Not only has he been widely acknowledged as the Father of modern video games, but Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto has just been given another award - he's one of four recipients of the 2008 annual Jim Henson Honors, established in 2005. These awards acknowledge products, individuals and organisations who reflect the philosophy and core values of muppet-creator Jim Henson and his company.

Miyamoto is not the only video game-related award this year, with creature feature Spore also picking up a statue, alongside The Center for Puppetry Arts Distance Learning Center and LA street artist Shepard Fairey (perhaps best known for his stylised Barack Obama election posters).

When choosing award recipients, a careful evaluation takes place, observing the honoree's commitment to creativity and innovative applications of technology and art, as well as inspiration of others.

Brian Henson, son of Jim and co-CEO of The Jim Henson Company explains:

“The recipients of this year’s Jim Henson Honors demonstrate true creativity and commitment to innovation. They have raised the bar in their respective fields, from Shigeru Miyamoto’s groundbreaking work fusing entertainment and technology at Nintendo, to the Center for Puppetry Arts’ dedication to enriching lives through arts education, this year’s honorees, who so strongly reflect the traditions of The Jim Henson Company.”

His sister Lisa Henson, another co-CEO, continues:

“Each of this year’s recipients inspired us in different ways. In addition to Shigeru Miyamoto and the Center for Puppetry Arts, we also honor the visual brilliance and topicality of street artist Shepard Fairey, who tapped into a generation’s profound desire for change, and the incredibly imaginative and provocative world of Spore. Varied and vast in terms of their impact, this year’s four honorees are true models of originality, innovation and ingenuity. It is a privilege to honor their outstanding work.”

The Jim Henson Celebration Honor: Shigeru Miyamoto, Video Game Designer, Nintendo The highest Henson Honor goes to an individual, organization or product that makes the world a better place by inspiring people to celebrate life. As the creator of some of the world’s best-known video games such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. and the Zelda series (which have collectively sold more than 350 million copies), and the person who ultimately oversees every Nintendo game, Shigeru Miyamoto has reignited America’s love for gaming with the creation of Nintendo’s hugely popular Wii console. Taking the application of video games a giant step forward, Miyamoto recently developed the Wii Fit, dedicated to improving people’s physical health and well being. The game not only serves to entertain and give players a workout, it is also being used as a rehabilitation tool – known as “Wii-hab” - by physical and occupational therapists to help patients with balance, endurance and core strengthening.		The Jim Henson Technology Honor: Spore, Video Game The Technology Honor acknowledges an individual, organization or product who/which demonstrates groundbreaking technology in a creative way. Spore, the popular video game created in 2008 by celebrated game designer Will Wright and EA gives gamers their own personal universe in a box where players build their own galaxy from scratch. The game is meticulously conceived and executed with infinite detail, allowing a gamer to design and create his own character – a digital alter ego - providing for an unprecedented level of user creativity as his being evolves from a single-cell organism to a galactic god over hundreds of millions of years.
The Jim Henson Community Honor: The Center for Puppetry Arts Distance Learning Center The Community Honor acknowledges an individual, organization or product who/which has increased goodwill or made a positive impact in a specific community or around the world. The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta Georgia is a unique cultural treasure where children and adults are educated, enlightened and entertained as they learn about puppetry from all over the world. Since 1978, the Center has made it their mission to give students from all backgrounds and all locations the opportunity to learn about the fine craft of puppetry arts from the experts. With a variety of projects accompanied by study guides, teaching aids and live demonstrations presented via satellite, the CPA Distance Learning has introduced the art of puppetry and creative storytelling to school communities all over the US as well as the UK and has inspired thousands of children to discover their own creative voice.		The Jim Henson Creativity Honor: Shepard Fairey, Artist The creativity honor acknowledges a new creative voice or unique expression of an idea. The Los Angeles-based street artist Shepard Fairey, known for the international “Obey Giant” guerilla art campaign, is the creator of one of the most iconic political posters of the 2008 election: a stylized three-tone image of the then Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama. The wildly popular poster displays an image of Obama along with the single word "HOPE" emblazoned across the bottom. The image became a meaningful symbol in the election year and demonstrates the way that art can inspire and unite. Segueing between the worlds of graphic design, traditional illustration and graffiti, Fairey’s unique images – and the methods he uses to exploit them—make him one of the most influential and celebrated artists of today.

It's great to see such an interesting collection of winners, encompassing such a cross-section of today's world - at first glimpse they're very different, but the closer you look, the more you realise that they're all just variations on a theme, and there's not really much difference between games and puppets and street art. Kudos to the Jim Henson Company for recognising this, and awarding innovators in their particular field, even if they have nothing to do with muppets!