In an effort to highlight standouts in the developer community, Microsoft has announced it will host the first-ever Windows Developer Awards during Build 2017. The awards will highlight developers who have built and published exceptional UWP apps in the Windows Store over the past year.
To split up the competition a bit, Microsoft says it will give out awards for four main categories. Here's a look:
- App Creator of the Year – This award recognizes an app leveraging the latest Windows 10 capabilities. Some developers are pioneers, the first to explore and integrate the latest features in Windows 10 releases. This award honors those who made use of features like Ink, Dial, Cortana, and other features in creative ways.
- Game Creator of the Year – This award recognizes a game by a first-time publisher in Windows Store. Windows is the best gaming platform–and it's easy to see why. From Xbox to PCs to mixed reality, developers are creating the next generation of gaming experiences. This award recognizes developers who went above and beyond to publish innovative, engaging and magical games to the Windows Store over the last year.
- Reality Mixer of the Year – This award recognizes the app demonstrating a unique mixed reality experience. Windows Mixed Reality lets developers create experiences that transcend the traditional view of reality. This award celebrates those who choose to mix their own view of the world by blending digital and real-world content in creative ways.
- Core Maker of the Year – This award recognizes a maker project powered by Windows. Some devs talk about the cool stuff they could build–others just do it. This award applauds those who go beyond the traditional software interface to integrate Windows in drones, PIs, gardens, and robots to get stuff done.
On top of the above, a special Ninja Cat of the Year award will be given out by the Windows team to a developer or experience that it believes "most reflects what Windows is all about, empowering people of action to do great things."
So how does it work? Microsoft is tapping the developer community to vote for the winners of each category at the Windows Developer Awards site ahead of Build. Voting will close on April 27, so you'll want to make sure you move quickly to tell Microsoft who you think should win.
