At Videogames.com they state -

The International Game Developers Association has announced that it will be honoring Yuji Naka--CEO of Sega's Sonic Team--with a lifetime achievement award for the work that he has produced during his career. Naka is widely recognized as the creator of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, which has sold more than 20 million units to date. In addition, Naka is responsible for other notable games, such as Nights for the Sega Saturn, as well as Samba de Amigo and Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast. Prior to his work at Sonic Team, Naka worked on the original Phantasy Star, as well as F16 Fighting Falcon and other games.

"I am honored to be recognized by the IGDA for my life's works,'' said Naka. "My passion is games, and I look forward to many more years of creating new and innovative gaming experiences for a variety of platforms."

The award ceremony will take place on March 21 at this year's Game Developer Conference.