2026 Global Poker Awards Canceled; GPI Player of the Year Still Awarded
The Global Poker Awards will not return in 2026, organizers announced Thursday, citing the "amount of time it takes to prepare and produce the event" as the primary reason for the cancellation.
In a joint statement, the Global Poker Index (GPI) and The Hendon Mob (THM), who co-run the Awards, would confirm the annual event would not return in early 2026 but reassured fans and players that "the GPI/THM team will continue to reward the winners of our various races, including the GPI Player of the Year and The Hendon Mob Award."
The first incarnation of the Global Poker Awards took place in Europe in 2001, before moving to Los Angeles in 2014, and finally settling at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Las Vegas since 2019.
The sixth edition, held in Las Vegas this past February, saw a total of 38 awards presented, honoring everyone from the game's greatest players to media talent and industry professionals.
Organizers Cite Time Demands Behind Shutdown
Commenting on the reason for the cancellation of the Awards, Eric Danis, President of the Global Poker Index and The Hendon Mob Poker Database, said, "We're a very small team and the awards process as a whole takes two members of our team out of the day-to-day operations for two months every year."
Reflecting on the legacy of the awards, Danis added, "If you had told a younger me that I'd be part of a team organizing awards ceremonies in France, Monte Carlo, Malta, the Sunset Strip... and finally Las Vegas, I wouldn't have believed you."
"We're certainly going to miss putting on a great show"
"We're certainly going to miss putting on a great show, but we have projects that have taken priority over the awards," he concluded.
The statement also went on to thank the many "talented individuals who have hosted the ceremonies," including well-known figures such as Maria Ho, Joe Stapleton, and Jeff Platt.
Finally, it was confirmed that both the GPI Player of the Year and The Hendon Mob Award will still crown champions "to acknowledge the extraordinary accomplishments" of the winning players.
With around a month and a half left in the calendar year, the GPI Male Player of the Year race is shaping up to be a thrilling three-way battle between Jesse Lonis, Artur Martirosian, and Punnat Punsri, all tied on around 4,300 points each.
Meanwhile, the race for GPI Women's Player of the Year looks easier to predict, with Kristen Foxen holding a comfortable lead after a stellar year thus far that has saw her rise to the top of the Women's All-Time Money List.
