The Esports Awards is the most prestigious awards ceremony in the industry. It recognizes excellence in multiple areas across the board, including the streaming scene and those who help it thrive.
The Streamer of the Year award is the holy grail of awards that streamers can win. It’s been handed out since 2016 and won by the biggest streamers in the world.
For example, Dr Disrespect has won the award twice and Ibai “Ibai” Llanos has won a whopping three times. Dr Disrespect won it in 2017 and 2019, while Ibai won it back-to-back-to-back in 2020, 2021, and 2022 with a stunning streak of dominance.
But while they’ve dominated, winning it four times out of the six times it’s been awarded, they’re joined by two others—Michael “Imaqtpie” Santana and Tyler “Ninja” Blevins.
Former League of Legends pro Imaqtpie won it in 2016 after hanging up the boots and transitioning into full-time streaming. He boomed in popularity and developed a huge following. Ninja won it at the peak of his rise to fame as a Fortnite streamer in 2018. His ascension to the top was extraordinary. The Esports Awards panel acknowledged it by making him the winner.
Esports Awards Streamer of the Year winners:
- 2016 – Michael “Imaqtpie” Santana
- 2017 – Dr Disrespect
- 2018 – Tyler “Ninja” Blevins
- 2019 – Dr Disrespect
- 2020 – Ibai “Ibai” Llanos
- 2021 – Ibai “Ibai” Llanos
- 2022 – Ibai “Ibai” Llanos
A lot has changed since then. Imaqtpie and Ninja weren’t in contention to win the award again in 2022. But that doesn’t mean all the previous winners weren’t. Ibai and Dr Disrespect were nominated again, and Ibai walked away with the top prize.
It’s not surprising to see their names pop up again. They consistently draw in big viewership numbers and are two of the most innovative streamers in the industry, which is an integral part of it.
Out of the two, Ibai was the red-hot favorite to win it for the third time in a row, given how much he expanded his content in different directions.
In fact, look no further than his record-breaking boxing event in June.
The Doc was close in the running this time around too. He has achieved a lot in 2022, including founding a studio, Midnight Society, and developing its first new game.
