The University of Portsmouth is celebrating three wins at the TIGA UK Games Education Awards 2026.
TIGA, the trade association for the UK's video games industry, revealed the winners on Monday (5 October).
Former Portsmouth student, Michael Hennessy, took home the 'Most Outstanding Graduate of the Year: Designer' award.
Michael, 23, studied BA (Hons) Computer Games Design . He said: "During my studies at the University of Portsmouth, the course, my lecturers, and fellow students have shaped game design into an artform I've fallen in love with. To have my passion and hard work for this discipline be recognised by TIGA through this award, feels incredible. Massive congratulations to the other winners!"
Still from 'The Grimwood Hex', a collaborative project Michael Hennessy worked on as Designer
The award for 'Innovative Teaching: Lecturer, Head of Department or Dean' went to Principal Lecturer and Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Computer Games Production , Anna Limpens. She said: "It's a genuine pleasure to work with such amazing colleagues and students. Innovation is at the heart of our teaching on the Games courses, and to have that commitment recognised by TIGA is something I am immensely proud of."
Finally, the 'Innovative Teaching: Team' award was given to University of Portsmouth's Computer Games courses.
We are extremely proud of the achievements of our students and staff, and these awards are testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire Games community. Congratulations to everyone."
Neil Dansey, Programme Area Lead for Games in the School of Film, Media, and Creative Technologies
Neil Dansey, Programme Area Lead for Games in the School of Film, Media, and Creative Technologies , said: "2026 has been an outstanding year for the Computer Games courses here in Portsmouth. We are extremely proud of the achievements of our students and staff, and these awards are testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire Games community. Congratulations to everyone."
All winners were selected by a judging panel, looking at a number of criteria. A list of all this year's winners and finalists can be found here .
Dr Adrian Hull, Head of the School of Film, Media, and Creative Technologies added: "These awards are a celebration of our brilliant staff and students and all the work that goes into making the University of Portsmouth such an exciting place to study. Over the past few years, we've put a huge amount of thought into the experience we create for students, alongside helping them gain the core knowledge and skills to succeed in industry. It's wonderful to see that work recognised - well done to everyone involved!"
Next month, the Games team will be heading to London for the TIGA Games Industry Awards 2026 . The University of Portsmouth has been shortlisted in two categories - 'Educational Institution' and 'Education Initiative'.
The University of Portsmouth's next-gen technologies include the UK's first ever Centre for Creative Immersive and Extended Reality (CCIXR) .
Portsmouth has been rated Gold Tier for social opportunities for gamers by Uswitch broadband experts, who assessed factors including the number of Esports players from National Students Esports (NSE), and followers on Discord and Twitch.
