This year’s HLTV Awards are fast approaching, and Counter-Strike fans everywhere are setting up to settle in and enjoy the ceremony. It’s one of the most prestigious award showcases in the esports world, and it’s set to recognize everyone from on-air talent to the players themselves.
Below, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about the HLTV Awards 2026, from the nominations and potential award winners to how best to watch the stream unfold.
If you’re wondering when the HLTV Awards 2026 is, read on.
HLTV Awards 2026 Schedule
The HLTV Awards 2026 will commence on January 10 at 18:00 CET / 12:00 EST / 17:00 GMT. It’s being hosted at the Blue Hall of the Sava Centar in Belgrade, Serbia, and it promises to feature the names and faces of some of the biggest personalities in esports.
Typically, the main show runs for around two to three hours, often with a pre-show event that can make the runtime stretch a little further. Depending on how long acceptance speeches and entertainment segments are, it could be shorter or longer, so prepare accordingly!
This year’s event is being presented by 1xBet and will run parallel to the HLTV Awards Conference, hosted by GRID, a data and analytics company specializing in the esports industry.
HLTV Awards 2026 Nominations
There are so many deserving nominees at this year’s HLTV Awards, and here’s the full spread.
Awards Chosen by Panel:
- Closer of the Year
- David “frozen” Čerňanský
- Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato
- Robin “ropz” Kool
- Anchor of the Year
- Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy
- Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko
- William “mezii” Merriman
- IGL of the Year
- Dan “apEX” Madesclaire
- Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren
- Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo
- AWPer of the Year
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
- Opener of the Year
- Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
- Shahar “flameZ” Shushan
- Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis
- Coach of the Year
- Sergey “hally” Shavaev
- Erdenedalai “maaRaa” Bayanbat
- Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam
- Highlight of the Year
- donk – 1v5 vs Vitality
- ropz – 2 second Ace vs 3DMAX
- Twistzz – 4K (1v3) vs NAVI
Awards Chosen by Community:
- Talent of the Year
- Freya “Freya” Spiers
- Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill
- James “BanKs” Banks
- Streamer of the Year
- Vadim “Evelone192” Kozakov
- Erik “fl0m” Flom
- Mark “ohnePixel” Zimmermann
- Creator of the Year
- dima_aimbots
- NadeKing
- Virre CS2
- Event of the Year
- BLAST.tv Austin Major
- IEM Cologne 2025
- StarLadder Budapest Major
- Skin of the Year
- AWP | Printstream (JTPNZ)
- Glock-18 | Shinobu (Horameow)
- M4A4 | Full Throttle (dwern)
HLTV Awards
- Women’s Player of the Year
- Mayline-Joy “ASTRA” Champliaud
- Bruna “bizinha” Marvila
- Wiktoria “vicu” Janicka
- Women’s Team of The Year
- BIG EQUIPA
- FURIA fe
- MIBR fe
- Rookie of the Year
- Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin
- Drin “makazze” Shaqiri
- Danil “molodoy” Golubenko
- Team of the Year
- MOUZ
- Spirit
- Vitality
- Player of the Year
- TBA
How to Watch HLTV Awards 2026
The easiest way to watch the HLTV Awards 2026 broadcast is to tune into the official channel on Twitch:
Otherwise, your favorite creators and pro players (who aren’t attending the event in person) will likely be hosting watch parties for the ceremony.
Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server who you have winning Player of the Year.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that SlasheR has retired from COD esports
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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