The Streamer Awards 2026: Two surprise contenders emerge for Streamer Of The Year as voting starts across 37 categories

On Friday, October 16, voting kicked off for the 2026 edition of The Streamer Awards: the most prestigious recognition the booming streaming industry has to offer. Five nominees for Streamer Of The Year 2026 were announced on Friday. (The Streamer Awards on X)Voting went live at 6pm EDT Friday on the website of The Streamer Awards 2026 across 37 categories, including the most-sought-after Streamer Of The Year award. The Streamer Awards sought applications between August 31 and October 2. After vetting them, the final list of contenders across 37 categories were revealed. The award show will be broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube on Thursday, November 12, from 3pm PDT in California. YouTuber QTCinderella is set to host the event. Surprise Entries In 'Streamer Of The Year' CategoryThe nominations for the Streamer Of The Year award packed at least two surprises, even as the usual suspects also made their appearances. Headlining the nomination card is IShowSpeed, the winner of Streamer Of The Year 2025. Alongside him is CaseOH, the three-time Gamer Of The Year winner, making his second appearance on the top card after 2024; and Jynxzi (John Stewart), Gamer Of The Year winner in 2023. He was also nominated for Streamer Of The Year that year but lost to Kai Cenat. Also read: IShowSpeed opens up on mental health, says he wakes up ‘alone’ despite millions knowing himHowever, the first surprise on the card came in the form of StableRonaldo, a member of the FaZe Clan, who has already won at the event twice (2023 and 2025) as part of the group. This is the first time StableRonaldo was individually nominated for the top award. The biggest surprise came in the form of Joe Bartolozzi, the comedy content creator. Bartolozzi was nominated for the Best Variety Streamer Category in 2024 but lost to RDCGaming. In 2025, he lost to Kai Cenat in the Best Just Chatting Streamer category. Now, all of a sudden, he is in the big leagues. List Of Categories And Voting DetailsVotes can be cast on the website of The Streamer Awards across all the 37 categories following mandatory registration. The last date to vote is October 31. Also read: Oregon teacher Meghan Lambert killed in school shooting was a beloved local volleyball coach: 'She loved teaching'The 37 categories up for voting are: Best Music Streamer; Best Creative Streamer; Best Role-Play Streamer; Best MOBA Streamer; Best brand Partner; Hidden Gem Award; Best Fortnite Streamer; Best Battle Royale Streamer; Best Fighting Game Streamer; Best MMORPG Streamer; Best Cozy Game Streamer; Best Speedrun Streamer; Best Sports Streamer; Best Minecraft Streamer; best FPS Streamer; Best Strategy Game Streamer; League Of Their Own (award for streamers with niche content); Best Reality Streamer; Best IRL Streamer; Best Vertical Live Streamer; Stream Game Of The Year; Best Content Group; Best International Streamer; Best Stream Duo; Best Streamer Collab; Best Mainstream Collab; Best Marathon Stream; Best Streamed Event; Best Streamed Series; Best VTuber (creators who use a virtual avatar); Best Variety Streamer; President Of Chat (for the streamer with best chatting content); Rising Star Award; Best Breakout Streamer; The Sapphire Award (for the best female or marginalized gender streamer); Gamer Of The Year; and, finally, The Streamer Of The Year.