Game Awards: The biggest night in gaming is upon us - but who are the contenders?

The end of the year is always a time to reflect, and the gaming industry is no different.

The 10th annual Game Awards take place in Los Angeles on Thursday, 7 December, celebrating the best interactive entertainment released in 2023.

Sky News looks at the battles in seven of the hottest categories, and the rest are in full underneath.

Game of the year

Alan Wake 2

Baldur's Gate 3

Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Resident Evil 4

Super Mario Bros Wonder

It's a smorgasbord of blockbuster sequels battling it out for best game, and we think it's between Alan Wake 2 and Baldur's Gate 3.

Both were long in the making and took advantage of their lengthy development to upend fans' expectations and achieve some of the highest review scores of the year.

The former is a love letter to Stephen King, Twin Peaks, and The Twilight Zone, delivering plot twists and jump scares aplenty while boasting some of 2023's most creatively meta moments; and its fantasy rival has wowed with the seemingly endless permutations players can experience in a story driven by the choices they make.

Best narrative

Alan Wake 2

Baldur's Gate 3

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Final Fantasy XVI

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Given their storytelling prowess is a key factor in how well they've been received, Alan Wake 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 appear destined to slug it out for the narrative prize.

In both cases, it's not just about how compelling the stories are, but how they're delivered in ways that only this medium can. For example, Alan Wake's Helsinki-based studio Remedy combines the game's striking visuals with live action sequences, consistently challenging your perception of what's really happening.

With Baldur's Gate, from Belgian developer Larian, the sheer scope of its Dungeons & Dragons-style quest is astonishing - and the agency it gives means you'll likely never meet anyone who had exactly the same experience.

Best art direction

Alan Wake 2

Hi-Fi Rush

Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Lies Of P

Super Mario Bros Wonder

Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom will likely run Alan Wake and Baldur's Gate closest for best game, and Nintendo has a fine chance of winning best art direction given how much visual splendour their teams are still squeezing out of the ageing Switch console.

Like its predecessor Breath Of The Wild, which won game of the year in 2017, this is a beautiful game punching well above its weight on the graphics front.

The dream-like scenery is wonderfully rendered, resembling a watercolour painting, and the scale of the world - now explorable from the sky - makes it all the more impressive.

Best audio design

Alan Wake 2

Dead Space

Hi-Fi Rush

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Resident Evil 4

Few genres thrive on good audio design as much as horror, and Alan Wake 2, Dead Space, and Resident Evil 4 deliver equally spine-chilling experiences that are best enjoyed in the dark with a good pair of headphones.

Any would be a worthy winner, though I'll offer my best wishes to Dead Space given it's terrified me like no other game this year. From your lonely footsteps and creaking doorways on the abandoned starship where it's set, to the horrific blood-curling screams of the enemy monsters, it's a frightening feast for the ears.

Best score and music

Alan Wake 2, composer Petri Alanko

Baldur's Gate 3, composer Borislav Slavov

Final Fantasy XVI, composer Masayoshi Soken

Hi-Fi Rush, audio director Shuichi Kobori

Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, Nintendo Sound Team

In a competitive and varied field, surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush stands out for not just having great music, but making the soundtrack fundamental to the gameplay experience.

Starring as a rock star turned action hero, each level tasks you with fighting enemies to the backdrop of both unique tracks and hits from bands like Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy. Attacks sync up with the music in super satisfying fashion and better timing leads to higher scores, making for a uniquely addictive combat experience.

Now where's my Taylor Swift-branded sequel…

Best performance

Ben Starr, Final Fantasy XVI

Cameron Monaghan, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Idris Elba, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Melanie Liburd, Alan Wake 2

Neil Newbon, Baldur's Gate 3

Yuri Lowenthal, Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Star Wars star Cameron Monaghan told Sky News last year he expected more film and TV actors to join him in major gaming roles, and he's been proved right - just look at Idris Elba joining Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk.

But veteran video game actor Yuri Lowenthal (Marvel's Spider-Man 2) deserves major kudos for bringing his own wonderful spin to one of pop culture's most iconic characters, with the sequel to one of 2018's best games injecting the story with a darker tone that demanded a more versatile and nuanced performance.

From Tom Holland to Shameik Moore, he's got plenty of competition when it comes to Spider-Man actors - but he holds his own.

Here are the rest of the game nominations:

Best game direction

Alan Wake 2

Baldur's Gate 3

Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Super Mario Bros Wonder

Best adaptation

Castlevania: Nocturne

Gran Turismo

The Last Of Us

The Super Mario Bros Movie

Twisted Metal

Innovation in accessibility

Diablo IV

Forza Motorsport

Hi-Fi Rush

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Mortal Kombat 1

Street Fighter 6

Games for impact

A Space For The Unbound

Chants Of Sennaar

Goodbye Volcano High

Terra Nil

Tchia

Venba

Best community support

Baldur's Gate 3

Cyberpunk 2077

Destiny 2

Final Fantasy XIV

No Man's Sky

Best independent game

Cocoon

Dave The Diver

Dredge

Sea Of Stars

Viewfinder

Best debut indie game

Cocoon

Dredge

Pizza Tower

Venba

Viewfinder

Best mobile game

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis

Honkai: Star Rail

Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Monster Hunter Now

Terra Nil

Best VR/AR Game

Gran Turismo 7

Humanity

Horizon Call Of The Mountain

Resident Evil Village

Synapse

Best action game

Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon

Dead Island 2

Ghostrunner 2

Hi-Fi Rush

Remnant 2

Best action/adventure game

Alan Wake 2

Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Resident Evil 4

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Best RPG

Baldur's Gate 3

Final Fantasy XVI

Lies of P

Sea of Stars

Starfield

Best fighting game

God of Rock

Mortal Kombat 1

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

Pocket Bravery

Street Fighter 6

Best family game

Disney Illusion Island

Party Animals

Pikmin 4

Sonic Superstars

Super Mario Bros Wonder

Best sim/strategy game

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Cities: Skylines II

Company of Heroes 3

Fire Emblem Engage

Pikmin 4

Best sports/racing

EA Sports FC 24

F1 23

Forza Motorsport

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

The Crew Motorfest

Best multiplayer

Baldur's Gate 3

Diablo IV

Party Animals

Street Fighter 6

Super Mario Bros Wonder

Best ongoing game

Apex Legends

Cyberpunk 2077

Final Fantasy XIV

Fortnite

Genshin Impact

Most anticipated game

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Hades II

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Star Wars Outlaws

Tekken 8

-sky news