MIHAJA
Where and Where?
The awards night takes place on Saturday 21 November 2026 at 20:30. The venue is the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali, as part of Playcon. Just like at the first edition, the hosts will reveal the winners live on the night. Also, if you can’t make it, you can watch the ceremony on Twitch and YouTube.
How does it work?
The process is split into five stages:
- Nominations – the Maltese public can nominate players, teams, organisers and events through the nomination form. Nominations stay open until each category closes ahead of the ceremony.
- Review – a Sub-Committee of the Malta Esports Association vets every nomination for eligibility.
- Shortlist – up to six nominees per category are shortlisted and made public, based on international results first, then local results and finally contributions outside the game.
- Judging – an independent panel of judges, whose identities are kept secret, ranks their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices, and the nominee with the most points wins.
- Awards Night – the winners are revealed live at Playcon.
One important thing to remember is that this is not a popularity contest. Sending in more nominations for the same person won’t improve their chances, but a detailed nomination explaining why they deserve it will!
The Categories
The 2nd edition jumps from 11 categories to 17. Most of the player awards return, while RPG Player of the Year has been dropped, and there are five new awards recognising the people who make Maltese esports happen behind the scenes.
A look back at the 2024 Winners!
Before the 2025 nominations start flying in, here’s a reminder of who took home the trophies at the inaugural Malta Esports Awards. You can read our full coverage of the night in The Winners of the first ever Malta Esports Awards!
- RPG Player of the Year – Naim “NerfGanon” Spiteri
- MOBA Player of the Year – Luca “Aiglos” Vella
- Rookie Player of the Year – Andrea “Drakur” Vella
- Team of the Year – Project Eversio (League of Legends)
- Female Player of the Year – Rachel “Raeychii” Azzopardi
- Shooter Player of the Year – Simon “sxj” Debono
- Sports Simulation Player of the Year – Shaun “Brandsha” Galea
- Fighting Game Player of the Year – Lyon “Lyonidas” Buhagiar
- Sim-Racing Driver of the Year – Dean Vella
- Outstanding Contribution to Maltese Esports – Nathan “Zelli0n” Bonello
- Esports Player of the Year – Mateja “Qpert” Mijovic
Will any of last year’s winners defend their titles, or will we see some new faces on stage at Playcon?
What’s next?
It’s great to see the Malta Esports Awards return, and even better to see them grow. Adding awards for stage talent, referees, producers and organisers is a well-deserved nod to the people who keep Maltese esports running, and the lifetime honours should make for some special moments on the night.
If there’s a player, team, caster or organiser you think deserves recognition for their 2025, head over to esportsawards.mt and send in your nomination!
Stay tuned to Esports Malta as we’ll be covering the shortlists once they’re announced, and of course the winners on 21 November.
