Valve’s “Portal” earned game of the year at the 8th annual Game Developers Choice Awards last night, as well as Best Game Design and Innovation, reports gamesindustry.biz. The awards were announced last night at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

2K’s “Bioshock,” nominated for five awards, won three for for Best Audio, Best Visual Arts and Best Writing. “Crackdown,” generally neglected by 2007 lists that focus on fall releases, won best premiere game. “Halo 3″ was quietly nominated for one award, Technology, and won nothing.

Sid Meier earned a Lifetime Achievement Award for his library of open world games. Since the 1980s he has created classics like Civilization, Railroad Tycoon and Pirates!

It’s good to see a small game like “Portal,” a fantastic game like “Bioshock,” and an older game like “Crackdown” get recognition from what I consider a very respectable group.

A full list of Game Developers Choice Awards winners and nominees follows.

Best Game Design:
Portal
Bioshock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Mass Effect
Super Mario Galaxy

Best Debut Game:
Crackdown
flOw
The Witcher
Everyday Shooter
Aquaria

Best Audio:
Bioshock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Everyday Shooter
God of War II
Mass Effect

Best Downloadable Game:
flOw
Pac-Man Championship Edition
Everyday Shooter
Peggle
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Best Technology:
Crysis
Halo 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Portal
Assassin’s Creed

Innovation Award:
Portal
Rock Band
flOw
Peggle
Mass Effect

Best Visual Arts:
Bioshock
Assassin’s Creed
Team Fortress 2
Crysis
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

Best Handheld Game:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Phase
Contra 4
Peggle

Best Writing:
Bioshock
Portal
God of War II
Mass Effect
Half-Life 2: Episode 2

Game of the Year:
Portal
Bioshock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Rock Band
Super Mario Galaxy