The inaugural winners of The Esports Radar’s Esports Leaders Honours’ List 2025-26 will be unveiled during Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) 2026 in Cologne, Germany. The awards, designed to recognise excellence and innovation across the esports industry, will be presented on the evening of Friday, 19th June, as part of the week-long business and community event. 

This initiative aims to spotlight impactful contributions across six key categories, with the ceremony integrating the honours into the industry’s broader calendar of major gatherings.

The list is a curated selection of people, organisations, and projects deemed to have helped define the year in esports. It focuses on acknowledging genuine impact, clever innovation, and standout leadership across six areas: Standout Esports Advertising Campaigns; Best Product Innovation in Esports; Rising Star in Esports (Individuals); Access and Grassroots Champions (Individuals or Organisations); Esports Leaders (Individuals); and Industry Development of the Year. Nominations for the list are currently open to the public and the wider industry to ensure a comprehensive and fair selection process.

Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) will return in 2026 with a bigger and bolder edition, taking place across 18–21 June in Cologne, Germany, alongside IEM Cologne. The schedule and details about ticket sales are available in this link.

GEIW 2026 itself marks a significant expansion for the business event, relocating to Cologne from 18–21 June to run concurrently with the IEM Cologne Major 2026 Counter-Strike 2 tournament. The event is organised by The Esports Radar and the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) as the Host Partner. The co-location is intended to fuse high-level industry networking with one of esports’ most iconic live competitions.

The 2026 programme will feature multiple summits, including the launch of IMPACT Live, a cross-sector industry event, this time focusing more on gaming and esports and uniting ESIC Global Esports Summit, the IMPACT Live GameDev Summit, and an IMPACT Live Edu Summit, alongside networking events. The inclusion of the Esports Leaders Honours adds a new awards element to the week’s agenda, seeking to establish an annual tradition of industry recognition within a major business context.

Suggestions for the Esports Leaders Honours’ List can be submitted until 24 February via a dedicated form. Meanwhile, Super Early Bird tickets for GEIW 2026, offering a 30% discount, are available until 16th February.

Disclaimer: The Global Esports Industry Week and Esports Leaders Honours’ List are initiatives with participation of The Esports Radar, part of The Insights Group.

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