The Virtual Reality Foundation has announced the nominees for the 2016 Proto Awards, the third annual award show created to honor individuals and teams making strides in the field of virtual reality.

Selecting the nominees was done through an intensive process wherein the top rated games, experiences, and 360 videos were obtained from a public online vote posted on the Protos web site. Submission were then taken to a panel composed of VR luminaries and past Proto Awards winners. From there a General Membership panel composed of the foundation’s Board of Governors and past honorees voted to select the winner of each category.

The evening, taking place on Saturday, October 8 at AVALON Hollywood, CA, will see winners picked across 17 categories including: Best Original Score, Best Live Action Experience, Best Narrative Experience, Best Sound Design, Best Social Experience, Best Game, Best Educational Experience, Best Music Experience, Best Mobile Experience, Most Innovative, Best Interaction Design, Best Student Experience, Best Art Direction, Best Independent Experience, Most Transportive Experience, Best User Interface, and Best Overall

The Virtual Reality Foundation, a non-profit organization, also produces the semi-annual VRLA expos in Los Angeles, CA.

“It was important to me that there be an awards show put on by people who truly understand and love the medium. It’s incredibly gratifying that in our third year we see such an exciting group of honorees,” said VRLA co-founder Jonnie Ross.

GLENDALE, CA. JUN 02, 2014. Comedian Ron Funches at his home in Glendale on Jun 02, 2014. Stand-up comedian Ron Funches plays a lead on the new NBC sitcom “Undateable.”(Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)
image courtesy of RonFunches.com

Ron Funches, a comedian and actor known for his work on Kroll Show (2013) and Undateable (2014), will be hosting the award gala event, which will be recorded in 360-degree video for VR headset viewing.

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Some of the nominees for the 2016 Proto Awards include (see the full list here):

Most Transportive Experience

1 of 6
Apollo 11
The Climb
ADR1FT
Old Friend
TheBlu: Season 1
Irrational Exuberance
  • Apollo 11 VR – Immersive VR Education Ltd.
  • The Climb – Crytek
  • ADR1FT – Three One Zero
  • Old Friend – Tyler Hurd
  • theBlu: Season 1 – Wevr
  • Irrational Exuberance: Prologue – Ben Vance, Wevr

Best Game

1 of 6
Raw Data
The Gallery - Episode 1: Call of the Starseed
Job Simulator
The Climb
Space Pirate Trainer
Bullet Train
  • Raw Data – Survios
  • The Gallery – Episode 1: Call of the Starseed – Cloudhead Games
  • Job Simulator – Owlchemy Labs
  • The Climb – Crytek
  • Space Pirate Trainer – I-Illusions
  • Bullet Train – Epic Games

Best Music Experience

1 of 6
Soundscape
Old Friend
Music From Every Angle
Grace
SoundStage
Apex
  • Soundscape – SNAKE Productions
  • Old Friend – Tyler Hurd
  • Music From Every Angle – m ss ng p eces
  • Grace – MacInnes Scott
  • SoundStage – Logan Olson
  • Apex – Arjan van Meerten

Best Overall

1 of 6
Image courtesy Google
Photo courtesy Survios
Space Pirate Trainer
Bullet Train
Modbox
image courtesy of Valve Corporation
  • Tilt Brush – Google
  • Raw Data – Survios
  • Space Pirate Trainer – I-Illusions
  • Bullet Train – Epic Games
  • Modbox – Alientrap
  • The Lab – Valve
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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • ruboku

    Some great Nominees, Want to give a shout out to Tyler Hurd’s “Old Friend”

  • LegoKnockingShop

    Third year running with no PSVR options on the voting form… Many of the demos nominated aren’t publically available, and that’s always been the case here, so I don’t really understand why PSVR isn’t included – many more people have had access to those demos at this point than many of the PC ones. Here’s hoping next year they look wider than just CV1 and Vive.