The Streamer Awards 2026: Creators can now apply as nominations open

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The Streamer Awards are back, and the organizers will hand out awards in as many as 36 categories. On August 31, series creator Blaire "QTCinderella" and the official awards site revealed that applications for the ceremony are now open.

The coveted function will take place on November 12, 2026, starting with the Red Carpet at 2:30 PM PT, followed by the Main Show at 5:30 PM PT. Trophies will be available in the following categories:

• Best Music Streamer
• Best Creative Arts Streamer
• Best Role-Play Streamer
• Best MOBA Streamer
• Best Brand Partner
• Hidden Gem Award
• Best Battle Royale Streamer
• Best Fighting Game Streamer
• Best MMORPG Streamer
• Best Fortnite Streamer
• Best Cozy Game Streamer
• Best Speedrun Streamer
• Best Sports Streamer
• Best Minecraft Streamer
• Best FPS Streamer
• Best Strategy Game Streamer
• 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 Streamed Collab
• Best Marathon Stream
• Best Streamed Event
• Best Streamed Series
• Best VTuber
• Best Variety Streamer
• Best Just Chatting Streamer
• Rising Star Award
• Best Breakout Streamer
• League of Their Own
• The Sapphire Award
• Gamer of the Year
• Streamer of the Year

The 2026 function will also see a change to the way streamers get nominated for the various categories. An official blog from awards partner Twitch revealed that content creators can apply for themselves this time around.

This marks a move away from the previous format, where a streamer's shot at a nomination rested entirely on their community putting their name forward. Applications for The Streamer Awards 2026 are now open at thestreamerawards.com, and for the first time, creators can apply to be considered in the categories they've streamed the most.

Fans can watch the red carpet interviews, live performances, premieres, awards ceremony, and more on QTCinderella's Twitch and YouTube channels. The event will also be co-cast by plenty of prominent streamers, as has been the case with earlier editions.

How to apply for The Streamer Awards 2026

Interested streamers can sign in with their Twitch accounts here, open the application flow, and make their case. They choose the categories, pick the clips, and tell the panel why 2026 was their year.

The eligibility window runs through October 1, 2026, which means content that creators are still planning counts. As a result, any influencer planning their biggest event of the year in this window can tell the panel about it during the application process.

The Streamer Awards 2026: Dates and voting details 

Application dates for these awards are open until October 2. Nominations will begin on September 12, while voting opens on October 16.

Even if streamers are not applying for The Streamer Awards 2026, they can decide who's in the room. When the nomination phase opens on September 12, the community decides who they think deserves a chance.

After nominations close, the community's top picks fill each category, with the industry panel adding one nominee per category. When voting opens on October 16, 2026, the community vote drives 70% of the final result, with the panel accounting for the remaining 30%, so fans' voice still holds the most power.

Twitch added that nominees no longer need to chase anyone down over email to fix a clip or an outdated photo. If someone is nominated, the site tells them the moment they visit, and streamers can update their name, their photo, and the exact clip that plays during the show and on the website, right from their dashboard, any time before the broadcast.

Lastly, agencies and talent managers can apply on behalf of their creators, including submitting applications for their entire rosters. They can reach out to [email protected], and the organizers will take them through the approval process and get their account set up.

Key dates:

• Applications: Open today until October 2, 2026.
• Nominations: Open September 12, 2026 to October 2, 2026.
• Voting: Open October 16, 2026 to October 31, 2026.
• The Streamer Awards 2026 - Red Carpet: November 12, 2026 at 2:30 PM Pacific.
• The Streamer Awards 2026 - The Show: November 12, 2026 at 5:30 PM Pacific.

The Streamer Awards and its viewership history

The Streamer Awards is an annual awards show that celebrates achievements in the livestreaming industry over the past year. As the first-ever streamer-oriented awards show, it aims to recognize the best that the industry has to offer as they continue to grow in popularity and change how people consume entertainment.

  Last year's awards ceremony was the most successful by Peak Viewers   

The Streamer Awards 2025 set a new record for the ceremony, drawing more than one million peak viewers. It saw Darren "IShowSpeed" Watkins Jr. earn the Streamer of the Year title for the second year in a row, with QTCinderella continuing to serve as the co-host alongside the returning Maya Higa.

Twitch even created a dedicated category called The Streamer Awards to gather all event-related broadcasts in one place. Rani "stableronaldo" Netz and Nicholas "Jynxzi" Stewart both drew more than 100K concurrent viewers to finish among the top community streamers.

Header image via The Streamer Awards on X