Recognizing the People and Companies Moving Esports Forward
Nominate a colleague, a company, or an organization that's making a real difference in the business of esports. Winners will be celebrated at the ESTA Industry Awards Gala during EsportsNext 2026.
ight categories. One standard — excellence that moves the industry.
Recognizes an organization or individual that has introduced a genuinely new technology, service, or strategy that changed how the industry operates. Not incremental improvement — real innovation with measurable impact and room to scale.
Honors an executive who has elevated their organization and the broader industry through vision, decision-making, and the kind of leadership others want to follow. Track record matters here — this isn’t about titles, it’s about results.
Celebrates outstanding work in building, growing, and energizing esports communities. Whether through events, platforms, social media, or grassroots programs — this award goes to whoever is doing the most to bring people together and keep them engaged.
Recognizes a campaign or strategy that cut through the noise — creative, measurable, and genuinely effective at growing brand presence and audience engagement in esports.
Honors an organization or initiative making real progress on sustainability, social responsibility, or building a more inclusive and equitable esports ecosystem. Good intentions don’t qualify — demonstrable impact does.
Recognizes an individual or institution making a meaningful contribution to esports education — developing curriculum, training future professionals, conducting research, or creating pathways into the industry that didn’t exist before.
Honors a member who has gone above and beyond in contributing to ESTA’s mission, programs, and community. The person who always shows up and always makes things better.
Celebrates an organization or event making an outsized impact in their local or regional esports community — proving that building the industry doesn’t only happen on a national stage.
Every year, the bar gets higher. Here's who set it.
ESTA Hall of Fame
Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf
Pro Gamer
Monica Dinsmore
Head of Esports, Electronic Arts (EA)
Corey Dunn
Director, Publisher Operations, ESL FACEIT Group
ESTA Service Award
Sykora Guy, Esports Coordinator at Texas A&M University-Texarkana
Esports Community Engagement Award
Steve Isaacs, Senior Manager of Programs and Partnerships at Epic Games
Esports Educator of the Year (Individual)
Robin Armstrong, Community Manager at Texas Scholastic Esports Federation
Esports Educator of the Year (Organization)
Esports Foundry
Hometown Hero Award
DreamHack
Sustainable Esports Initiative Award
FlyQuest
Esports Marketing Excellence Award
Esports World Cup Foundation & TikTok
Esports Innovation Award
Esports Charts
Esports Leadership Award
Chris “Papasmithy” Smith, President at FlyQuest
Hall of Fame Award Recipient
Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter
Esports Community Engagement Award Recipient
Michigan State University Esports
Esports Marketing Excellence Award Recipient
ent! Marketing
Esports Educator of the Year Award Recipient
Network of Scholastic and Academic Esports Federations
ESTA Service Award Recipient
AVI-SPL
Esports Event of the Year Award Recipient
Combo Breaker
Hometown Hero Award Recipient
Frosty Faustings
Sustainable Esports Initiative Award Recipient
ProtectMe by Kidas
Esports Leadership Award Recipient
Titus Walker
Esports Innovation Award Recipient
GamerTechTM
Esports Innovation Award Recipient
404 Creative
Esports Innovation Award Recipient
EventPipe
Brand Maverick Award Recipient
The Coca Cola Company
Game Changer Award Recipient
Six Flags
Best Tech Innovator Award Recipient
SHI International Corp.
Hall of Fame Award Recipient
Charles Conroy
Product of the Year Award Recipient
Ubex, Lightware Visual Engineering
Data Hero Award Recipient
YouGov America Inc.
Agency Alchemist Award Recipient
The Story Mob
Mover and Shaker Award Recipient
Dr. Amy and Tom Czyz, Intent Brands
Ambassador of the Year Award Recipient
Danielle Rourke, Gaming and Esports Culturist
Rising Star Award Recipient
Gina Johnson, iGameUSA, An RPG World Corp.
Gaming in Healthcare Award Recipient
Lurie’s Children’s Hospital of Chicago / Extra Life
Social Impact Award Recipient
Gordon Hinkle, College Esports International
Member of the Year Award Recipient
Christopher Silbernagel, Premier Travel Media
Member of the Year Award Recipient
Dexter Carr Jr., Game4Good
Game Changer Award
Chris Aviles, Garden State Esports
Game Changer Award
Scott Greenberg, Smash Interactive / SURGE
Game Changer Award
Asante Bradford, Georgia Department of Economic Development