The inaugural Esports Leaders Honours took place this Friday, 19th June as part of Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW). Hosted across the Hyatt Regency and the Cologne City Hall, the ceremony celebrated individuals, organisations and initiatives that have helped shape esports over the past year, with awards spanning commercial innovation, grassroots development, product excellence, leadership and industry impact.
Among the evening’s winners, Team Vitality Co-Founder Fabien Devide took home two trophies: one for the organisation’s campaign with sponsor Stake, and another for Esports Leader of the year. Another award-winning initiative with French origins was the virtual reality esports operator EVA, which received honours as the Best Product Innovation in Esports for its ambitious expansion strategy, fundraising efforts and launch of structured competitive leagues featuring some of Europe’s leading esports organisations.
NOVO Esports CEO and Co-Founder Emanuele Acerbis was named Rising Star in Esports, while the launch of the Esports Nations Cup was recognised as Industry Development of the Year.
The final award of the evening, Local Hero, was presented to Leipzig eSports in recognition of its contribution to the local esports ecosystem. The category was selected in partnership with the E-Sport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD).
The Esports Leaders Honours were created to spotlight the people and projects driving esports forward beyond the competition stage, recognising standout contributions across every corner of the industry. Two of the categories, Standout Esports Advertising Campaign and Access and Grassroots Champion in Esports, included Honourable Mentions, highlighting how competitive the selection process was.
See all shortlists and winners:
Categories and winners
Standout Esports Advertising Campaign
Presented by Visit Raleigh
Winner: Team Vitality x Stake
Honourable mention: DHL x ESL x Chew Productions – The Dispatch
Shortlist:
- G2 x Solo Leveling (Crunchyroll)
- HEROIC x Razed
- Team Liquid x Magnus Carlsen
- Jameel Motorsport x Esports World Cup 2025
- Team Vitality x Nescafé Latte
Best Product Innovation in Esports
Presented by Playmakers
Winner: EVA (Esports Virtual Arenas)
Shortlist:
- DPM LOL
- Logitech G – Pro X2 Superstrike
- Runestone
- Shikenso
- UNEVN
- ZOWIE by BenQ
Rising Star in Esports
Presented by KölnBusiness
Winner: Emanuele Acerbis (NOVO Esports)
Shortlist:
- Bilguunbat Enkhbayar (The MongolZ)
- Heloisa Passos (Trexx)
- Kalam Neale (British Esports)
- Liam Whitehead (Method)
- Meg Cabaras (Octagon)
- Sheridan McGuire (College Esports News)
Industry Development of the Year
Presented by The Story Mob
Winner: The launch of Esports Nations Cup
Shortlist:
- Riot Games opening betting sponsorship opportunities in EMEA and the Americas
- Qiddiya-owned RTS acquires Evo
- PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners moving to purchase Electronic Arts (EA)
- The acquisition of MOONTON Games by Savvy Games Group
- India’s formal recognition and regulation of esports
- BLAST and GamingMalta announce multi-year partnership & open studio
Access and Grassroots Champion in Esports
Presented by Get In
Winner: Ole Martin Gjestad (KRED Norge)
Honourable Mention: Mags Byrne (EStars)
Shortlist:
- David Kosir (Friendly Fire)
- Désiré Koussawo (SAGES Africa)
- Elliot Mack (DAIGON Esports)
- Jon Winkle (EPIC.LAN)
- Stefy Bau (Init Esports)
Esports Leader
Presented by Thomas Lyte
Winner: Fabien “neo” Devide
Shortlist:
- Akshat Rathee
- Anna Rozwandowicz
- HRH Prince Faisal
- Monica Dinsmore
- Niccolo Maisto
- Ralf Reichert
- Robbie Douek
Local Hero
Presented by ESBD
Winner: Leipzig eSports
The Esports Leaders Honours 2026 was part of the wider Global Esports Industry Week programme, which brings together stakeholders from across esports, gaming, sport, technology and entertainment to discuss the future of the industry and celebrate its achievements.
Disclaimer: The Global Esports Industry Week and Esports Leaders Honours are initiatives with participation of The Esports Radar, part of The Insights Group.
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