Today, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced the nominees for its 18th annual awards, which are handed out at a ceremony during the D.I.C.E. Summit, which will take place this February in Las Vegas.

The game with the most nominations is Monolith and Warner Bros.' Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, which picked up nine nods, in categories including Outstanding Achievement in Story, Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction, and Outstanding Character. 

Other much-nominated games include Far Cry 4, Destiny, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, and Monument Valley. You can read the full list at this link; we've reproduced a handful of the categories below, including the new Sprite Award for "unique innovations that contribute to the ongoing progress of interactive media." 

You can check out last year's award winners, if you're curious what games the AIAS favored last time around.

Game of the Year

Destiny 
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Far Cry 4
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming

Destiny
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Monument Valley
Project Spark 

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

Dungeon of the Endless
Far Cry 4
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Titanfall

D.I.C.E. Sprite Award

The Banner Saga
Hohokum
Monument Valley
Threes!
Transistor