Global Poker Awards Announced for April 5

March 08, 2019

The Global Poker Index (GPI) and Poker Central announced the inaugural Global Poker Awards to be held at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas and broadcasted live on PokerGO on April 5. PokerStars is a sponsor of the awards.

Global Poker Awards 2018

The event merges the GPI's American Poker Awards and European Poker Awards into one ceremony recognizing the industry's top poker players, industry leaders, and media members.

"Our global initiatives behind the European Poker Awards and the American Poker Awards come together starting this year," said GPI President Eric Danis. "We’re excited to bring recognition to the poker world’s best players and most prominent industry contributors on an unprecedented scale."

A total of twenty awards are slated to be handed out with a full list of categories and nominations to be revealed later. A nomination panel will vote for the finalists in each category before a jury of industry representatives will select the winners.

Poker Central is understandably excited about its involvement in the first Global Poker Awards.

"We’re thrilled to deliver streaming coverage of the first-ever Global Poker Awards show live from the PokerGO Studio,” said Poker Central President Sam Simmons. "We look forward to celebrating the achievements of the industry’s best and brightest while providing PokerGO subscribers a front row seat for all the festivities."

History of the American Poker Awards

2014 American Poker Awards

The four-year history of the American Poker Awards dates back to 2014, with the ceremony held in 2015. Dan Colman won the GPI Player of the Year and Vanessa Selbst won the GPI Female Player of the Year awards. Also honored were Daniel Negreanu (Poker's Best Ambassador), Brandon Shack-Harris (Breakout Player of the Year), Steve Lipscomb (Lifetime Achievement Award), Adam Pliska (Industry Person of the Year, and Chris Grove (Media Person of the Year).

2014 American Poker Awards Winners

• Poker's Best Ambassador: Daniel Negreanu
• 2014 GPI Player of the Year: Dan Colman
• 2014 GPI Female Player of the Year: Vanessa Selbst
• Breakout Player of the Year: Brandon Shack-Harris
• Lifetime Achievement Award: World Poker Tour founder Steve Lipscomb
• Industry Person of the Year: WPT President Adam Pliska
• Media Person of the Year: Online Poker Report's Chris Grove
• Tournament Performance of the Year: Mark Newhouse in WSOP Main Event
• Media Content of the Year: Brad Willis for PokerStars Blog's "WSOP 2014: Stages / Never Stop Fighting"
• Event of the Year (buy-in over $2,000): World Series of Poker Main Event
• Event of the Year (buy-in under $2,000): WSOP Monster Stack
• Charitable Initiative of the Year: "All In" for Kids Poker Tournament Presented by CHOP & WPT Foundation
• Innovation of the Year: Twitch for Live Streaming Poker

2015 American Poker Awards

The following year saw Negreanu become the first two-time winner of an American Poker Award after being taking home the Moment of the Year award for his eleventh place finish in the 2015 WSOP Main Event. Byron Kaverman earned the GPI Player of the Year and Kelly Minkin was honored as the GPI Female Player of the Year.

Others taking home awards included Donnie Peters, Anthony Zinno, Joshua Beckley, Matt Savage, Kara Scott, Joe Giron, and Kevin "Kevmath" Mathers.

2015 American Poker Awards Winners

• Media Person of the Year: Donnie Peters, Editor-in-Chief, PokerNews.com
• Tournament Performance of the Year: Anthony Zinno, WPT L.A. Poker Classic
• Moment of the Year: Daniel Negreanu busts 11th in WSOP Main Event
• Breakout Performance of the Year: Joshua Beckley
• Event of the Year (Buy-in Up To $2,000): WSOP Colossus, Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
• Event of the Year (Buy-in Over $2,000): WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, Hollywood, FL
• Industry Person of the Year: Matt Savage, TDA Founder, WPT Executive Director
  Charitable Initiative of the Year: Charity Series of Poker, Matt Stout
• Poker Presenter of the Year: Kara Scott
• Poker Innovation or Initiative of the Year: WSOP Online Bracelet event
• Media Content of the Year: Joe Giron's elimination photo of Daniel Negreanu in WSOP Main Event
• Jury Award: Kevin "Kevmath" Mathers
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Mike Sexton
• 2015 GPI Player of the Year: Byron Kaverman
• 2015 GPI Female Player of the Year: Kelly Minkin

2016 American Poker Awards

Savage followed up the Industry Person of the Year award in 2015 with the Jury Award in 2016, joining Negreanu as the event's only two-time winners at the time. David Peters earned the American GPI Player of the Year while Kate Hall snagged the award for the American GPI Female Player of the Year.

Honored for the first time were Joe Stapleton, Sean McCormack, Maurice Hawkins, Ari Engel, Dan Smith, Mori Eskandani, Jason Mercier, Lance Bradley, Jason Somerville, Joe Ingram, Cliff Josephy, and John Holley.

2016 American Poker Awards Winners

• 2016 American GPI Player of the Year: David Peters
• 2016 American GPI Female Player of the Year: Cate Hall
• Media Person of the Year: Joe Stapleton
• Industry Person of the Year: Sean McCormack
• Breakout Performance of the Year: Maurice Hawkins
• Tournament Performance of the Year: Ari Engel
• Mid-Major Circuit of the Year: WSOP Circuit
• Event of the Year: Super High Roller Bowl
• Charitable Initiative of the Year: Dan Smith Charity Drive
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Mori Eskandani
• Moment of the Year: Jason Mercier at the WSOP
• Media Content of the Year: Bob, Charlie and a Life-Changing WSOP Main Event Journey (Lance Bradley)
• Twitch Streamer of the Year: Jason Somerville
• Podcast of the Year: Poker Life Podcast (Joe Ingram)
• PocketFives Legacy Award: Cliff Josephy
• Hendon Mob Award: John Holley
• Jury Prize: Matt Savage

2017 American Poker Awards

In 2017, Savage became the first person to win three American Poker Awards in three different ceremonies, while Andrew Neeme became the first person to win two awards in the same year. Bradley and Engel joined the ranks of two-time award winners.

Bryn Kenney was honored as the GPI American Player of the Year and Kristen Bicknell earned the GPI Female Player of the Year. Others to win awards for the first time included Artur Papazyan, Scott Blumstein, Lon Mceachern, Norman Chad, Ema Zajmovic, Jaime Staples, Nick Schulman, Brent Hanks, Will O'Connor, Remko Rinkema, Cary Katz, and Eric Danis.

2017 American Poker Awards Winners

• 2017 GPI American Player of the Year: Bryn Kenney
• 2017 GPI Female Player of the Year: Kristen Bicknell
• Poker Journalist of the Year: Lance Bradley
• Industry Person of the Year: Matt Savage
• Breakout Player of the Year: Artur Papazyan
• Tournament Performance of the Year: Scott Blumstein (WSOP Main Event)
• Mid-Major Circuit of the Year: WPTDeepStacks (WPTDS)
• Event of the Year: partypoker MILLIONS North America (Playground Poker Club, Montreal)
• Charitable Initiative of the Year: One Step Closer Foundation
• Award for Lifetime Achievement in Poker: Lon Mceachern and Norman Chad
• Moment of the Year: Ema Zajmovic becomes the first female player to win an open event on World Poker Tour
• Poker Media Content of the Year: Dead Money: A Super High Roller Bowl Story (PokerCentral documentary)
• Poker Streamer of the Year: Jaime Staples
• Poker Broadcaster of the Year: Nick Schulman
• Video Blogger of the Year: Andrew Neeme
• Poker Podcast of the Year: PokerCentral Podcast (Brent Hanks, Will O’Connor, Remko Rinkema)
• PocketFives Legacy Award: Ari Engel
• Biggest Influencer in Poker: Cary Katz
• Jury Prize: Eric Danis
• People's Choice Award for Poker Personality of the Year: Andrew Neeme

History of the European Poker Awards

The European Poker Awards has a long and storied 15-year history dating back to 2001 with the last ceremony taking place in 2016 awarding accomplishments from 2015.

During the last year of the ceremony in 2015, Fedor Holz shipped the GPI Player of the Year award and Liv Boeree was honored as the GPI Female Player of the Year. Remko Rinkema, who won an American Poker Award in 2017 was honored as the Media Person of the Year during the 2015 European Poker Awards.

Adrian Mateos Diaz remarkably shipped his fourth European Poker Awards in 2015 when he won the Tournament Performance of the Year.

Others winning 2015 European Poker Awards included Jesse May, Hermance Blum, Dzimitry Urbanovich, John Gale, and Neil Stoddart.

Here is a look back at all of the European Poker Awards in its 15-year history courtesy compliments of the European Poker Awards.

European Poker Award Winners

_{* Lead Image courtesy of PokerGO.}

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