• 13 Western Australians awarded International Access Pass grants to showcase their products internationally
• Winners include programmers, games designers, business people, artists and technology experts
• Funded through the McGowan Government's $16.7 million New Industries Fund to support and accelerate new and emerging businesses to create WA jobs 

A group of 13 Western Australian winners, including six women, will be travelling to major industry events to showcase their gaming industry expertise, thanks to a McGowan Government initiative.

The International Access Pass program, part of the McGowan Government's $16.7 million New Industries Fund, creates opportunities for Western Australians in the games industry to connect with key players and build business networks in the $124 billion global industry.

The International Access Pass recipients will receive a grant of up to $5,000 each. The award winners are:

• Three Superstar Awards: Awarded to people who offer a great product that is ready for the world and can deliver business results (Vee Pendergrast, Stacey Fazackerley and Anthony Sweet);
• Two Bright Spark Awards: Awarded to recent WA graduates (Elin Tan, Curtin University and Brian Fairbanks, Murdoch University);
• A Trailblazer Award: Awarded to Jessica Watson - an outstanding candidate who brings expertise in motion capture into the WA games industry. Jessica also works extensively to assist others to develop their skills;
• Three New Horizons Awards: Awarded for application of games into other sectors (Megan Pusey, games to build resilience in education; Zoe Pepper, technology to support play and connection with audience; and Julio Ibanez, virtual and augmented reality simulation in mining, real estate, tourism and care industries); and
• Two Teamed Up Awards: One to Hungry Sky (Nick Lowe and Minh Tran) and the other to Dogmelon (Ant Wiese and Dan Fletcher).  

The recipients reflect the creativity and STEM expertise of the Western Australian games industry. For more details, visit http://www.newindustries.wa.gov.au

Comments attributed to Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly:

"The International Access Pass is just one of the ways the McGowan Government is delivering on its election commitment to support new and emerging businesses in WA to create jobs and diversify the economy.

"I am pleased the awards have so many highly talented women with diverse careers in this sector, as the national industry statistics show low participation by women in the games industry.

"It is terrific to see an award go to someone from Kalgoorlie, Brian Fairbanks. Brian provides his audio and accessibility expertise remotely, as well as building his own games."

Minister's office - 6552 6100