Golden Joystick Awards 2026
Public-voted gaming awards return to London
The Golden Joystick Awards 2026 will hold their 44th ceremony on November 11 at Troxy in London. The awards recognize games, developers, publishers and gaming talent, with numerous categories decided through public voting. The live ceremony will be preceded by a drinks reception and followed by dinner and an after-party.
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Reference time:GMT (Hora del Reino Unido)
About the Event
The Golden Joystick Awards 2026 will hold their 44th ceremony on Wednesday, November 11 at Troxy in London. Organized by Future and associated with GamesRadar+, the awards are known for public participation across numerous categories and recognize the games, studios, publishers and people that have shaped the previous twelve months. The 2026 calendar began with industry nominations in August and continued with the shortlist announcement and opening of public voting in September. The live ceremony takes place in November and follows a schedule that includes a drinks reception, awards presentation, dinner and after-party.
A long gaming tradition
The Golden Joystick Awards were established in 1983 and have become one of the industry's best-known gaming ceremonies. The 2026 event will be the 44th edition. A defining feature is player participation across numerous categories, although some awards are selected by a panel of critics and industry professionals. This combination allows the awards to reflect both public opinion and perspectives from specialist media and the wider games industry.
The 2026 voting process
The 2026 awards opened industry nominations on August 6 and published their shortlist on September 25, when public voting also opened across 21 categories. The main public vote closes on October 23. A separate voting window for Ultimate Game of the Year follows from October 26 to October 30. Candidates for that top award will be revealed on October 26, so they are not yet part of the currently published shortlist.
Categories and recognition
The awards cover different areas of gaming, including categories such as Console Game of the Year, PC Game of the Year, Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, Best Indie Game and Studio of the Year. Alongside the publicly voted awards, several honors are selected by a judging panel, including Critics' Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame and Streamers' Choice. Together, the categories recognize individual games as well as studios and people across the industry.
The ceremony at Troxy
The ceremony takes place on November 11 at Troxy in East London. The published running order includes a drinks reception at 5:00 p.m., the Golden Joystick Awards at 6:00 p.m., dinner at 8:30 p.m. and an after-party at 10:00 p.m. The organizers note that exact timings may be updated before the event. The ceremony will also be followed internationally through GamesRadar+ coverage and associated streaming.
When it starts
Highlights
The 44th edition takes place November 11, 2026 at Troxy in London.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 06:00 PM GMT.
The main public vote closes on October 23.
Ultimate Game of the Year has a separate voting window from October 26 to October 30.
The awards combine public voting with jury-selected honors.