The National Esports Federation has made the shortlist for an Edufuturists Award, which recognises the development of an academic pathway in esports.
British Esports, the UK’s national esports body, has been nominated for Most innovative Education Project at the Edufuturists Awards, which honour key contributions to the future of education.
The awards are held annually and spotlight individuals and organisations advancing education through forward-thinking approaches. This year’s ceremony will be held at 53two in Manchester on June 26th.
🚨 We’ve been nominated! 🚨
British Esports is up for Most Innovative Educational Project at the Edufuturists Awards 2025 🎓🎮
Public voting is now live, link below🗳️
Let’s bring this home 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ismkM7I7Od
— British Esports 🎮 🚀 (@British_Esports) April 11, 2025
See here for more information about the Edufuturists Awards 2025, including how to vote.
Why has British Esports been nominated?
A nomination for this year’s awards highlights British Esports’ efforts in developing a pathway into the esports scene, including initiatives such as the Pearson and British Esports BTEC Nationals in Esports.
Over 20,000 students have taken part in British Esports Student Champs so far, which is the start of the program that begins at a Key Stage 3 level. The Burnley Bees are the reigning champions of the Student Champs after late drama in 2024.
The initiative has also launched 18 Leadership Skills Trailblazer Centres where students from just 11-years-old can develop level 1 and 2 qualifications.
For those looking to study esports at a higher level, there is a BTEC Qualification in Esports which launched in 2020 alongside Pearson and has seen over 15,000 students take up the course across 200 education centres across the world.
The newly launched Higher Nationals in Esports is another collaboration between British Esports and Pearson that has launched this year, with 12 centres rolling out in 2024/25.
What the experts had to say
“We are proud to be recognised by the Edufuturists Annual Awards for our work in developing a full education pathway, dramatically enhancing learning outcomes and improving student engagement rates at scale,” said Kalam Neale, Head of Education, British Esports. “We hope that more innovators will see the benefits of an esports curriculum and join the digital revolution that’s developing future ready students with critical skills.”
Ben Whitaker, Director of Edufuturists, added: “The standard of entries this year has been exceptional. The calibre of the shortlist exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking approach we aim to celebrate with these awards. Their work demonstrates how innovation in education can create meaningful impact for learners and the wider community.”
