The Diana Jones Award is an annual award created to publicly acknowledge excellence in gaming. The award was first made for the year 2000, and the first award ceremony was on August 4, 2001.

The Diana Jones Award 2007

The Winner | The Nominees | The Award Ceremony

The Nominees

27th June 2007, London: After much debate the shortlist for the seventh annual Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming, covering the year 2006, has been announced.

The Diana Jones Award is given to whatever the Diana Jones Committee believes has best demonstrated ‘excellence in gaming’ in the previous year. This year the committee has shortlisted three potential winners. In alphabetical order, they are:

THE GREAT PENDRAGON CAMPAIGN

by Greg Stafford
Published by White Wolf

In terms of sheer scope alone, Greg Stafford's Great Pendragon Campaign breaks new ground, presenting almost a century’s worth of continuous story with gemlike clarity; in almost fractal fashion, any given year can become its own campaign. Its greatest structural successes are those of Stafford's Pendragon: a superbly compact yet never sketchy adventure format, seamless hard-wiring of characters into setting and continuity, and unprecedented emphasis on epic, generational storytelling. Thematically, it is a triumph of Arthurian art in its own right, the roleplaying form's equivalent of Tennyson's The Idylls of the King or Wagner's Parsifal—a brilliant personal engagement with one of the foundation myths of Western fantasy.

PIECES OF EIGHT

by Jeff Tidball
Published by Atlas Games

In Jeff Tidball’s Pieces of Eight, each player in the game holds a customizable stack of coins in one hand. This represents a pirate ship, complete with captain, and the players do battle with each other by moving and using the coins in their hands to harm other ships and help their own. It's a perfect example of a game that is simple to learn but fun to play for beginners and long-time gamers alike, it can be played just about anywhere, and it offers layers of customization and strategy found in few games of any kind, as well as an elegance for which all great game designers strive.

STEFAN POKORNY

creator, sculptor and painter of the Master Maze line of miniature terrain from Dwarven Forge.

Stefan Pokorny is a fine artist by trade who has studied extensively in the US and abroad. He holds a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Hartford and he has taught at some recognized fine art schools. For the past 11 years he has been pouring his artistic energies into the creation of the finest miniature terrain in the world—the Master Maze line from his company Dwarven Forge. While his efforts have always garnered much praise, the year 2006 was an especially rewarding year for Stefan and his work. He released three new incredible sets: the Cavernous River and Walls Set, the Cavernous Lake Set and the Medieval Building Set. Each of these is not only an incredible work of art and craftsmanship, but also represents the absolute pinnacle of game accessory quality. They serve to remind everyone of the unmatched artistic work that Stefan has accomplished over the last 11 years.

More Information

For more information on the award and on how to gain access to the award party on August 15th, please contact the designated public representatives of the Diana Jones Committee:

Matt Forbeck matt@forbeck.com
James Wallis james@erstwhile.demon.co.uk