2026 Gerald Lawson Award and Eric Dybsand Scholar Award Recipients
The IGDA Foundation in partnership with the BlG Foundation, proudly announced Lisette Titre-Montgomery as the recipient of the Gerald Lawson Award for Achievement in Game Development, presented during the Black in Gaming Awards at GDC, and Lex Roberts as the Eric Dybsand Scholar award recipient, recognized during the 2026 GDC Festival of Gaming.
The Gerald Lawson Award for Achievement in Game Development recognizes individuals from underrepresented communities whose work helps shape the future of the game industry. This year, the award was sponsored by the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program.
Lisette Titre-Montgomery is an award-nominated creative leader known for guiding teams through complex visual challenges via processes that allow creativity to thrive. Her work in art direction has been recognized by The Game Awards, BAFTA, and the Golden Joystick Awards, among others. She currently serves as Co-Founder of Cornerstone Interactive Studio, a new game company focused on creating innovative, engaging experiences designed for intergenerational play.
"I’m deeply honored to receive the Gerald Lawson Award and grateful to the IGDA Foundation and the Black in Gaming Awards for this recognition,” says Titre-Montgomery. “Gerald Lawson’s legacy represents the power of having a strong vision, the ability to execute, and making sure your community is SEEN as you follow along your path to excellence. Values that guide my intentions as a leader.”
The Eric Dybsand Scholarship Award, named in memory of one of the "original A.I. guys" at GDC, is presented to one aspiring developer demonstrating excellence in the field of artificial intelligence. As the 2026 award recipient, Lex Roberts is a Game Tools Programmer at Media Molecule, writing editor tools and game systems that enable colleagues to realize incredible ideas. Additionally, they are a founding employee at the UK's National Videogame Museum supporting in the design and maintenance of exhibitions, and represent the museum both locally and internationally.
“I am so excited and honoured to have been selected to receive the Eric Dybsand Memorial AI Scholarship,” says Lex. “The opportunities that I have had with the IGDA Foundation have been incredible and I am very grateful to be part of this community. I can't wait to meet some of my peers in person, learn as much as possible and return with new ideas and inspiration.”
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