LAS VEGAS (SAVVY STREAMING) -- Hey Esports Enthusiasts! We experienced a whirlwind of excitement, innovation, and celebration of the esports industry in 2023! This year in Las Vegas alone we had TwitchCon, The Esports & Gaming Business Summit and more. A highlight for me, the 2023 Esports Awards, presented by Lexus. The “Oscars of Esports” wrapped up almost a month ago, leaving us all in awe.

It was not only a great event, but a great opportunity to network with industry leaders, brands looking to partner with gamers and a stage to celebrate the growing respect for video game careers.

Let's dive into this year’s event that has become a cornerstone in the esports universe.

A Journey Through Esports Excellence

The Esports Awards, since its inception in 2015, has been the Oscars of the esports world. Year after year, it honors the crème de la crème of the esports industry, from awe-inspiring players to groundbreaking games and influential personalities. This year, the awards returned to the dazzling Resorts World in Las Vegas, setting the stage for an unforgettable celebration at Zouk.

Again and again, attendees remarked on how when they started out, they didn’t have an event like this to celebrate and acknowledge their participation in esports. They were just playing games to have fun, relax, chill with their friends, now, you can have a career in video games.

We will get into this topic more when discussing those who started gaming when a young teen who now are eligible for lifetime achievement awards after 20 years in the business - never imagining where their favorite game would take them.

Be sure to watch the interviews I conducted in the media room with nominees who shared their love of gaming, origin stories and support of the community who tuned in to watch them game, cosplay and showed up to events that support creators and producers in esports.

2023 Esports Awards: A Symphony of Gaming Glory

Hosted by the charismatic duo, Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez and Miles Ross, the ceremony was a blend of high-energy moments and groundbreaking achievements. That’s right, Goldenboy returned and kept the gaming crowd pumped to support and cheer on their peers as they were awarded.

At beautiful AYU Dayclub, within Zouk Nightclub, the Esports Awards broke the world record for the Largest Digital Video Game Display as they engaged in an epic head-to-head PacMan gam battle on a screen made up of 3,552 LED panels, covering a colossal 100,000 square feet on the side of Resorts World hotel and casino.

World Record Attempt: In a thrilling twist, pro Fortnite player Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf and WWE stars Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair captivated us with an unprecedented World Record Attempt.

Spotlight Moments

The Lexus Showcase: A customized Lexus at The Esports Awards Village caught everyone's eye, symbolizing the fusion of the luxury of Lexus vehicles and gaming. My photo doesn’t do it justice so check out my recap video after reading this story.

Introducing the Scholars Awards

A new chapter in the Esports Awards history, recognizing significant contributions to collegiate gaming.

This Year's Champions

The 2023 Esports Awards saw some remarkable talents being honored. Here are a few standouts:

• Esports Game of the Year: VALORANT by Riot Games
• Esports Personality of the Year: Jeremy ‘Disguised Toast’ Wang
• Esports PC Player of the Year: Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok

The 2023 Esports Awards were a testament to the ever-evolving and vibrant world of esports. As we close this chapter, we eagerly anticipate what the next year will bring. Until then, keep gaming and keep celebrating the spirit of esports!

Complete List of Winners

Entertainment

Esports Content Creator of the Year, presented by Xfinity - S8UL Esports

Esports Personality of the Year presented by Logitech G - Jeremy ‘Disguised Toast’ Wang

Streamer of the Year, presented by Lexus - Samy ‘Rivers_GG’ Rivers

Esports Game of the Year - VALORANT

Esports Mobile Game of the Year - Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Esports Play of the Year - Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov

Industry

Esports Commercial Partner of the Year - GUCCI

Esports Coverage Platform of the Year - Esports Charts

Esports Hardware Piece of the Year - Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

Esports Journalist of the Year - Richard Lewis

Esports Publisher of the Year - Riot Games

Esports Supporting Service of the Year - Prodigy Agency

Esports Broadcast/Production Team of the Year - ESL FACEIT Group

Creative

Esports Content of the Year - Faker: A decade of greatness

Esports Cosplay of the Year - Akemi ‘Akemikun’ Hogan

Esports Creative of the Year, presented by Roland - Gregory ‘Seso’ Ortiz

Esports Creative Team of the Year - Paper Crowns

Pro

Esports Team of the Year, presented by Logitech G - T1 (League of Legends roster)

Esports Organisation of the Year presented by Lexus- Team Vitality

Esports Coach of the Year - Christine ‘Potter’ Chi

Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year - Max ‘Demon1’ Mazanov

Esports PC Player of the Year - Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok

Esports Controller Player of the Year - Paco ‘HyDra’ Rusiewiez

Esports Mobile Player of the Year - Mohamed ‘Mohamed Light’ Tarek

On-Air

Esports Colour Caster of the Year, presented by El Chato Tequila - Dan ‘Gaskin’ Gaskin

Esports Desk Analyst of the Year - Mimi ‘aEvilcat’ Wermcrantz

Esports Host of the Year, presented by 5GRV - Caleb ‘WavePunk’ Simmons

Esports Play by Play Caster of the Year - Mitch ‘Uber’ Leslie

Collegiate, a Scholars collegiate gaming award

Collegiate Program of the Year Award – University of Oklahoma

Lifetime Achievement Class of 2023

Michael 'ODEE' O'Dell

Victor "Nazgul" Goossens

Shane "Rapha" Hendrixson

Manuel "Grubby" Schenkhuizen

Lee "Flash" Young Ho

Marc Merrill

Ian "Crimsix" Porter

Chris Puckett

[All event photos courtesy Esports Awards]

Stay tuned for more updates and insights into the world of esports here in the Savvy Streaming Newsletter and on our website here. Subscribe on YouTube for more stories.

Game on!