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The Esports Awards has rapidly evolved into a prominent gaming and streaming award ceremony within the community of creators and consumers of internet-based content. Initially attracting only a few thousand live viewers, the show now commands an audience of millions and has established itself as a prestigious event in the gaming and streaming realm.
The Esports Awards Streamer of the Year is a standout category that has seen nominees (and awardees) like Tyler "Ninja" and Guy "Dr DisRespect" over the years. This article aims to rank the recipients of the Streamer of the Year award at the Esports Awards.
Ranking each Esports Awards Streamer of the Year
8) Imaqtpie (2016)
In the inaugural season of the Esports Awards in 2016, Michael "Imaqtpie" was named the Streamer of the Year. While he was at the pinnacle of his popularity during that time, he still continues to be a prominent figure in the League of Legends community.
Apart from being the inaugural recipient, Imaqtpie achieved this accolade by surpassing other notable figures like JJ "KSI," Jaryd "Summit1g," and Chance "Sodapoppin" in the competition.
7) Dr DisRespect (2017)
In 2017, the Streamer of the Year Award was claimed by the two-time champion and veteran of both Twitch and YouTube, "Guy" Dr DisRespect. Renowned for his charisma, he continues to be a captivating personality in the online sphere.
Specializing in combat games like H1Z1, PUBG, Call of Duty, and others, Dr DisRespect has showcased his prowess and charisma in the gaming world.
6) Dr DisRespect (2019)
Dr DisRespect once again secured the Streamer of the Year award in the fourth edition of the Esports Awards, marking his second win. In 2019, he was still on Twitch before his eventual ban in 2020. His win comes in at a solid sixth place on this list due to the consistent growth in his streaming career that year.
2019 was also a memorable year for gaming, and Dr DisRespect was frequently seen playing popular titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Star Wars, and various Call of Duty games.
5) Rivers (2023)
The most recent recipient of the Esports Awards Streamer of the Year, and notably the first female to ever receive this honor, is Mexican streamer and YouTuber Samy "Rivers" Rivera. She gets the top five placement in the list not only because of her meteoric rise but also because of her achievements beyond streaming.
The streamer had an eventful year, including owning her own football club in the renowned Kings and Queens League. Additionally, she took part in Ibai's La Velada del Año III.
4) Ibai (2020)
In 2020, the Esports Awards was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the virtual format, the award show was a success, with Spanish-speaking streamer Ibai Llanos winning the Streamer of the Year title and becoming the first non-English-speaking recipient.
It was certainly a breakthrough year for the streamer, as he joined G2 Esports as a content creator in a collaborative project with Ander, BarbeQ, and Reventxz - all of whom are friends and former LVP casters and analysts.
3) Ibai (2021)
In 2021, Ibai achieved the remarkable feat of securing back-to-back Streamer of the Year awards, making him the first streamer to achieve this and tying him with Dr DisRespect as the joint highest at the time.
This year was certainly a stepping stone to bigger things and deserves a mention in the top three. Ibai set numerous records in 2021, including a special broadcast for the Copa America final. This stream, featuring appearances by Pique and Ronaldo, became one of the most-viewed events of the year, averaging 750K viewers.
2) Ninja (2018)
Tyler "Ninja" had a lot of notable achievements in 2018. Riding the peak of Fortnite's popularity during that time, he consistently attracted tens of thousands of viewers on average to his streams.
As a testament to his popularity, in 2018, Ninja achieved a significant milestone by streaming Fortnite with notable figures such as Drake, Travis Scott, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. The collaborations drew in an impressive audience of over 650K live viewers.
1) Ibai (2022)
It's difficult to overlook Ibai's historic achievements in 2022, which is why he claims the top spot in the list. In June of that year, the streamer hosted the second edition of La Velada del Año, a boxing event that showcased various streamers. The event reached a historic peak of over 3.3 million live viewers.
Ibai's involvement in the Kings League project, directed by Gerard Pique, and his role as the president of the participating team, Porcinos FC, made it a standout year for him.
