thrill of family competition in Wii Sports until its spiritual successor arrived on Nintendo’s Switch console. As was the case with the original, your mileage with each sport will vary and tennis and bowling remain by far the best, but each is boosted by far more precise motion controls and online multiplayer.

Pic: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
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LEGO Star Wars lets you play through all nine main films. Pic: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
Bowling was one of the highlights of Nintendo's return to sports games. Pic: Nintendo
Image:
Bowling was one of the highlights of Nintendo’s return to sports games. Pic: Nintendo

Best multiplayer game

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
MultiVersus
Overwatch 2
Splatoon 3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Martin’s pick: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Boy, this game is hard. It’s so bloomin’ hard. I haven’t died this much in a game since… well, ever. But the new multiplayer maps are well-designed, the gun play is satisfying and balanced, and it’s fast. Infinity Ward has had a long time to perfect the FPS formula, and they’ve done just that.

Tom’s pick: Splatoon 3

Infinity Ward may have perfected the FPS formula, but Nintendo has a monopoly on futuristic paintball. Splatoon 3 was very much more of the same, with an emphasis on the more. While the fast-paced matches and tight controls were familiar to anyone who played prior instalments, a bolstered selection of maps, modes, and weapons made it a worthy entry in a series which remains unlike anything else almost six years after it debuted.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II releases this month
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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II was the biggest launch in franchise history
Splatoon 3 offered more of the same - but it was all good. Pic: Nintendo
Image:
Splatoon 3 offered more of the same – but it was all good. Pic: Nintendo

Best game direction

Elden Ring
God of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Immortality
Stray

Best score and music

A Plague Tale: Requiem
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Metal: Hellsinger
Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Best audio design

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarok
Gran Turismo 7
Horizon Forbidden West

Best performance

Ashly Burch, Horizon Forbidden West
Charlotte McBurney, A Plague Tale: Requiem
Christopher Judge, God Of War Ragnarok
Manon Gage, Immortality
Sunny Suljic, God Of War Ragnarok

Games for impact

A Memoir Blue
As Dusk Falls
Citizen Sleeper
Endling – Extinction is Forever
Hindsight
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

Best ongoing game

Apex Legends
Destiny 2
Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
Genshin Impact

Best indie game

Cult Of The Lamb
Neon White
Sifu
Stray
Tunic

Best debut indie

Neon White
Norco
Stray
Tunic
Vampire Survivors

Best community support

Apex Legends
Destiny 2
Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
No Man’s Sky

Best mobile game

Apex Legends
Diablo Immortal
Genshin Impact
Marvel Snap
Tower Of Fantasy

Best VR/AR game

After The Fall
Among Us
Bonelab
Moss: Book II
Red Matter 2

Best action game

Bayonetta 3
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Neon White
Sifu
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Best action/adventure game

A Plague Tale: Requiem
God Of War Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Stray
Tunic

Best role-playing game

Elden Ring
Live A Live
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Triangle Strategy
Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Best fighting game

DNF Duel Arc
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
The King Of Fighters XV
MultiVersus
Sifu

Best sim/strategy game

Dune: Spice Wars
Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope
Total War: Warhammer III
Two Point Campus
Victoria 3

Best sports/racing game

F1 22
FIFA 23
NBA 2K23
Gran Turismo 7
OlliOlli World

The Game Awards takes place on 9 December at 12.30am UK time.

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Grammy-winning R&B and soul star D’Angelo dies after ‘prolonged battle with cancer’

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Grammy-winning R&B and soul star D'Angelo dies after 'prolonged battle with cancer'

Grammy-award winning R&B and soul singer D’Angelo has died following a battle with pancreatic cancer, his family has said.

He died on Tuesday, leaving behind a “legacy of extraordinarily moving music” following a “prolonged and courageous battle with cancer,” his family said in a statement.

The prominent musician, born Michael D’Angelo Archer, was 51 years old.

A family statement said: “We are saddened that he can only leave dear memories with his family, but we are eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind.

“We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time, but invite you all join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”

The singer rose to prominence in the 1990s with his first album, Brown Sugar.

The track “Lady” from that album reached No. 10 in March 1996 and remained on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 20 weeks.

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Eurovision emergency vote on Israel’s inclusion is called off

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Eurovision emergency vote on Israel's inclusion is called off

An emergency vote on Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has been called off following developments in the Middle East, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has said.

Contest organisers had scheduled “an extraordinary meeting of [its] general assembly to be held online” in early November after several countries said they would no longer take part in Eurovision if Israel participated.

The EBU said in a statement that following “recent developments in the Middle East” the executive board had agreed on Monday that there should be an in-person discussion among members “on the issue of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026”.

It said the matter had now been added to the agenda of its winter general assembly, which will take place in December.

Further details about the session would be shared with EBU members in the coming weeks, it added.

It is not clear if a vote will still take place at a later date.

Austria is hosting next year’s show in Vienna. The country’s national broadcaster, ORF, told Reuters news agency it welcomed the EBU’s decision.

Sky News has contacted Israeli broadcaster KAN for comment.

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Will Eurovision boycott Israel?

Faced with controversy over the conflict in Gaza, Eurovision – which labels itself a non-political event – had said member countries would vote on whether Israel should or shouldn’t take part.

Slovenia and broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Iceland had all issued statements saying if Israel was allowed to enter, they’d consider boycotting the contest.

As one of the “Big Five” backers of Eurovision, Spain’s decision to leave the competition would have a significant financial impact on the event – which is the world’s largest live singing competition.

In September, a letter from EBU president Delphine Ernotte Cunci, said “given that the union has never faced a divisive situation like this before” the board agreed it “merited a broader democratic basis for a decision”.

Read more:
Why Eurovision vote on Israel might not stop boycott
Could Eurovision boycott lead to a competition crisis?

On Monday, Palestinian militant group Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza, and Israel released busloads of Palestinian detainees, under a ceasefire deal aimed at bringing an end to the two-year war in the Middle East.

The war began when Hamas stormed into Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation, with airstrikes and ground assaults devastating much of the enclave and killing more than 67,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants but it says around half of those killed were women and children.

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Diane Keaton, star of Annie Hall and The Godfather, has died aged 79 – US media reports

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Diane Keaton, star of Annie Hall and The Godfather, has died aged 79 - US media reports

Actress Diane Keaton, who starred in films including The Godfather and Annie Hall, has died, reports have said.

People reported her death at the age of 79, citing a family spokesperson.

The magazine said she died in California with loved ones but no other details were immediately available, and representatives for Keaton did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press news agency.

Keaton’s death was also reported by the New York Times newspaper which said it has spoken to Dori Roth, who produced a number of Keaton’s most recent films, who confirmed she had died but did not provide any details about the circumstances.

With a long career, across a series of movies that are regarded as some of the best ever made, Keaton was widely admired.

She was awarded an Oscar, a BAFTA and two Golden Globe Awards, and was also nominated for two Emmys, and a Tony, as well as picking up a series of other Academy Award and BAFTA nominations.

Diane Keaton, with her best actress Oscar for 'Annie Hall' in 1978. Pic: AP
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Diane Keaton, with her best actress Oscar for ‘Annie Hall’ in 1978. Pic: AP

Her best actress Oscar was for the Woody Allen film Annie Hall, which is said to be loosely based on her life.

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She appeared in several other Allen projects, including Manhattan, as well as all three Godfather movies, in which she played Kay, the wife and then ex-wife of Marlon Brando’s son Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, opposite him as he descends into a life of crime and replaces his father in the family’s mafia empire.

‘Brilliant, beautiful’

The unexpected news was met with shock around the world.

Her First Wives Club co-star Bette Midler wrote on Instagram: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me.

“She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was … oh, la, lala!”

Actor Ben Stiller paid tribute on X, writing: “Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.”

Keaton was the kind of actor who helped make films iconic and timeless, from her “La-dee-da, la-dee-da” phrasing as Annie Hall, bedecked in the iconic necktie, bowler hat, vest and khakis, to her heartbreaking turn as Kay Adams, the woman unfortunate enough to join the Corleone family.

Keaton also frequently worked with Nancy Meyers, starting with 1987’s Baby Boom.

Their other films together included 1991’s Father of the Bride and its 1995 sequel, as well as 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give.

In 1996 she starred opposite Goldie Hawn and Midler in The First Wives Club, about three women whose husbands had left them for younger women.

More recently she collaborated with Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen on the Book Club films.

Keaton never married. She adopted a daughter, Dexter, in 1996 and a son, Duke, four years later.

Sky News has contacted Keaton’s agent for a comment.

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