Esports Awards 2026 Nominees: Full List, Miami Date & How to Vote
·7 min read
The Esports Awards 2026 is heading to Miami for the first time this November, and the first wave of finalists is out — revealed live on the Spotlight Show on August 6. Nine categories, a Streamer of the Year race that pits iShowSpeed against Kai Cenat, Jynxzi, Caedrel and Cinna, and voting already open at esportsawards.com/vote. Here is every nominee and everything worth knowing before you vote.
Host city
Miami, Florida (first time)
Ceremony
November 2026, venue TBA
Voting
Open now – November 10
Turbo Week
Nov 3–10, votes count 2×
The Event: Miami, November 2026
Founded in 2015 and often called the Oscars of esports, the Esports Awards moves to Miami, Florida after its 2025 edition in Las Vegas. The 2026 ceremony is produced in partnership with the Esports World Cup and Oakley; the exact venue and date within November are still to be announced. The finalists were unveiled live on the official Spotlight Show hosted by Soe Gschwind, Phil “EE” Visu, James “Dash” Patterson and Lottie Van-Praag.
“After a fantastic 2025 edition in Las Vegas, we are thrilled to be bringing our flagship ceremony to sunny Miami for the first time,” said Esports Awards CEO Michael Ashford in the announcement.
How Voting Works (and What Turbo Week Is)
Vote now: voting opened August 6 at esportsawards.com/vote and runs until November 10, 2026. You can vote once per day per category.
Turbo Week (November 3–10): during the final week, every vote carries double weight — a deliberate mechanic that lets organized fanbases flip close races at the end. If you only vote once, that is the week to do it.
Who decides: winners come from a blend of the community vote and the Esports Awards Panel — industry veterans, broadcasters, creators and players — so a raw numbers advantage does not automatically win a category.
All Nominees, Category by Category
This is the first wave of nine categories — the Esports Awards traditionally adds further waves before the ceremony (2025 ended with about 25 categories), plus the Esports World Cup Player's Choice Award voted by the players themselves.
Streamer of the Year
iShowSpeed defends the title he won in 2025
Esports Personality of the Year
Animesh "Thug" Agarwal is back to defend his 2025 win
Esports Content Creator of the Year
Jynxzi won this category in 2025
Esports Game of the Year
League of Legends took it in 2025
Esports Mobile Game of the Year
PUBG Mobile won in 2025
Esports Content Group of the Year
S8UL took the 2025 award
Esports Commercial Partner of the Year
Razer arrives fresh off the StreamElements acquisition
Esports Tournament Organiser of the Year
Esports Supporting Service of the Year
Analytics, agencies, law and data — the industry's backbone
The Storylines Worth Watching
- Caedrel is nominated in three categories at once — Streamer, Personality and Content Creator of the Year — off the back of his Los Ratones project and worlds co-streams.
- Jynxzi matches him with the same triple nomination, defending the Content Creator title he won in 2025 — last year's full results are here.
- Magnus Carlsen, esports personality — the chess world number one lands next to Faker and Ibai, sealing chess's migration into the streaming mainstream.
- Razer arrives as a nominee weeks after buying StreamElements — its Commercial Partner nomination lands right after the acquisition that made it a creator-tools company.
- The data layer gets its own race: Esports Charts, Liquipedia, FACEIT, GRID and Shikenso face off for Supporting Service of the Year — the tools the rest of the industry quietly runs on.
Voting is open until November 10
One vote per day per category — and votes count double during Turbo Week, November 3–10.
Vote at esportsawards.comFrequently Asked Questions
When and where is the Esports Awards 2026?
The Esports Awards 2026 ceremony takes place in Miami, Florida in November 2026 — the show's first time in the city, after Las Vegas hosted in 2025. The exact venue and date have not been announced yet; the show is produced in partnership with the Esports World Cup and Oakley.
How do I vote for the Esports Awards 2026?
Voting is open now at esportsawards.com/vote and closes on November 10, 2026. You can vote once per day per category. Winners are decided by a combination of the community vote and the Esports Awards industry panel.
What is Turbo Week at the Esports Awards?
Turbo Week runs November 3–10, 2026 — the final week of voting, during which every vote submitted carries double weight. It is designed as a last push where fanbases can swing tight races.
Who is nominated for Streamer of the Year 2026?
Twelve finalists: Cinna, CaseOh, iShowSpeed, JasonTheWeen, Kai Cenat, Caedrel, OhnePixel, Jynxzi, Snax Gaming, StableRonaldo, Coringa and TheBurntPeanut. iShowSpeed is the defending winner from 2025.
Who won Streamer of the Year at the Esports Awards 2025?
iShowSpeed won Streamer of the Year in 2025 in Las Vegas, with Jynxzi taking Esports Content Creator of the Year and Animesh 'Thug' Agarwal winning Esports Personality of the Year. Both are nominated again in 2026.
How many categories does the Esports Awards 2026 have?
Nine categories were revealed in the first wave on August 6, 2026, spanning games, streamers, personalities, content groups, commercial partners, tournament organisers and supporting services. The Esports Awards traditionally unveils further waves of categories — the 2025 edition had roughly 25 — plus the Esports World Cup Player's Choice Award voted by players.
Is Magnus Carlsen really nominated at the Esports Awards?
Yes. Chess world number one Magnus Carlsen is a finalist for Esports Personality of the Year 2026 — a marker of how far chess has moved into the esports and streaming mainstream since the Freestyle Chess and Esports World Cup chess events.