The winners were selected by 300 members of the industry by secret ballot. This year, PS3 exclusive LittleBigPlanet dominated, snagging eight awards.

Here they are — with all nominees listed and winners in bold:

Family Game of the Year
-Boom Blox
-LittleBigPlanet
-Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
-Rock Band 2
-Wii Fit

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
-Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
-Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
-Sid Meier's Civilizations Revolution
-Sins of a Solar Empire
-Tom Clancy's EndWar

Outstanding Achievement in Animation
-Castle Crashers
-Gears of War 2
-Left 4 Dead
-Metal Gear Solider 4: Guns of the Patriots
-Prince of Persia

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
-Dead Space
-Fable II
-LittleBigPlanet
-Mirror's Edge
-Prince of Persia

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering
-Gears of War
-LittleBigPlanet
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
-Resistance 2
-Tomb Raider: Underworld

Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering
-Fable II
-Fallout 3
-Left 4 Dead
-Spore
-Tom Clancy's EndWar

Outstanding Character Performance
-Gears of War 2 - Dom
-Gears of War 2 - Marcus
-LittleBigPlanet - Sackboy
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Old Snake
-Tomb Raider: Underworld - Lara Croft

Outstanding Achievement in Story - Adapted Material
-Lego Batman: The Videogame
-Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
-Naruto: The Broken Bond
-Quantum of Solace
-Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Outstanding Achievement in Story - Original
-Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
-Fable II
-Fallout 3
-Grand Theft Auto I
-Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Role Playing Game of the Year
-Fable II
-Fallout 3
-Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
-Tales of Vesperia

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
-Braid
-Left 4 Dead
-LittleBigPlanet
-Spore
-Wii Fit

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
-de Blob
-Dead Space
-Fable II
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
-World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack
-Guitar Hero: World Tour
-LittleBigPlanet
-MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
-Rock Band 2
-Singstar PS3 Vol. 1

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
-Dead Space
-Gears of War 2
-LittleBigPlanet
-Prince of Persia
-Wipeout HD

Computer Game of the Year
-Fallout 3
-Left 4 Dead
-Mass Effect
-Spore
-World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Adventure Game of the Year
-Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
-God of War: Chains of Olympus
-Mirror's Edge
-Naruto: The Broken Bond
-Prince of Persia

Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
-EVE Online: Quantum Rise
-Pirates of the Burning Sea
-PMOG
-Warhammer Online; Age of Reckoning
-World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Sports Game of the Year
-FIFA 09
-Madden NFL 09
-MLB 08: The Show
-NBA 2K9
-NHL 09

Racing Game of the Year
-Burnout Paradise
-GRID
-Mario Kart Wii
-Motorstorm Pacific Rift
-Pure

Fighting Game of the Year
-Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
-Soul Calibur IV
-Super Smash Bros. Brawl
-Super Street Fighter II: Turbo HD Remix
-WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2009

Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay
-Call of Duty: World at War
-Gears of War 2
-Left 4 Dead
-NHL 09
-Rock Band 2

Action Game of the Year
-Call of Duty: World at War
-Dead Space
-Far Cry 2
-Gears of War 2
-Grand Theft Auto IV

Handheld Game of the Year
-Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
-Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
-God of War: Chains of Olympus
-Patapon
-Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Cellphone Game of the Year
-Reset Generation
-Spore Origins
-Trism

Casual Game of the Year
-Braid
-Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhurst
-Patapon
-Professor Layton and the Curious Village
-World of Goo

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
-Fable II
-Fallout 3
-Gears of War 2
-Left 4 Dead
-World of Goo

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
-Fallout 3
-Gears of War 2
-Left 4 Dead
-LittleBigPlanet
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Console Game of the Year
-Fallout 3
-Gears of War 2
-Grand Theft Auto IV
-LittleBigPlanet
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Gun of the Patriots

Overall Game of the Year
-Fallout 3
-Grand Theft Auto IV
-Left 4 Dead
-LittleBigPlanet
-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Congrats to all those who were nominated and all those who won.

Winners List For 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards [MTV Multiplayer]

The 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards will be taking place on Thursday, February 19th at the Red Rock in Las Vegas, Nevada, but you won't have to fly out to Vegas to see LittleBigPlanet win all of those awards. You will, however, have to wait awhile. The Independent Film Channel will be broadcasting the IAA in the form of a half-hour special, hosted by comedian Jay Mohr, sometime in April.

It's a nice gesture, I suppose, but will anyone really care about the awards for this year two months after they are given out? Would you tune into an obscure cable channel to watch highlights from an awards ceremony you knew the winners of two months prior?

ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ARTS AND SCIENCES STRIKES DEAL WITH IFC TO TELEVISE 2009 INTERACTIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Marks First Broadcast of the “Oscars of Video Games” on a Major Television Network

CALABASAS, Calif. – January 28, 2009 – The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences® (AIAS) and IFC (Independent Film Channel) today announced a partnership to bring the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (IAA) to television audiences for the first time. The awards will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The IAA will be broadcast on IFC in April 2009 and comprise of a half hour special with highlights from the IAAs and will be hosted by comedian, actor and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr.

This landmark deal brings together the IAA, the only peer-based awards that recognize the year’s best games, computer games, online entertainment, outstanding individuals and groundbreaking developments teams with IFC, the network that uncovers champions and delivers alternative programming. The IAAs are supported by all of the major video game publishers and developers in the industry. No person may vote unless he or she can demonstrate a threshold level of experience and professional credits in the industry.

“The Academy is excited to bring the Interactive Achievement Awards — the Oscars of video games — to the IFC audience,” said Joseph Olin, President, AIAS. “The amazing popularity of interactive entertainment is attributed to the manner that today’s games allow people to be part of fantastic worlds, incredible challenges and the simple fun of sharing these experiences with friends and family. As IFC celebrates the creative spirit of independent filmmaking, I can think of no better place to showcase the talented men and women who are responsible for our dynamic entertainment art form.”

“Bringing the Interactive Achievement Awards to our audience marries alternative culture with alternative content,” said Jennifer Caserta, executive vice president and general manager of IFC said. “The Interactive Achievement Awards is an exciting and highly anticipated addition to our programming line-up that will include award highlights, scenes from the red carpet and interstitials hosted by IFC News’ Matt Singer.”

The 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas during the annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit hosted by the AIAS. The D.I.C.E. Summit is a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment.

About the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts,
with the mission to promote and advance interest and recognize outstanding achievement in the worldwide interactive entertainment community, as well as putting on an annual awards show(The Interactive Achievement Awards®) to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. The IAA’s are the only peer-based awards that recognize the year’s best video games, computer games, online entertainment, outstanding individuals and groundbreaking development teams that have propelled the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry. The awards presented by the AIAS are determined by a vote of field-specific, qualified Academy members, making the Interactive Achievement Awards the most sought-after, respected and credible recognition for creators of entertainment software, with just under 25,000 general voting members.

In 2002 the Academy created the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment. The Academy also oversees Into The Pixel, a juried exhibition of art from games, and this year started the Randy Pausch Scholarship fund for students in the games industry. More information can be found at http://www.interactive.org, http://www.dicesummit.org and http://www.intothepixel.com.

The 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards will be presented by The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) at next month's D.I.C.E. Summit, and sackboy might want to pull out his tuxedo for this one. Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet might not have sold as well as some of the holiday season's bigger hits, but industry leaders recognize the game's innovation to the tune of 10 nominations. LPB is duking it out against Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, Left 4 Dead, and Metal Gear Solid 4 for Overall Game of the Year for 2008, which closely follows most gaming website's picks, including ours.

Check out the press release below to check out the nominees for Console Game of the Year, Computer Game of the Year, and Handheld Game of the Year, or visit www.interactive.org for the full list. Who are you guys rooting for?

Littlebigplanet leads with an impressive 10 Interactive Achievement Award NOMINATIONS

Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, Left 4 Dead, LittleBigPlanet and Metal Gear Solid 4 Fight It Out for ‘Overall Game of the Year’ Honors

CALABASAS, CA – January 23, 2009 – The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences® (AIAS) today announced the nominees for the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards®. The nominations for the peer-based awards have been dominated by blockbuster game, LittleBigPlanet (Sony Computer Entertainment America) with an astounding 10 nominations from industry leaders and members of the interactive entertainment software business. In addition, finalists with multiple nominations include: Gears of War 2 (Microsoft Game Studios), Left 4 Dead (Valve Software), Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.), Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks), and Fable II (Microsoft Game Studios).

The awards ceremony will take place during the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit® 2009, on February 19th at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, with comedian, actor and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr, returning for his fourth year to host the award ceremony.

These peer-based awards recognize the outstanding products, talented individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry.

“This was an exciting year for games,” said Joseph Olin, president, AIAS. “The depth of talent and creativity in this industry continues to amaze me and we are honored to highlight some of the most impressive games of the year at the Interactive Achievement Awards. The 2009 nominees indeed reflect a stronghold of talent embodying the best and brightest in this field.”

Following is a partial list of finalists; the complete list of finalists is available at www.interactive.org:

Overall Game of the Year:

Fallout 3

* Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
* Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Grand Theft Auto IV

* Publisher: Rockstar Games
* Developer: Rockstar North

Left 4 Dead

* Publisher: Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software

LittleBigPlanet

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: Media Molecule

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

* Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
* Developer: Kojima Productions

Console Game of the Year:

Fallout 3

* Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
* Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Gears of War 2

* Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
* Developer: Epic Games, Inc.

Grand Theft Auto IV

* Publisher: Rockstar Games
* Developer: Rockstar North

LittleBigPlanet

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: Media Molecule

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

* Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
* Developer: Kojima Productions

Computer Game of the Year:

Fallout 3

* Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
* Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Left 4 Dead

* Publisher: Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software

Mass Effect

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Bioware

Spore

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Maxis

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

* Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
* Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming:

Braid

* Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
* Developer: Number None

Left 4 Dead

* Publisher: Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software

LittleBigPlanet

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: Media Molecule

Spore

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Maxis

Wii Fit

* Publisher: Nintendo
* Developer: Nintendo

Handheld Game of the Year

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

* Publisher: Nintendo
* Developer: Intelligent Systems

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

* Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
* Developer: Konami

God of War: Chains of Olympus

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: Ready at Daw

Patapon

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment International

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

* Publisher: Nintendo
* Developer: Level 5, Inc.

ACADEMY AWARDS TOP HONORS TO CALL OF DUTY 4, BIOSHOCK, THE ORANGE BOX AT 11TH ANNUAL INTERACTIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Inducts Mike Morhaime Into Hall of Fame and Bestows Lifetime Achievement Award Upon Ken Kutaragi

LAS VEGAS - February 8, 2008 - And the winners are ... Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), BioShock (2K Games) and The Orange Box (Electronic Arts and Valve Software); each picked up four statues at the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards® last night. The award ceremony was hosted by comedian and avid video game player Jay Mohr at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences also honored two industry icons for their tremendous contributions. Mike Morhaime, president, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment®, was inducted as the 11th member of the prestigious AIAS Hall of Fame and Ken Kutaragi, former president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., received the highly coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.

"The Interactive Achievement Awards is the forum for the industry's best game makers to evaluate the merits of more than 160 titles submitted for consideration and honor the best in technical innovation and gameplay experience," said Joseph Olin, president of the AIAS. "This year's winners truly represent the best cross section of interactive entertainment, demonstrating the power of next-generation platforms that have come of age."

These peer-based awards recognize the outstanding products, talented individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry.

The winners in each category are as follows:

Overall Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Console Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Computer Game of the Year:
The Orange Box

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Producer: Gabe Newell

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Producer: Robert Jerauld
* Game Director: Bob Settles
* Creative Director: Jonas Norberg

Handheld Game of the Year:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

* Publisher: Nintendo of America
* Developer: Nintendo
* Producer: Shigeru Miyamoto
* Director: Eiji Aonuma Massively

Multiplayer Game of the Year:
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

* Publisher: Vivendi Games
* Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
* Producer: Frank Pearce
* Game Director: Rob Pardo
* Creative Director: Chris Metzen

Cellular Game of the Year:
skate.
Publisher: Electronic Arts

* Developer: EA Mobile
* Producer: David Manriquez
* Game Director: David Manriquez
* Creative Director: Derek Zakaib

Role-Playing Game of the Year:
Mass Effect

* Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
* Developer: BioWare
* Producer: Casey Hudson
* Lead Designer: Preston Watamaniuk
* Art Director: Derek Watts

Racing Game of the Year:
Motorstorm

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: Evolution Studios
* Producer: Simon Benson
* Creative Director: Paul Hollywood

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Lead Game Designer: Robin Walker
* Game Director: Kim Swift
* Creative Director: David Speyrer

Adventure Game of the Year:
Super Mario Galaxy

* Publisher: Nintendo of America
* Developer: Nintendo
* Producer: Takao Shimizu
* Game Director: Yoshiaki Koizumi
* Creative Director: Shigeru Miyamoto

Sports Game of the Year:
skate.

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: EA Black Box
* Executive Producer: Scott Blackwood

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year:
Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: EA Los Angeles
* Producer: Mike Verdu
* Creative Director: Matt Britton

Action Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Family Game of the Year:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Producer: Tracy Rosenthal-Newson
* Game Director: Greg LoPiccolo
* Creative Director: Josh Randall

Outstanding Achievement in Animation:
Assassin's Creed

* Publisher: Ubisoft
* Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
* Animation Director: Alex Drouin
* Lead Animators: Elspeth Tory, Sylvain Bernard

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Visual Art Director: Scott Sinclair
* Technical Art Directors: Hogarth De La Plante, Andrew James, Jay Kyburz, Nate Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering:
Crysis

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Crytek
* Director of R&D: Douglas Binks

Outstanding Character Performance:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Writer: Erik Wolpaw
* Voice Actor: Ellen McLaw
* Character Name: GLADos

Outstanding Achievement in Story Development:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Writer: Ken Levine
* Character Designer: Rob Waters

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Lead Game Designer: Robin Walker
* UI Designer: Alden Kroll
* AI Designer: Tom Leonard

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Lead Online Designer: Todd Alerman
* Lead Online Programmer: Richard Baker

Downloadable Game of the Year:
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

* Publisher: D3 Publisher or America
* Developer: Infinite Interactive, 1st Playable Productions
* Producers: Arthur Kawamoto, Steve Baldoni
* Game Directors: Steve Fawkner, Janeen Fawkner

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Composer: Garry Schyman

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Music Supervisors: Paul DeGooyer, Eric Brosius

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Sound Designers: Emily Ridgway, Patrick Balthrop, Justin Mullins
* Audio Lead: Eric Brosius

Since 1996, the Interactive Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding games, individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry. More than 160 titles were played and evaluated by members of the Academy's Peer Panels. The panels are comprised of the game industry's most experienced and talented men and women. Each panel is responsible for evaluating one award category. Interactive Achievement Award recipients are determined by a vote of qualified Academy members. Award voting is confidential, conducted online and supervised and certified by VoteNet Solutions, Inc. The integrity of the system, coupled with a broad-based voting population of AIAS members, makes the Interactive Achievement Awards the most credible, respected and recognized awards for interactive entertainment software.