Thunderpick Takes Major Role in Esports Awards 2026 Ahead of Miami Ceremony

Thunderpick has expanded its presence in competitive gaming by becoming the Presenting Partner and Official iGaming Partner of the Esports Awards 2026. The agreement runs for 12 months and extends beyond November’s main ceremony into content and programming produced throughout the year.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 17 in Miami, Florida, where players, teams, creators and companies from across the esports industry will be recognized.

Thunderpick Signs 12-Month Esports Awards Partnership

Under the agreement, the event will officially operate as the Esports Awards Presented by Thunderpick.

Rather than focusing exclusively on branding during the awards night, the partnership covers several parts of the Esports Awards ecosystem.

Thunderpick’s involvement includes:

• Presenting Partner of the Esports Awards 2026
• Official iGaming Partner of the event
• Support for year-round content and storytelling
• Involvement extending into 2027

No financial terms for the deal have been disclosed.

The partnership gives Thunderpick a sustained presence around the awards instead of a single sponsorship activation attached to the ceremony.

Three Award Categories Carry Thunderpick Branding

Thunderpick will directly present three awards and content categories.

The company is attached to Esports Play of the Month, Esports Play of the Year and Streamer of the Year. It will also support additional content including the Origins Podcast and a new series focused on current and former professional players.

The deal effectively turns Thunderpick into a year-round partner of the Esports Awards rather than only a sponsor of the November ceremony.

The planned player-focused content will explore careers, personal experiences and stories from people who have contributed to the growth of competitive gaming.

Partnership area	Thunderpick involvement
Main ceremony	Presenting Partner
iGaming	Official partner
Play of the Month	Presenting role
Play of the Year	Presenting role
Streamer of the Year	Presenting role
Original content	Year-round support

The Esports Awards have also partnered with other companies for parts of the wider Miami programme. Hotspawn, for example, is involved with events including the Esports Awards Invitational, Lifetime Achievement Mixer and PWR UP B2B Conference.

Esports Awards Head to Miami on November 17

The main ceremony will take place in Miami on November 17.

The Esports Awards were founded in 2015 and have developed into one of the best-known annual recognition programmes within competitive gaming.

Awards cover several parts of the industry, including professional competition, content creation, games, events and organisations.

Nine categories are currently available for public voting, including:

• Esports Game of the Year
• Esports Mobile Game of the Year
• Streamer of the Year
• Esports Personality of the Year

Fan voting remains open until November 10.

The final stage of voting will include a “Turbo Week” running from November 3 through November 10, during which submitted votes will count double.

Thunderpick Continues Investment in Esports

The Esports Awards deal adds another esports-focused partnership to Thunderpick’s portfolio.

The company operates an esports betting platform and has previously invested in competitive gaming through tournaments, sponsorships and community initiatives.

Its partnership with the Esports Awards gives the brand visibility outside individual tournaments and game-specific competitions.

Instead, Thunderpick will be associated with a broader programme covering multiple esports titles, professional players, creators and industry figures.

That distinction is significant because the Esports Awards are not restricted to a particular publisher or competitive ecosystem.

The programme can include figures and organisations from games such as Counter-Strike, League of Legends, VALORANT, Dota 2 and numerous other esports.

Partnership Extends Into Content Production

One of the more notable aspects of the agreement is its focus on original content.

Thunderpick will support the existing Esports Play of the Month series and Origins Podcast while also participating in additional storytelling projects.

This provides a longer activation window than traditional event sponsorships.

Instead of concentrating all visibility around the November ceremony, content can continue throughout the partnership period and into 2027.

For the Esports Awards, that creates another commercial partner capable of supporting programming between major event dates.

For Thunderpick, it creates repeated exposure to an esports-focused audience across different types of content.

Voting Continues Until November

The partnership announcement arrives while public voting for the 2026 awards is already underway.

Fans have until November 10 to submit votes across the currently open categories, with the final week receiving increased weighting.

The key dates are straightforward:

• November 3: Turbo Week begins
• November 10: Public voting closes
• November 17: Esports Awards ceremony in Miami
• Partnership continues beyond the ceremony into 2027

The complete winners will be determined as the awards programme approaches its November conclusion.

Assessment

Thunderpick’s agreement with the Esports Awards reflects a broader shift toward partnerships that extend beyond traditional logo placement at individual esports events.

The 12-month structure gives the company a role across awards, digital content and storytelling rather than limiting its involvement to one evening in Miami.

For the Esports Awards, the partnership provides another commercial partner for its expanding annual programme. For Thunderpick, it offers access to an audience spanning several games, regions and esports communities.

The financial value of the agreement remains undisclosed, so its commercial scale cannot currently be measured.

What is confirmed is that Thunderpick will play a prominent role throughout the 2026 programme, with the November 17 ceremony in Miami serving as the central event rather than the full extent of the partnership.