GamesBeat is growing its coverage of the interactive economy — and mobile is at the center of the expansion.
In 2025, the global games business crossed the threshold of $201.6 billion in revenue, according to Newzoo. Mobile is driving more than half of that business, generating $113.3 billion last year. Mobile reaches billions of players, drives some of the industry’s largest franchises, and continues to push innovation in areas including live services, monetization, social gaming, AI and game development. The influence of mobile now extends well beyond phones, shaping how games are built, distributed and played across the industry.
Mobile gaming is central to GamesBeat’s mission to explore and help shape the future of interactive media. For the majority of people around the world, a mobile device is their primary gateway to games, entertainment and digital communities, making mobile one of the most important ways to reach and understand the global entertainment audience. The Mobile Mogul Awards, powered by GB MAX, recognize the leaders, developers, and designers building that future and shaping how mobile will evolve further.
“This is not a category to watch from the sidelines,” said GamesBeat chief executive officer Gina Joseph. “It is the market.”
The awards will culminate in a live ceremony at GamesBeat Next in San Francisco in November 2026, with honorees recognized in front of more than 500 global executives, investors, publishers, marketers, creators, and senior operators driving what’s next. The event’s theme is the broader $200 billion interactive economy, and leaders building what’s coming next with AI, technology, monetization, culture, and business
The inaugural awards include four categories:
- Mobile Visionary Award: Recognizes longtime mobile gaming leaders whose innovations and career achievements have had a significant impact on the industry.
- Mobile Breakthrough Award: Recognizes mobile game makers in the first 5 to 10 years of their careers who have already made a significant impact or attracted notable industry attention.
- Mobile Brand & Culture Award: Recognizes leaders from inside and outside mobile gaming who have created exceptional collaborations connecting mobile games with brands, creators, entertainment, IP, platforms and broader culture.
- Mobile Innovator Award: Celebrates leaders who are actively driving innovation across mobile gaming today and developing new ideas, technologies, games and business models that are shaping the future of mobile gaming.
How the Mobile Mogul Awards nominations and process works
The Mobile Mogul Awards are designed to recognize meaningful contributions to mobile gaming, with a process that combines public nominations, GamesBeat editorial review and independent industry expertise.
The awards are open to all individuals who work in gaming, adjacent to gaming, or in an industry that is influenced by gaming. Anyone is eligible to be nominated, as long as they are not professionally affiliated with GamesBeat. Readers can nominate anyone they wish — except themselves — and a committee of judges assisted by GamesBeat will select a winner from the nominees with the most votes. GamesBeat will honor the winners onstage at GamesBeat Next in November.
Nominations are now open. The public is invited to submit nominations through September 18, 2026, recognizing the people, companies, and ideas shaping the next era of games and interactive entertainment. Nominate here.
Partners and sponsors will be announced in the coming weeks. Organizations interested in partnership opportunities at GamesBeat NEXT, taking place November 2–3 in San Francisco, may contact [email protected].
Highly anticipated GamesBeat NEXT, will feature Gaming Legends after 25 years. Early bird VIP tickets end on September 21, and are expected to sell out, you can register here. All VIP ticket holders will also receive a one-year GB MAX membership, with access to exclusive year-round benefits.