Team17 co-founder and owner Debbie Bestwick and UKIE CEO Joe Twist have been named on this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
The list, published on the Queen’s birthday every year, recognises the achievements of a wide range of people right across the United Kingdom.
Twist, who’s served as CEO of games trade body UKIE since 2012, has been awarded an OBE for her services to the UK creative industries.
Since joining the organization four years ago she has helped bring Games Tax Relief to the UK, and played a key role in the formation of Games London – a new three-year plan designed to promote London as the games capital of the world.
Outside of UKIE, Twist works as vice president of games and accessibility charity Special Effect to help raise money and build awareness.
“This is an incredibly humbling honor. I’m truly grateful to have worked with so many incredible people throughout my career, all of whom are dedicated to making the UK a global leader in the creative industries,” said Twist.
“I want to continue to campaign for the recognition of games, in particular, as part of our cultural story and I hope to see more young people from all backgrounds finding their place in this wonderful sector.”
Bestwick will be made an MBE for her own impressive contributions to the industry, which include co-founding Team17 in 1990, and in recent years turning the Worms and Alien Breed creator into a successful publisher.
“I played my first game when I was 12-years-old. It’s such an engaging form of entertainment. Cinema and reading books are passive whereas playing a game is interactive, said Bestwick, speaking to the BBC.
“It’s a fantastic honor to be made an MBE. I keep thinking ‘I’m just doing my job’. Als being a woman in this industry – I’m one of the only female owners of a business in the games industry.”
Dr Eben Upton, the designer behind the bitesized, educational Raspberry Pi computer, was also awarded a CBE.