Faker, Kameto, Caedrel... The Esports Awards 2026 Finalists

The Esports Awards announced the first wave of finalists for the 2026 edition on its official X account on Thursday. An industry panel and fans worldwide vote to honor the most notable player, team, broadcast talent, and sponsor across all competitive gaming. The deadline for the fan vote through the website is November 10th, and the winners will be announced at the ceremony on November 17th in Miami, Florida.

The announcement revealed the shortlist for nine categories. Compared to the 2025 edition, we could expect around twelve more categories to be announced, including Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year, Esports Play-by-Play Caster of the Year, and Esports Controller Player of the Year, among others.

Notably, several personalities from the League of Legends sphere have been nominated for the Esports Personality of the Year category. Names like Lee “" Sang-hyeok, Karmine Corp’s owner Kamel “Kameto" Kebir, Ibai “Ibai" Llano, Marc “Caedrel" Lamont, and Eefje “Sjokz" Depoortere are among the nominees.

As the 2026 competitions conclude, the nominated winners, distinguished rookies, broadcast talents, content creators, and campaigns that defined the year will be revealed. The following categories have been revealed.