Global Poker Awards Move to Bahamas on December 4: 11 Categories, Fan Vote Open
The Global Poker Awards return Dec. 4 at Baha Mar during WSOP Paradise, with 11 categories and a 10-candidate Fans' Choice vote closing Nov. 3.
Author: PokerSlate AI-assisted editorial desk · Editor: PokerSlate separate AI editorial review
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The Global Poker Awards will be held on December 4 at Baha Mar in the Bahamas, during WSOP Paradise. PokerNews and Poker.org reported the news on October 29, and PokerStrategy's October 30 report also confirmed the date and the number of awards. The organizers are the Global Poker Index (GPI) and The Hendon Mob, and this seventh edition will feature 11 categories.
From a cancelled edition to a comeback
The ceremony has changed venues several times. PokerNews recalled that the first edition took place in Europe in 2001, moved to Los Angeles in 2014 and has been held at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA in Las Vegas since 2019. In November 2025, GPI and The Hendon Mob announced that the upcoming ceremony would not be held, citing the time required for planning and production. Poker.org and PokerStrategy both said the message at the time was that the awards would not return in 2026. The new date and venue now put the event back on the schedule.
The venue has also changed. PokerNews noted that Baha Mar is the new venue for WSOP Paradise, which had been held at Atlantis Paradise Island for several years before that. Poker.org said that staging the ceremony during WSOP Paradise allows organizers to draw on the top players gathered for the series and improve player attendance. Poker.org also reported that Daniel Negreanu said on the Mania Podcast that, according to his sources, the sixth ceremony, held in February 2025, ran into attendance problems because players did not turn up; the outlet was paraphrasing remarks from the podcast.
11 categories, with a player focus
There are 11 awards this year. According to lists from PokerNews and Poker.org, the categories are 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 and GPI Poker ICON.
Compared with previous editions, the slate has trimmed industry and content categories. PokerNews said Best Podcast, Best Poker Book, Best Industry Person and Best Media Content were among the categories removed; Best Live Streamer and Best Vlogger remain, representing content creators. PokerNews, citing the organizers' press release, said the renewed focus on player awards is meant to recognize players who made their mark on the international stage over the past 12 months. PokerStrategy described this version as more player-oriented and said most of the awards are new, while past awards leaned more toward industry and content creation. Poker.org summarized the edition as putting the focus on player performance, table personality and content creation.
Fans' Choice voting is open
Poker.org reported that voting for Fans' Choice: Most Entertaining Player is open and closes on November 3. The 10 candidates listed by the outlet are Alan Keating, Dan “Jungleman” Cates, Daniel Negreanu, Nik “Airball” Arcot, Phil Hellmuth, Randy “3Coin” Sadler, Will Givens, Jennifer Tilly, Michael “Grinder” Mizrachi and Phil Laak. Poker.org said nominations for the remaining awards are expected in the coming weeks.
Broadcast plans remain unknown. PokerStrategy noted that the awards were previously broadcast by PokerGO and that PokerGO is no longer a WSOP partner; the outlet said that if a show is produced, it would be an in-house WSOP broadcast.
Local reading context
The Global Poker Awards are organized by the Global Poker Index (GPI) and The Hendon Mob and recognize live tournament play, cash games, content creation and industry figures, among other areas. WSOP Paradise is the WSOP's Bahamas series; the 2026 ceremony is scheduled during that series at Baha Mar.
Source report dates: 2026-10-29 / 2026-10-30
Original sources and verification
- PokerNews
PokerNews reported on October 29 that GPI and The Hendon Mob announced the seventh Global Poker Awards will take place on December 4 at Baha Mar in the Bahamas during WSOP Paradise; the first edition was held in Europe in 2001, the event moved to Los Angeles in 2014 and has been held at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA in Las Vegas since 2019; in November 2025, the organizers announced that the upcoming ceremony would not be held, citing the time needed for planning and production; this year's 11 awards trim industry categories and add Best Villain, Best Table Mate and several Most Feared awards, with the organizers saying they are refocusing on players.
- PokerStrategy
PokerStrategy reported on October 30 that the seventh Global Poker Awards will be held on December 4 during WSOP Paradise, with 11 awards in total; it described the edition as more player-oriented and said most of the awards are new; in November 2025, the organizers had said the awards would not return in 2026, citing planning time; there is no word yet on a television broadcast; the ceremony was previously broadcast by PokerGO, which is no longer a WSOP partner.
- Poker.org
Poker.org reported on October 29 that the ceremony will be held during WSOP Paradise at Baha Mar and will focus on player performance, table personality and content creation; in November 2025, GPI and The Hendon Mob had said the awards would not return in 2026; the Fans' Choice vote is open until November 3, with 10 candidates including Alan Keating, Dan Cates, Daniel Negreanu, Nik Arcot, Phil Hellmuth, Randy Sadler, Will Givens, Jennifer Tilly, Michael Mizrachi and Phil Laak; the remaining nominations are expected in the coming weeks.