The Virtual Reality Foundation, founded in 2014, is a non-profit organization created in Los Angeles and merges the city’s thriving entertainment industry with the growing VR market via their semi-annual VRLA expo. The expo is home to emerging technology, new immersive experiences, and the tools to build such things. The foundation also created the first ever virtual reality award show, the Proto Awards.

The award show’s Board of Governors narrows down from submissions and what remains are considered “honorees.” In particular, their Best Overall category serves as a guide to the best of the best in the VR arena. The Virtual Reality Foundation unveiled its 2016 honorees for the prestigious award, along with the full list of nominations at the 2016 Proto Awards.

Best Overall

Tilt Brush – Google

– Google Raw Data – Survios

– Survios Space Pirate Trainer – I-Illusions

– I-Illusions Bullet Train – Epic Games

– Epic Games Modbox – Alientrap

– Alientrap The Lab – Valve

The 6 titles in the Best Overall category are not strangers to the Upload staff. Tilt Brush is the system seller the HTC Vive needs, Raw Data is a co-op VR dream come true, Space Pirate Trainer is a challenging wave fighter, Bullet Train is an Epic FPS shown for the Oculus touch, we built our own levels in Modbox, and The Lab was easily one of the most polished of the free Vive demos we’ve gotten our hands-on.

On Oct. 8th at the Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, California you’ll be able to see who takes the Best Overall award home and who wins in the Proto Award show’s 16 other categories, from Most Transportive Experience to Best Independent Experience. The show will be hosted by Ron Funches, known for his role in NBC’s Undateable as Shelly and will be appearing in the upcoming superhero comedy Powerless. All categories and nominees are listed below.

Most Transportive Experience

Give the sensation of having left physical space and having been transported into virtual reality to an extraordinary degree.

Apollo 11 VR – Immersive VR Education Ltd.

– Immersive VR Education Ltd. The Climb – Crytek

– Crytek ADR1FT – Three One Zero

– Three One Zero Old Friend – Tyler Hurd

– Tyler Hurd theBlu: Season 1 – Wevr

– Wevr Irrational Exuberance: Prologue – Ben Vance, Wevr

Best Game

Raw Data – Survios

– Survios The Gallery – Episode 1: Call of the Starseed – Cloudhead Games

– Episode 1: Call of the Starseed – Cloudhead Games Job Simulator – Owlchemy Labs

– Owlchemy Labs The Climb – Crytek

– Crytek Space Pirate Trainer – I-Illusions

– I-Illusions Bullet Train – Epic Games

Best Music Experience

Submissions use music as a key element.

Soundscape – SNAKE Productions

– SNAKE Productions Old Friend – Tyler Hurd

– Tyler Hurd Music From Every Angle – m ss ng p eces

– m ss ng p eces Grace – MacInnes Scott

– MacInnes Scott SoundStage – Logan Olson

– Logan Olson Apex – Arjan van Meerten

Best Social Experience

Must include an element of interplay between two or more viewers locally or over a network.

Lecture VR (recently re-named Engage) – Immersive VR Education Ltd.

(recently re-named – Immersive VR Education Ltd. AltspaceVR – AltspaceVR

– AltspaceVR Rec Room – Against Gravity

– Against Gravity Pool Nation VR – Perilous Orbit & Cherry Pop Games

– Perilous Orbit & Cherry Pop Games New Retro Arcade: Neon – Digital Cybercherries Limited

– Digital Cybercherries Limited Speech Center VR – Cerevrum Inc

Best Mobile Experience

The Night Cafe: A VR Tribute to Vincent Van Gogh – Borrowed Light Studios

– Borrowed Light Studios Ctrl – Breaking Fourth

– Breaking Fourth Zen Zone – Aaron Lemke

– Aaron Lemke Pearl – Google Spotlight Studios

– Google Spotlight Studios Tactera – E McNeill

– E McNeill Music From Every Angle – m ss ng p eces

Best Interaction Design

Showcase innovative mechanics for interaction with a VR experience.

Job Simulator – Owlchemy Labs

– Owlchemy Labs Waltz of the Wizard – Aldin Dynamics

– Aldin Dynamics SoundStage – Logan Olson

– Logan Olson Tilt Brush – Google

– Google Rec Room – Against Gravity

– Against Gravity Fantastic Contraption – Northway Games & Radial Games

Most Innovative

Pixel Ripped 1989 – Pixel Ripped Inc

– Pixel Ripped Inc Tilt Brush – Google

– Google Blocks – Leap Motion

– Leap Motion VR Noir: A Day Before the Night – StartVR

– StartVR The Lab – Valve

– Valve FIREBIRD: La Peri (Book 1) – Innerspace VR

Best Original Score

Zen Zone – Aaron Lemke

– Aaron Lemke Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories

– Google Spotlight Stories Pixel Ripped 1989 – Pixel Ripped Inc

– Pixel Ripped Inc Apollo 11 VR – Immersive VR Education Ltd.

– Immersive VR Education Ltd. Windlands – Psytec Games Ltd

– Psytec Games Ltd The Rose And I – Penrose Studios

Best Live Action Experience

Works of video-based VR.

Music From Every Angle – m ss ng p eces

– m ss ng p eces Hard World for Small Things – Wevr

– Wevr Zoolander Infinity – David Rosenbaum, Jaunt

– David Rosenbaum, Jaunt Waves – Wevr

– Wevr The Presence – Pseudoscience Pictures

– Pseudoscience Pictures The Argo File – Argos VR

Best Sound Design

Employ inventive and well-executed sound design.

Zen Zone – Aaron Lemke

– Aaron Lemke Space Pirate Trainer – I-Illusions

– I-Illusions Trials on Tatooine: A Cinematic Star Wars Experiment – ILMxLAB

– ILMxLAB Chronos – Gunfire Games

– Gunfire Games Reeps One: Does Not Exist – Aurelia Soundworks

– Aurelia Soundworks Land’s End – ustwo games

Best Educational Experience

Judged based on the originality and effectiveness with which information is imparted to the viewer.

Apollo 11 VR – Immersive VR Education Ltd.

– Immersive VR Education Ltd. Lecture VR – Immersive VR Education Ltd.

– Immersive VR Education Ltd. GravlLab – Gravitational Testing Facility & Observations – Mark Schramm

– Gravitational Testing Facility & Observations – Mark Schramm House of Languages VR – Fox3D

– Fox3D C O S M Worlds Within Worlds – Dynamoid

– Dynamoid The Field Trip to Mars – Framestore VR Studio & McCann

Best Student Experience

Must be created by a student. Verified Elementary to Ph-D level satisfies the requirement.

We Are Alfred – Embodied Labs

– Embodied Labs Shining360 – Claire Hentschker

– Claire Hentschker Lions & Deer – Lean House Media

– Lean House Media Chapel – Dean Moro and Lauren Krikorian

– Dean Moro and Lauren Krikorian Fruit Golf – Coal Car Studio

– Coal Car Studio My real virtual body: Body Swapping in virtual reality – Alice Chirico

Best Narrative Experience

Must tell a passive and/or interactive story.

Waves – Wevr

– Wevr Knives – Adam Cosco

– Adam Cosco The Gallery – Episode 1: Call of the Starseed – Cloudhead Games

– Cloudhead Games Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories

– Google Spotlight Stories The Martian VR Experience – Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Innovation Lab, RSA Films, The Virtual Reality Company

– Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Innovation Lab, RSA Films, The Virtual Reality Company Kiya – Emblematic Group

Best Independent Experience

Must be created on a budget of less than $150,000 (including salaries).

Tactera – E McNeill

– E McNeill SoundStage – Logan Olson

– Logan Olson Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope – Croteam

– Croteam Space Pirate Trainer – I-Illusions

– I-Illusions Shape Space VR – Zen Parade – Kevin Mack

– Kevin Mack Windlands – Psytec Games Ltd

Best User Interface

Submissions showcase effective and innovative mechanics and displays for graphical user interfaces in VR.

Dota VR Hub – Valve

– Valve Envelop VR – Bob Berry

– Bob Berry Orion Trail VR – Schell Games

– Schell Games Transport – Wevr

– Wevr Modbox – Alientrap

– Alientrap Speech Center VR – Cerevrum Inc

Best Art Direction