The Polys 6^th Annual Immersive Awards

A pioneer of immersive journalism, Nonny de la Peña set standards for truthfulness, consent, and trauma-aware practice while using VR to surface lived experiences—from hunger to conflict—with rigor and empathy. As program director at ASU, she’s training a new generation to pair technical craft with ethical accountability in narrative XR.

“Ada has advanced and transformed the entire immersive web ecosystem. She has not only been a major influence on WebXR's progress and stability through the years, but has directly ensured that support for the API expands as the XR ecosystem does.” — Ken Russell
Ada Rose Cannon’s stewardship of WebXR at W3C shaped the immersive web’s inclusive, stable foundation—bridging accessibility, innovation, and global participation.

Jeremy Duncan (JDun) and Shika Duncan (JoyReign) are XR Evangelists whose ultimate goals are to bring representation and positivity to the XR Space. This husband and wife team co-own and co-labor in their media company, Onyx Leaf Media, which houses Horizon World's popular talk show. "Joy In The Morning with JoyReign" and "Getting Things Dun" YouTube Channel. They also continue their mission of making the extraordinary Metaverse an ordinary part of life through their podcast "Get'Em to The Metaverse"

Mighty Coconut’s Walkabout Mini Golf stands as one of VR’s most beloved and successful experiences, combining exceptional design, performance, and imagination with an accessible $5 add-on model that keeps players engaged and growing the audience. The team demonstrates how a focused, artist-driven approach can define the standard for immersive experiences and create meaningful social connection in VR.