The Esports Awards has announced its second wave of finalists for the 2026 ceremony in Miami, Florida. The Valve shooter has a massive presence across the board. Dennis “sycrone” Benthin Nielsen from MOUZ secured a nomination for Esports Coach of the Year. While his inclusion might initially surprise some viewers, his consistent work developing the MOUZ roster into a tier-one contender prompted analyst Mauisnake to name him as his candidate for Coach of the Year in Counter-Strike last week. He is joined in the coaching category by Team Vitality’s Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam.
Stars and rising talent secure player nominations
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets are both in the running for Esports PC Player of the Year following their high-level performances throughout the 2026 season. The next generation of Counter-Strike is also represented, with Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin and Danil “Molodoy” Golubenko securing finalist spots for Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year.
Organizations and rosters step up
The Counter-Strike 2 divisions of Team Vitality and Team Spirit are both finalists for Esports Team of the Year against top rosters from titles like League of Legends and Valorant. These organizations are also running for Esports Organisation of the Year alongside prominent Counter-Strike names such as NAVI, G2 Esports, FaZe Clan, Virtus.Pro, and Team Liquid.
Broadcast talent sweeps the talent categories
Behind the servers, Counter-Strike 2 broadcast talent picked up numerous nominations. Freya Spiers is a finalist for Esports Host of the Year. In the commentary categories, Alex “Machine” Richardson and Connor “Scrawny” Girvan are up for Esports Play by Play Caster of the Year, while Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill and Mohan “launders” Govindaswamy have been nominated for Esports Colour Caster of the Year. The desk analysts are also represented, with Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg and Jacob “Pimp” Winneche securing finalist spots for Esports Analyst of the Year.
Voting schedule and ceremony details
The public vote is open on the official Esports Awards website and concludes on November 10. The organizers have introduced a Turbo Week from November 3 to 10, during which every vote cast will count double in the final tally.
The main ceremony takes place in Miami on November 17.
