Esports Awards, Esports Foundation extend partnership to 2028
The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation extended their global partnership through 2028 and unveiled the EWC Players’ Choice Award, to be voted only by professional players.
The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation agreed a three-year extension of their global partnership through 2028 and introduced the EWC Players’ Choice Award, a new prize voted exclusively by professional players.
Voting for the EWC Players’ Choice Award will run from 1 July to 18 August 2026 during the Esports World Cup in Paris. The Esports Awards will manage the ballot and enforce eligibility and integrity rules. Players may not vote for themselves or teammates, and only competitors who played in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament in the official season can take part.
The voting campaign will run alongside the EWC tournament, scheduled in Paris from 6 July to 23 August 2026. Organisers plan player interviews and staged nominee reveals during the seven-week event to promote the award among participants and fans.
The renewal also establishes a new hosting approach for the Esports Awards ceremony. The 2026 edition will be held in the United States under a rotating host-city model. Previous ceremonies were integrated into the EWC programme in Riyadh for 2024 and the 2025 Decade Awards.
The partnership initially began in June 2024. The organisations reported that the 2025 Decade Awards attracted more than 10 million votes and roughly 15 million live and on-demand viewers. The Esports Awards began in London in 2016 as the eSports Industry Awards, rebranded in 2018 and later held ceremonies in Arlington, Texas, and Las Vegas.
Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards, commented: ‘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.’
Global Esports Industry Week will take place 18-21 June 2026 alongside IEM Cologne, with main conference sessions on 18-19 June at the Hyatt Regency.
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