LONDON, UK, June 18th, 2026: The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation (EF) today announced a three-year extension of their partnership alongside the launch of the new EWC Players’ Choice Award, voted on exclusively by professional esports players across the international community. The renewed agreement, which runs through 2028, celebrates the players, creators and innovators who help define the future of competitive gaming.
Determined exclusively through peer voting, the EWC Players’ Choice Award recognizes the industry’s most outstanding competitor across all titles and regions. Competitors attending the EWC 2026 will vote in person, while a secure digital voting platform hosted by the Esports Awards will enable participation from additional eligible players and clubs.
In order to be eligible, players must have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season. Players will not be permitted to vote for themselves or teammates, with the Esports Awards overseeing the process to ensure fairness and competitive integrity.
A global marketing campaign will coincide with voting for the award and will include player interviews, nominee reveals and content throughout the EWC 2026 season, culminating in the winner reveal during the Esports Awards ceremony later this year.
The Esports Awards has also announced that its 2026 ceremony will take place in the United States, marking the beginning of a new rotating host city model under which the event will be staged in different, previously unvisited destinations.
The talent and innovation of our sector should be getting the exposure it deserves.,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “The Esports Foundation has done an incredible job in generating mainstream attention, and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit. Our partnership has enabled us to expand our operations and footprint and it’s through our continued collaboration that I hope we can bring the Esports Awards to the global community, and provide the industry with better visibility all year round.”
In partnership with the EF, the Esports Awards hosted its 2024 awards ceremony and the 2025 landmark Decade Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the Esports World Cup program. The Decade Awards, recognizing the most influential figures of the past ten years in esports, marked a major milestone for the platform, attracting more than 10 million votes and 15 million live and VOD viewers. Honors included Faker as PC Player of the Decade, XQC as Streamer of the Decade, and Team Liquid as Organization of the Decade.
The EWC 2026 will be hosted in Paris, France, from July 06 through to August 23, 2026. More than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries will compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games over seven weeks to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion.
Voting will run from July 1 through to August 18, 2026, coinciding with EWC Media Days ahead of the final week of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, France.
More details of the Esports Awards 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks.
About the Esports Awards
Founded in 2015, the Esports Awards is the most prestigious night in the esports calendar and the only global award show that aims to recognise esports excellence. The Esports Awards is dedicated to showcasing world-class performance and innovation from every corner of the industry throughout the year and reaches its pinnacle at its end-of-year ceremony, considered the Oscars of esports. The ceremony celebrates everyone from the players, teams, media, hardware providers, games, events, and personalities that shape the esports industry.
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About The Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports Clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. Hosted in Paris, France, in the summer of 2026, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion.
To learn more about EWC, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow Esports Foundation on LinkedIn.