Previously, we introduced and detailed the esteemed panel that made up the Selection Committee. Today, we have the opportunity to introduce the individuals selected to comprise the Judging Committee for the 2022 Canadian Game Awards and Canadian Indie Game Awards.
This group of industry professionals has parsed through each of the 20 categories and anonymously selected the winner of each category in an unbiased fashion. The Judging Committee is comprised of Canadian-based media professionals.
Aldo D’Andrea – Lead Technical Support Engineer, Amico Source
A passionate gamer, D’Andrea started at the age of eight and has not stopped ever since. Competitive shooters will always have a place in his heart, ever since Halo Combat Evolved. Today, he spends his time creating YouTube content of interesting tech or gaming topics, as well as Apex Legend gameplay content.
Ben Feferman – CEO, Amuka Esports
Feferman has been working in the esports industry for the past four years. He is the founder of Amuka Esports which runs gaming venues in Toronto, Ottawa, and Windsor, as well as Parabellum Esports which fields rosters in Rainbow Six and Rocket League. Feferman loves creating his own unique brand of content including his off-script show Esports Unfiltered. Outside of the office, you can find him chasing after his four kids and playing Fortnite.
Bradly Shankar – Staff Reporter, MobileSyrup
Shankar is a staff reporter at Canada’s largest tech publication, MobileSyrup, where he focuses on content for the site’s gaming section, SyrupArcade. In addition to regularly producing game previews, reviews, interviews, and features, he’s traveled internationally to cover such major gaming events as E3, GDC, Gamescom, and XO19. One of his main contributions to the site is a monthly developer interview series focusing on diverse Canadian talent in both the indie and AAA space.
Chris Zaiser – Lead Editor, SophistiGamer
Chris Zaiser is the creator and lead editor of SophistiGamer – a video game media outlet based out of Thunder Bay, Ontario. His passion for gaming journalism started in 2019 when he was given the opportunity to cover E3 on behalf of Okay, Cool – meeting Charles Martinet in the process – and has since found tremendous joy in adding his voice to the conversation whilst building up his brand. Zaiser has also worked with Nintendo of Canada Ltd as a Retail Ambassador, and with P1XL Games as a tester before advancing to junior game designer shortly thereafter. He is currently in the early stages of bringing his own creative project to fruition and enjoys connecting with other community members to discuss all the latest happenings in the world of gaming.
Elaine Gusella – Game Director, Artifact 5
Elaine Gusella is Game Director for indie studio Artifact 5 as well as director for the Mtl Canadian Indie Game Awards and coordinator for the gender diversity and inclusivity initiative Pixelles. She has worked as a game design and marketing strategy consultant with multiple independent game studios and organizations in Montreal, and spearheaded community projects, including game jams, consumer events, and mentoring programs. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Game Design from Université de Montréal, where she specialized in communications and social features in games. Her personal projects delve into life-size installations and creating hybrid experiences between the digital and physical worlds.
Geneviève Forget – Lead Producer, Compulsion Games
Forget started in the industry in 2011 as Livinpink, a content creator and semi-pro StarCraft 2 player. She became a game developer in 2013 when she joined Ubisoft Montreal to help launch the massively successful esports title Rainbow Six Siege. After that, she worked in project management on Far Cry 5, Deathgarden, and Dead by Daylight, the latter two with Behaviour Interactive. She’s currently working on an unannounced project at Compulsion Games.
JC Vaughan – Innovation and Marketing Consultant
Vaughan is a former professional entertainer and producer in theater, film, and media. He has producer credits for many top companies both in physical and digital productions. Currently, he consults with brands in the gaming and entertainment space, both in innovation and branding strategy. Vaughan is passionate not only about companies in the space but also creators and how they develop their brands in the creator economy.
Lenna Ly – Team Ops Services Coordinator, Vancouver Titans
Originally hailing from Toronto, Lenna Ly – also known as Chibi – has a passion and drive for esports and cooking that extended into her work with Toronto Defiant and Toronto Ultra. She represents both teams in their community and socials departments in addition to working as team chef for the Toronto Ultra, and working as an admin for Ultra community tournaments.
Ly currently also works for the Vancouver Titans as team ops services coordinator in addition to working for both Seattle Surge and the Canucks. In her spare time, she enjoys playing Overwatch, Diablo 3, and Call of Duty, and watching horror games live streams.
Martin Omes – Program Logistics Coordinator
With over 10 years of experience, Omes has played a pivotal role in the Canadian esports industry with a primary focus on grassroots community growth, tournament operations, and social engagement. He has organized many major events for titles such as Halo and Call of Duty, and continues to work as an advisor to esports organizations on their community and brand growth. To date, Omes has worked on over 100 events, and has been involved in the development of tournament and league structures from conception to completion in both the amateur and professional level. Currently, he works at Gamers Outreach Foundation as the Program Manager focusing upon the development and delivery of portable gaming karts for Children’s Hospitals around the world.
Mary Gushie – Freelance Journalist
Gushie has covered the gaming industry for over a decade, becoming recognized for letting her personality and passion for the industry shine through her work. She is an active advocate for women in gaming.
Miki Ljuljdurovic – Streamer
Miki “xwater” Ljuljdurovic is a Canadian streamer known for a wide array of accomplishments in the Super Mario speedrunning community. His high energy content is matched by expertise in a massive range of games. He’s completed a gauntlet of 3D Mario games damageless, and hosted a multitude of competitive events. His energy and skill are only matched by his love and passion for gaming.
Raj Patel – Senior Brand Manager, Relic Entertainment
Patel has over a decade of experience in the video game industry, having worked on global marketing campaigns for over 100 products including hardware, services, mobile, independent and AAA games. Patel is driven to evolve the industry by empowering and amplifying marginalized voices to improve the production process, the games themselves, as well as the player experience.
Steve Orillion – Community Growth Manager
Hailing from the frozen lands of Manitoba, Orillion first found his love for gaming during the blizzard of ’97 where he was held up by walls of snow, with nothing to do but play his NES the journey began. He has been in the esports and gaming industry for over a decade, starting his professional journey with AYBOnline by competing for the first time in Winnipeg’s BaseLAN event, this opened the door to join AYBOnline as a content creator and lead editor. On his journey through the industry, Orillion has had some colorful stops along the way, most notable being the marketing and community Manager for The Gaming Stadium, this being Canada’s first esports stadium located in Vancouver.
Steve Vegvari – Host, Senior Writer – SQUAD
Vegvari has been a freelance writer and host in the video game and tech industry for five years, advocating for the Canadian side of the industry to get the attention it rightfully deserves. Over the course of his career, he has lent his voice to a number of Canadian outlets, bringing his insight and knowledge of video games and consumer technology to audiences and readers. Additionally, Vegvari hosted the ‘20 and ‘21 Canadian Video Game Awards, shining the spotlight on diverse and talented creators. Currently, he hosts SQUAD, a weekly video game news show while contributing to the show’s website as well as content for the Canadian Game Awards. Additional bylines can also be found on iPhone Canada, MobileSyrup, and Console Creatures.
Zak Inzirillo – Talent Manager, Gamers Outreach Foundation
Zak “DREC” Inzirillo currently works as a Talent Manager at the Gamers Outreach Foundation, a charity that empowers hospitalized children through video games. In addition, he also works on various projects throughout the competitive gaming industry, working as an event and talent manager for major titles such as Call of Duty, Halo and League of Legends. Inzirillo’s passion for gaming can be traced back to his childhood when his love for competitive gaming began with the Halo franchise.
The Canadian Game Awards will be live streamed on Twitch on April 8 at 7:30 PM ET (4:30 PM PT. For more on the Canadian Game Awards and Canadian Indie Game Awards, follow the social media channels.