- Esports Leaders Honours will be hosted on Friday 19th June evening with a by invitation only special event at City Hall attended by the Lord Mayor and other special guests with a live audience of 200 in attendance
- A new, special category in the form of ‘Local Hero’ has been added to proceedings, with ESBD to determine the winner for this year
- The winners across categories will be revealed live on the night with a live stream for those not there in person. Nominations have been extended for one more week (closing 16th April 2026)
- Esports Leaders Honours is a part of the Global Esports Industry Week 2026 for which ESL FACEIT Group is the Host Partner, with it running alongside IEM Cologne
The inaugural Esports Leaders Honours awards ceremony has been confirmed to take place at Cologne City Hall (Kölner Rathaus) on 19th June 2026, with the Lord Mayor Torsten Burmester in attendance.
Esports Leaders Honours is a new initiative and platform created by The Esports Radar to celebrate the people, organisations, and projects that helped to define the year in esports and deserve recognition. Across six categories the winners of this premiere edition will be revealed on the night, with the ceremony forming a part of Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) in 2026. The six categories and full information can be seen here. Public submissions, now extended until 16th April via the platform, have been welcomed across the categories, the winners will be selected in-house by The Esports Radar team.
Winners will receive their awards on stage at an evening gala style event, whilst those not in attendance will be able to watch the live stream.
- Esports Leader
- Rising Star in Esports
- Standout Esports Advertising Campaigns
- Best Product Innovation in Esports
- Access & Grassroots Champions in Esports
- Industry Development of the Year
A new specialist category has also been confirmed in the form of ‘Local Hero’. This recognises an individual who has made a significant contribution to the betterment of esports locally to wherever the ceremony is being hosted. With this year’s ceremony taking place in Germany, The Esports Radar has partnered with E-Sport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD), who will decide this edition’s winner.
Sam Cooke, CEO of The Insights Group (The Esports Radar),said:“There are plenty of unsung heroes across esports who deserve true praise for the work they do, and we’re glad to be doing our part with the full launch of Esports Leaders Honours.
To be able to host this first edition of the awards ceremony in such an iconic esports city, alongside IEM Cologne and at City Hall no less is amazing, and we’re honoured to have had the support of the city and of KölnBusiness to make this happen. The shortlists across categories will go live via The Esports Radar channels in May, but the winners will be unveiled on the night!”
GEIW, owned and operated by The Esports Radar and the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) serving as Host Partner for this year, is taking place across 18–21 June 2026 in Cologne, Germany, alongside the iconic Counter-Strike tournament IEM Cologne. The Hyatt Regency will accommodate the main industry days over Thursday 18th to Friday 19th June. Amongst the attendees gathering at the Global Esports Industry Week 2026 include ESL FACEIT Group, the Esports Foundation, Runestone, ENorth Media, MOONTON, NODWIN, Starladder, Corsair, BLAST, ESBD, MSI, HEROIC, BenQ / ZOWIE, World Intellectual Property Organisation, AOC, NES (Nesma Esports), Riot Games, Overactive Media, FURIA, Fusion Esports Group, Video Games Europe, with many more to be announced.
Partners
GEIW 2026 is supported by a growing network of industry partners, reflecting the collaborative spirit of the event. Confirmed partners include:
- Runestone – Title Partner
- ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) – Host Partner
- ZOWIE – Supporting Partner
- ENorth Media – Supporting Partner
- ESBD – Strategic Partner
- yellow house – Strategic Partner
- World Intellectual Property Organisation: Arbitration and Mediation Centre – Strategic Partner
- International Games and Esports Tribunal – Strategic Partner
- Get In – Social Media Agency Partner
More Information
You can also follow The Esports Radar via the site here and on socials via TER LinkedIn and TER X for live Esports Leaders Honours updates. For more information on GEIW 2026, including registration and programme updates, visit globalesportsweek.com and follow GEIW on LinkedIn.
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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