Esports Awards names Miami host city for 2026 ceremony, opens voting

The Esports Awards will stage its 2026 ceremony in Miami, Florida, marking the event’s first time in the city. The organiser said the show will take place this November, in partnership with the Esports World Cup and Oakley.

Alongside the host city announcement, the Esports Awards revealed its first wave of finalists during an official Spotlight Show hosted by Soe Gshcwind, Phil “EE” Visu, James “Dash” Patterson and Lottie Van-Praag. The initial slate includes categories such as Esports Game of the Year, Esports Mobile Game of the Year, Esports Personality of the Year, Streamer of the Year, and multiple content and industry service awards.

Notable repeat nominees in the first wave include Darren "iShowSpeed" Jason Watkins Jr (Streamer of the Year) and Animesh "Thug" Agarwal (Esports Personality of the Year). Other shortlisted names in the Personality category include Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere, Ibai "Ibai" Llanos Garatea, Marc "Caedrel" Robert Lamont and Nicholas "Jynxzi" Stewart.

Voting is open now at www.esportsawards.com/vote and runs until November 10th. The organiser also confirmed “Turbo Week” will run from November 3rd to November 10th, during which votes “carry double weight.”

“The Esports Awards remains dedicated to highlighting the remarkable achievements in gaming and esports,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “After a fantastic 2025 edition in Las Vegas, we are thrilled to be bringing our flagship ceremony to sunny Miami for the first time… Together with our key partners Oakley and the Esports World Cup, we are setting the stage for an extraordinary evening.”

The exact venue in Miami has not yet been announced, with the organiser saying further details will follow.