BioShock Infinite, The Last of Us get SXSW Gaming Awards nods

The Last of Us, BioShock Infinite and Super Mario 3D World top the nominees for the first-ever SXSW Gaming Awards, and public voting on the awards is now open, SXSW Interactive announced today.

Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic opus leads the pack with nods in seven categories, including Game of the Year, Excellence in Animation, Excellence in Narrative and Excellence in Musical Score. Irrational Games' time-bending shooter received six nominations, while Nintendo's multiplayer platformer scored five.

Input from two parties will determine the winners: judges from the gaming industry, and the public. Voting is taking place online from now until 12:59 a.m. ET on Feb. 22. The awards will be given out during a ceremony at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas, starting at 8 p.m. ET on March 8. The three-day SXSW Gaming Expo will take place March 7-9 during SXSW 2014, which runs from March 7-16.

You can see the full list of categories and finalists below.

Disclosure: Chris Grant, Polygon's editor-in-chief, is a judge for the SXSW Gaming Awards.

Game of the Year Award
Awarded to 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies gaming excellence. These games represent the penultimate of gamine achievement [sic].

• Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Ubisoft Montreal
• BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games
• Grand Theft Auto 5, Rockstar North
• Gone Home, The Fullbright Company
• The Last of Us, Naughty Dog
• Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo EAD
• Tearaway, Media Molecule
• Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics

Excellence in Gameplay Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in gameplay mechanics. These games are amongst the most memorable and fun; the cream of the crop.

• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Starbreeze Studios
• The Last of Us, Naughty Dog
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Nintendo EAD
• Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo EAD
• Tearaway, Media Molecule

Excellence in Art Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in art. These titles are beautiful, engaging, and visually amazing.

• BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games
• Kentucky Route Zero, Cardboard Computer
• Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Level-5 and Studio Ghibli
• Rayman Legends, Ubisoft Montpellier
• Tearaway, Media Molecule

Excellence in Animation Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in animation.

• The Last of Us, Naughty Dog
• Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Level-5 and Studio Ghibli
• Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo EAD
• Tearaway, Media Molecule
• Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics

Excellence in Technical Achievement Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in technical achievement.

• Antichamber, Demruth
• Grand Theft Auto 5, Rockstar North
• Papa Sangre 2, Somethin' Else
• Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo EAD
• The Swapper, Facepalm Games

Excellence in Narrative Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in game narrative.

• BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Starbreeze Studios
• Gone Home, The Fullbright Company
• Kentucky Route Zero, Cardboard Computer
• The Last of Us, Naughty Dog

Excellence in Design and Direction Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in design and direction.

• BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Starbreeze Studios
• Gone Home, The Fullbright Company
• Grand Theft Auto 5, Rockstar North
• Tearaway, Media Molecule

Excellence in Gaming Marketing Award
Awarded to 2013's most memorable marketing campaign for a game title or hardware or company.

• Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Ubisoft Montreal
• Call of Duty: Ghosts, Infinity Ward
• Ridiculous Fishing, Vlambeer
• Saints Row 4, Volition Inc.
• The Stanley Parable, Galactic Café

Excellence in SFX Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence game sound effects.

• Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, The Chinese Room
• Battlefield 4, EA DICE
• Grand Theft Auto 5, Rockstar North
• Forza Motorsport 5, Turn 10 Studios
• The Last of Us, Naughty Dog

Excellence in Musical Score Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it is used to progress the narrative of a game.

• BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games
• The Last of Us, Naughty Dog
• Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Level-5 and Studio Ghibli
• Tearaway, Media Molecule
• Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics

Convergence Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence and pure crossover appeal through multiple mediums.

• Injustice: Gods Among Us, NetherRealm Studios
• The Last of Us, Naughty Dog
• Lego Marvel Super Heroes, TT Games
• The Walking Dead: Season Two, Episode One: All That Remains, Telltale Games
• The Wolf Among Us, Episode One: Faith, Telltale Games

Cultural Innovation Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that most challenges the "norm" of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character or gameplay.

• BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games
• Gone Home, The Fullbright Company
• Guacamelee, DrinkBox Studios
• Papers, Please, Lucas Pope
• Year Walk, Simogo

Best Multiplayer Game Award
Awarded to the 2013 indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in multiplayer gaming.

• Battlefield 4, EA DICE
• Call of Duty: Ghosts, Infinity Ward
• Dota 2, Valve
• StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard Entertainment
• Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo EAD

Texas Arts Achievement Award Annual award a Texas-based studio or company for their achievements in game development, and its role in progressing game development awareness in Texas.

• Arkane Studios
• Galactic Café
• Gearbox Software
• Semi Secret Software
• BioWare / Electronic Arts
• Devolver Digital

SXSW Gamer's Voice Award
Awarded to the favorite indie game in the Indie Corner Showcase, by gamers on the SXSW Gaming Expo floor

• Broforce, Free Lives
• Cave! Cave! Deus Videt: Episode 0, We Are Müesli
• Deck Around, Deck Around
• Disorder, Swagabyte Games
• Doggins, Brain&Brain
• Drei, Etter Studio
• Ephemerid, SuperChop Games
• Extrasolar, Lazy 8 Studios
• Framed, Loveshack
• Gorogoa, Jason Roberts
• Hermid Crab in Space, Golden Ruby Games
• ibb and obb, Sparpweed and Codeglue
• Kami, State of Play
• Lost Toys, Barking Mouse
• MirrorMoon EP, Santa Ragione
• Mushroom 11, Untame
• Nidhogg, Messhof
• The Novelist, Orthogonal Games
• Paper Sorcerer, Ultra Runaway Games
• Quadrilateral Cowboy, Blendo Games
• Rollers of the Realm, Phantom Compass Inc.
• Secrets of Rætikon, Broken Rules
• Sparpweed, Sparweed
• Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party, KnapNok Games
• Sully: A Very Serious RPG, Breadbros Games
• Tengami, Nyamyam
• Type: Rider, ARTE France