Esports Awards: IShowSpeed Dominates

The bright lights of Las Vegas shone a little brighter on November 19, 2025, as the global esports community gathered at the iconic HyperX Arena for a historic night: the 10th anniversary of the Esports Awards. What began a decade ago as a modest celebration of competitive gaming achievement has since evolved into one of the most prestigious events in the world of digital entertainment. This year’s ceremony served not only as a recognition of the past year’s brilliance but also as a reflection on ten transformative years that reshaped global entertainment, community building, and online competition.

With fans, creators, pro players, coaches, executives, and industry veterans all sharing the same room, the 2025 ceremony embodied the diversity and magnitude of today’s esports ecosystem. The night featured 24 award categories, spotlighting excellence across competitive performance, content creation, production, innovation, and community impact.

IShowSpeed Takes Center Stage: Streamer of the Year

Among the evening’s many standout moments, none resonated more loudly across social platforms than Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. winning the Streamer of the Year award. At just 20 years old, Speed has become one of the most recognizable and influential personalities on the internet. Known for his high energy antics, rapid fire reactions, unapologetic humor, and undeniable charisma, he has redefined what it means to be a modern content creator.

Competing against a stacked lineup of nominees; including xQc, Ibai Llanos, Kai Cenat, HasanAbi, and several other industry giants; Speed’s victory was both a testament to his meteoric rise and a reflection of the staggering loyalty of his global fanbase.

Although he could not attend in person, his pre recorded acceptance message delivered all the excitement fans have come to expect:

“What’s up, y’all? It’s Speed here, and we have won the Streamer of the Year award.”
“Y’all know how hard I work every single year to give y’all the best content and the best streams… It’s Speed Gang for life.”

His journey to this award adds depth to the achievement. After earning a nomination in 2024 but losing to Samanta “Rivers” Rivera Treviño, Speed returned in 2025 with even bigger streams, viral moments, and exponential audience growth. This win marks a defining chapter in his career and cements him as one of streaming’s most impactful figures of the decade.

Night of Champions: Major Winners

While IShowSpeed dominated the headlines, the Esports Awards celebrated excellence across many corners of the industry. The winners showcased the evolving landscape of esports; spanning record breaking teams, breakout stars, innovative organizations, and fan favorite creators.

Competitive & Game Categories

• Esports Game of the Year: League of Legends
  Still the global king of competitive play, recognized for its thriving esports ecosystem.
• Esports Mobile Game of the Year: PUBG Mobile
  A testament to mobile gaming’s explosive global growth.

Creator & Community Categories

• Esports Personality of the Year: Animesh “Thug” Agarwal
• Esports Content Group of the Year: S8UL
• Esports Content Creator of the Year: Jynxzi
• Esports Play of the Year: Choi “Doran” Hyeon joon

Industry & Business Excellence

• Esports Commercial Partner of the Year: Red Bull
• Esports Publisher of the Year: Riot Games
• Panel’s Choice Award: Sebastian “SebTheFloorManager” Leathlean
• Esports Supporting Service of the Year: Prodigy Agency
• Esports Supporting Platform of the Year: Liquipedia

Creative Contributions

• Esports Creative Campaign of the Year: Team Liquid – 25 Year Anniversary Campaign

Professional Player Awards

• Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year: Mason “Mercules” Ramsey
• Esports Team of the Year: Team Vitality (CS2)
• Esports PC Player of the Year: Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
• Esports Controller Player of the Year: Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun

Leadership & Talent Behind the Scenes

• Esports Organisation of the Year: Team Falcons
• Esports Coach of the Year: Kim “Kim” Jung su
• Esports Play by Play Caster of the Year: Clayton “CaptainFlowers” Raines
• Esports Colour Caster of the Year: Andrew “Vedius” Day
• Esports Host of the Year: Laure Valée
• Esports Analyst of the Year: Mimi “aEvilcat” Wermcrantz

Each category highlighted individuals and groups whose dedication pushes the industry forward; from those on the stage to those behind the camera, from strategic masterminds to charismatic storytellers.

Honoring Legends: Lifetime Achievement Class of 2025

To mark the 10th anniversary, the Esports Awards introduced a special Lifetime Achievement Class, honoring pioneers whose contributions helped build the modern esports landscape. These inductees shaped games, communities, and entire eras of competitive play:

• Johan “N0tail” Sundstein – One of Dota 2’s most decorated champions.
• Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen – A Counter Strike icon and multi major winner.
• Matthew “FormaL” Piper – A Call of Duty legend and one of the scene’s most consistent performers.
• Steve Arhancet – Co owner of Team Liquid, a visionary in esports business development.
• Tom Cannon & Tony Cannon – Innovative founders who played key roles in shaping competitive fighting games.
• Tasteless & Artosis – The iconic StarCraft duo whose commentary defined an era of esports broadcasting.

The inclusion of this new class provided emotional depth to the event, reminding attendees that esports is not just an industry; it is a legacy built by passionate pioneers.

Celebration of 10 Years: Reflecting on an Evolving Industry

This year’s event symbolized a decade of enormous growth:

From niche tournaments to global entertainment

Esports is no longer a fringe hobby; it’s a global industry with stadium filling tournaments, multimillion dollar teams, and audiences that rival traditional sports.

From basement streams to full scale media empires

Creators like IShowSpeed and Jynxzi represent a new breed of digital entertainers capable of drawing millions of viewers with a single broadcast.

From small organizations to global brands

Teams like Team Vitality, Team Falcons, and S8UL now operate as fully fledged brands, supported by major sponsors, fanbases, and robust content divisions.

From casual fandom to global community

Whether through Liquipedia, Riot Games’ ecosystem or Red Bull’s campaigns, esports is now a worldwide phenomenon that thrives on shared passion, digital culture, and creative expression.

Significance of the 2025 Ceremony

Esports Awards 2025 did more than celebrate winners. It captured the essence of a modern cultural movement:

• A movement that merges competition and creativity.
• A movement driven by community energy and technological innovation.
• A movement shaped by current stars, rising talent, and foundational legends.

From IShowSpeed’s viral charisma to N0tail’s historic legacy, this year’s ceremony reflected an industry that is diverse, dynamic, and continually evolving.

Final Thoughts

The 10th Esports Awards was not just a celebration of a single year; it was a monument to ten years of global growth, digital transformation, and human passion. With standout winners, emotional tributes, and a renewed sense of industry unity, the 2025 event stands as one of the most important in esports history.

And as the community looks ahead to the next decade, one thing is clear: Esports is not just thriving; it is defining the future of entertainment.