Miyamoto, Spore receive Jim Henson Awards

And bloggers everywhere rush to finish their haphazard Photoshopping jobs. Enjoy mine!

Shigeru Miyamoto and Spore were each awarded Jim Henson Honors, which are awarded to organizations, individuals or products that reflect the core values and philosophy of the muppet master himself.

“The recipients of this year’s Jim Henson Honors demonstrate true creativity and commitment to innovation,” said Brian Henson. “They have raised the bar in their respective fields, from Shigeru Miyamoto’s ground-breaking 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.”

For those of you who don't know, Miyamoto is the co-creator of some of Nintendo's most popular franchises (Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and most recently, Wii Fit and Wii Music). Spore is a game where you create monsters - something Henson was quite accustomed to himself. In a lot of ways, Miyamoto is a creator in the realms of Henson and Disney, so the award is well received.

To put it in context, previous Henson Honorees include Al Gore, Google Earth, J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Etsy, Richard Branson, The Gorillaz and The Prius. Those Hensons are eclectic, are they not?