Editing Game Developers Choice Awards (section)

===The Pioneer Award===
Known as the First Penguin award until 2007, the Pioneer Award celebrates individuals who developed a breakthrough technology, game concept or gameplay design.

* 2001: [[Chip Morningstar]] and [[Randy Farmer]], creators of [[LucasArts]]'s ''[[Habitat (video game)|Habitat]]''
* 2002: Hubert Chardot, "for his risk-taking work on ''[[Alone in the Dark]]''"
* 2003: [[David Crane (programmer)|David Crane]], [[Larry Kaplan]], [[Jim Levy]], [[Alan Miller (game designer)|Alan Miller]], [[Bob Whitehead]], founders of [[Activision]]
* 2004: [[Masaya Matsuura]], founder of [[NanaOn-Sha]], pioneer of music/game integration
* 2005: [[Richard Bartle]], co-creator of [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]], ancestor to [[Massively multiplayer online game|MMOs]]
* 2006: [[Don Woods (programmer)|Don Woods]], [[Will Crowther]], creators of the early text game ''[[Colossal Cave Adventure]]''
* 2007: [[Alexey Pajitnov]], creator of ''[[Tetris]]''
* 2008: [[Ralph Baer]], inventor of the [[Magnavox Odyssey]]
* 2009: [[Alex Rigopulos]] and [[Eran Egozy]], founders of [[Harmonix]]
* 2010: [[Gabe Newell]], co-founder of [[Valve Corporation|Valve]]
* 2011: [[Yu Suzuki]], lead of [[Sega AM2]] development team responsible for several arcade games and the ''[[Shenmue]]'' series
* 2012: [[Dave Theurer]], developer of ''[[Missile Command]]'' and ''[[Tempest (video game)|Tempest]]''
* 2013: [[Steve Russell (computer scientist)|Steve Russell]], creator of ''[[Spacewar!]]''
* 2014: Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill, creators of [[Riot Games]]<ref name="Gamasutra">{{cite web |url= https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/anita-sarkeesian-riot-co-founders-win-gdca-2014-special-awards |title= Anita Sarkeesian, Riot co-founders win GDCA 2014 Special Awards  |date= February 11, 2014 |website= www.gamasutra.com |publisher= Gamasutra |access-date=February 17, 2014}}</ref>
* 2015: [[David Braben]], founder of [[Frontier Developments]], co-creator of the [[Elite (video game)|''Elite'' series]]
* 2016: [[Markus "Notch" Persson]], creator of ''[[Minecraft]]''
* 2017: [[Jordan Mechner]], creator of ''[[Prince of Persia]]''<ref name="GDC2017"/>
* 2018: None (see below)
* [[19th Game Developers Choice Awards|2019]]: [[Rieko Kodama]], graphic artist/director/producer for several Sega titles<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/trailblazing-sega-dev-rieko-kodama-to-be-honored-with-pioneer-award-at-gdc-2019- | title = Trailblazing Sega dev Rieko Kodama to be honored with Pioneer Award at GDC 2019! | date = January 17, 2019 | access-date = January 17, 2019 | work = [[Gamasutra]] }}</ref>
* [[20th Game Developers Choice Awards|2020]]: [[Roberta Williams]], co-founder of [[Sierra On-line]] and early developer of the [[adventure game]] genre<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/adventure-game-trailblazer-roberta-williams-to-receive-pioneer-award-at-gdc-2020 | title = Adventure game trailblazer Roberta Williams to receive Pioneer Award at GDC 2020 | date=  February 26, 2020 | access-date= February 26, 2020 |work = [[Gamasutra]] }}</ref>
* [[21st Game Developers Choice Awards|2021]]: [[Tom Fulp]], creator of [[Newgrounds]] and co-founder of [[The Behemoth]]<ref name="gdc2021 special">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gdc-to-honor-newgrounds-founder-tom-fulp-and-industry-veteran-laralyn-mcwilliams-at-21st-annual-awards/1100-6493519/ | title = GDC To Honor Newgrounds Founder Tom Fulp And Industry Veteran Laralyn McWilliams At 21st Annual Awards | first = Cameron | last=  Koch | date = July 1, 2021 | accessdate = July 1, 2021 | work = [[GameSpot]] }}</ref>
* [[22nd Game Developers Choice Awards|2022]]: None given
* [[23rd Game Developers Choice Awards|2023]]: [[Mabel Addis]], first female video game designer<ref name="GDC2023"/>
* 2025: [[Lucas Pope]], developer of ''[[Papers, Please]]'' and ''[[The Return of the Obra Dinn]]''<ref name="2025 special"/>

GDC had announced their intention to award [[Nolan Bushnell]] (co-founder of [[Atari]]) the 2018 Pioneer Award.<ref name="GDC2018noms">{{cite web| url = https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/313891/Nolan_Bushnell_Tim_Schafer_and_Rami_Ismail_to_be_honored_at_the_2018_GDC_Awards.php | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180130230101/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/313891/Nolan_Bushnell_Tim_Schafer_and_Rami_Ismail_to_be_honored_at_the_2018_GDC_Awards.php | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 30, 2018 | title = Nolan Bushnell, Tim Schafer, and Rami Ismail to be honored at the 2018 GDC Awards! | date = January 30, 2018 | access-date = January 30, 2018 | work = [[Gamasutra]] }}</ref> However, after several people asked the GDC to reconsider this in light of documented sexist activities in Bushnell's past in light of the current [[Me Too movement|#MeToo movement]], GDC opted to not award the Pioneer Award and instead "will dedicate this year's award to honor the pioneering and unheard voices of the past".<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/nolan-bushnell-metoo-gdc-award-w516148 | title = GDC Re-Examines Award for Atari Founder After Outcry Over Past Conduct | first = Stefanie | last = Fogel | date = January 30, 2018 | access-date = January 31, 2018 | work = [[Glixel]] | archive-date = June 20, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180620153436/https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/nolan-bushnell-metoo-gdc-award-w516148 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.usgamer.net/articles/gdc-pioneer-award-not-nolan-bushnell-atari-founder | title = GDC Announces It Will Not Award Atari Founder Nolan Bushnell After Controversy | first = Matt | last = Kim | date = January 31, 2018 | access-date = January 31, 2018 | work = [[US Gamer]] | archive-date = 2019-03-28  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190328214906/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/gdc-pioneer-award-not-nolan-bushnell-atari-founder | url-status = dead }}</ref>