The Esports Awards 2026 have been unveiled, set to take place later this year at an undetermined North American venue. Last year’s Esports Awards marked the ceremony’s 10th anniversary and welcomed record-high viewership. The team at The Esports Awards also confirmed that the Esports Awards Golf Invitational will return, running ahead of the main ceremony.
While other shows, like The Game Awards, honor esports individuals, The Esports Awards is easily the most prestigious and recognized event focused on competitive gaming and content creation.
Esports Awards 2026 Heads to North America
In a new press release, the team at The Esports Awards confirmed that the spectacle show will return later this year in North America. In a statement, the CEO of The Esports Awards, Mike Ashford, said:
The Esports Awards continues to shine a spotlight on the very best in esports and gaming, and we’re pleased to return for 2026. Following the success of the Decade Awards and our 10th anniversary celebrations, we look forward to recognising the individuals, teams and moments that defined the past year in esports.
The team explained that the ‘fan-favourite categories’ will return, including:
- Esports Game of the Year
- Esports Personality of the Year
- Esports Team of the Year
Last year’s results were largely predictable given the year’s events. For instance, League of Legends won the Esports Game of the Year after a stunning slew of League Worlds events. The Streamer of the Year award went to IShowSpeed, who was in the midst of a skyrocket to super stardom.
Elsewhere, Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year went to Mercules, who went on a wild run with OpTic Texas and secured the COD Champs trophy and the top spot at the Esports World Cup. The Esports Team of the Year was Team Vitality, going on a monumental win streak in Counter-Strike, and the Esports Publisher of the Year awards went to a very deserving Riot Games.
Are you tuning in to this year’s Esports Awards ceremony? Let us know your predictions on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Street Fighter will be at the Esports Nations Cup
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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