Roland CEO Gordon Raison and GRAMMY-Award Winner James Fauntleroy Present “Creative of the Year” Award at Esports Awards 2022

For the second year in a row, the world-leading electronic musical instruments and multimedia products brand Roland presented the “Esports Creative of the Year” award during the annual Esports Awards show. The award honors a standout individual who has built the perception of one or more brands or individuals while working for an esports organization, a creative agency or as a freelancer. During this year’s ceremony, both Gordon Raison, CEO of Roland, and James Fauntleroy, the co-founder of 1500 Sound Academy who has written and produced for several high-profile artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and more, were honored to join together on-stage last night in Las Vegas to present the award to the talented Christian Skimmeland.

Christian is the founder of North Studio, a creative studio based in Norway that specializes in leading brand videos for the esports community. In 2022, North Studio created a number of cinematic trailers for various games, tournaments, and platforms, most recently including IEM Katowice and Microsoft Game Pass. Roland congratulates Christian and the entire North Studio team for their win and accomplishments in 2022.

Each year, the “Esports Creative of the Year” winner is at the forefront of their respective field, consistently displaying work of the highest technical quality. Winners have significantly raised the bar, created trends, and inspired new ways of engaging the audience while substantially impacting the esports industry and broader esports products. Roland presents this award for the second time from a 50-year company background of empowering creators by providing them tools for music production and livestreaming, which are integral to game development and the esports community as a whole.

“Roland has been a tremendous partner for us these last two years, and their imprint in our community is strong,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “Their industry-leading music and streaming technologies, alongside their team of experts who can support them, authentically push the limits of innovation and give creators the ability to push these limits as well. Roland gear is made by creators for creators, a welcome addition to our industry as we see the $1.2B global esports economy continue to evolve through video streaming. We have already worked on many wonderful projects with Roland and look forward to many more years of fun to come.”

James Fauntleroy, a long-time Roland fan who has relied on Roland’s electronic musical gear to refine his craft as a creator for decades, has worked closely with the company since their collaboration with 1500 Sound Academy began in 2019. James, a lifelong gamer himself with a passion for 3D modeling and augmented reality design, remains a crucial partner as Roland develops new opportunities to engage with gamers and aspiring streamers, with BeatGarden “Create Like a Champion” events already planned early in 2023 and more coming in the future.

“I’ve loved having the chance these past few days to connect with gamers while having Roland alongside for the ride at all the events they’ve put together this week for Esports Awards,” said James Fauntleroy. “I couldn’t imagine a better way to wrap up the year than by hanging with this team and bringing even more attention to what we have cooking for the new year.”

“It is truly a joy and honor to be here in person this year to meet more creatives in gaming, face-to-face,” said Gordon Raison, CEO of Roland. “Roland has been involved in multiple facets of the gaming scene for quite some time now, but with Roland as the official audio partner for this year’s Esports Awards and some upcoming events, we’re very excited to bring our involvement to the next level. Roland’s focus on being the best allows us to work with some of the greatest organizations in esports. Please know that you can all truly count on us to create your look, your sound, and your style. Congrats to all this year’s winners and stay tuned to see what is coming very soon from us!”