The Global Poker Awards are back, but, for the first time since 2019, the ceremony won’t take place in Las Vegas.
On Thursday, the Global Poker Index and The Hendon Mob announced the return of the awards ceremony honoring players, creators and industry figures, which will take place in the Bahamas on Dec. 4 during World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise.
Read More About the Global Poker Awards
New Location and Categories
The first-ever Global Poker Awards took place in Europe in 2001 before moving to Los Angeles in 2014. Since 2019, the ceremony has been held inside PokerGO Studio at ARIA Las Vegas.
In November 2025, organizers announced that that year’s awards would not take place, citing “amount of time it takes to prepare and produce the event.”
The seventh edition is slated to take place at the luxurious Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas, which is the new location for WSOP Paradise after several years at Atlantis Paradise Island.
Here is the list of award categories:
- Most Feared Live Tournament Player
- Most Feared Live Tournament Mixed Games Player
- Most Feared Cash Game Player
- Best Table Mate
- Best Villain
- Breakout Player
- Fans Choice: Most Entertaining Player
- Best Live Streamer
- Best Vlogger
- Best Final Table Performance
- GPI Poker ICON
The awards categories are less industry-focused than previous years, with Best Podcast, Best Poker Book, Best Industry Person and Best Media Content among the removed categories. But industry creators are still represented this year with Best Live Streamer and Best Vlogger categories.
Meanwhile, there are several new player categories, like Best Villain, Best Table Mate and multiple Most Feared Player categories.
“The renewed focus on player awards reflects the outstanding performances across the international poker circuit, recognizing the individuals whose results and accomplishments have left their mark on the game in the past 12 months,” organizers wrote in a press release.
Winners at the Sixth Annual Global Poker Awards in February 2025 included Spanish high-stakes pro Adrian Mateos (Players Choice for Toughest Opponent), content creators Abby Merk (Rising Star in Content) and Nikki Limo (Best Media Content: Short-Form Video) and Argentinian rapper Alejandro Lococo (Most Entertaining Player).
PokerNews was a finalist in four categories at the sixth annual awards: Best Written Content. Best Media Content (Photo), Best Podcast and Best Live Tournament Reporter.
Connor Richards
Senior Editor U.S.