Global Poker Awards 2026 Canceled, but GPI Player of the Year Title to Continue

The organizers have canceled the Global Poker Awards 2026 ceremony, but the key awards, including GPI Player of the Year, will be presented to the best players of the year.

The organizers of the prestigious Global Poker Awards have announced the cancellation of the event in 2026. This decision was made due to the high workload involved in preparing and organizing the ceremony. Nevertheless, key individual awards such as GPI Player of the Year and The Hendon Mob Award will still be presented to the top players of the year. History and Significance of the Global Poker Awards The Global Poker Awards ceremony was first held in Europe in 2001. Later, the event moved to Los Angeles in 2014, and since 2019 has been permanently hosted at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Casino in Las Vegas. Over the years, the awards have become a major event for the poker community, bringing together players, industry representatives, and media. The most recent, sixth ceremony took place in February 2026 in Las Vegas. On that occasion, 38 awards were presented, recognizing not only the best players but also journalists, commentators, tournament organizers, and other poker industry professionals. Reasons for the Cancellation of the 2026 Ceremony In an official statement published by the Global Poker Index (GPI) and The Hendon Mob (THM) , it was noted that preparing the ceremony requires significant resources from the small organizing team. Eric Danis, president of GPI and THM, explained: “Our team is very small, and organizing the ceremony takes two employees out of their daily work for two months every year.” Danis also shared his personal reflections on the long history of the awards: “If you had told me when I was young that I would be part of a team organizing ceremonies in France, Monte Carlo, Malta, on the Sunset Strip, and finally in Las Vegas, I wouldn’t have believed it.” He added that the organizers will miss this “big show,” but now other projects are taking priority. The statement also expressed special thanks to all the talented ceremony hosts, including well-known personalities such as Maria Ho, Joe Stapleton, and Jeff Platt. The Future of Individual Awards: GPI Player of the Year and The Hendon Mob Award Despite the cancellation of the ceremony itself, the organizers confirmed that winners in the key categories — GPI Player of the Year and The Hendon Mob Award — will still be determined and awarded based on the results of 2026. This will allow outstanding achievements by players on the international stage to continue to be recognized. This season, the race for the GPI Male Player of the Year title promises to be especially intense. With a month and a half left in the year, three players — Jesse Lonis , Artur Martirosian , and Punnat Punsri — are neck and neck, each with around 4,300 points. In the women’s ranking, the situation is more clear-cut: Kristen Foxen is confidently leading, thanks to a successful year that allowed her to top the Women's All-Time Money List . Current GPI Player of the Year Leaderboard Jesse Lonis — ~4,300 points Artur Martirosian — ~4,300 points Punnat Punsri — ~4,300 points In the women’s ranking: Kristen Foxen — confident lead Context: What Are GPI and The Hendon Mob The Global Poker Index is an international ranking system that evaluates players’ results in live poker tournaments worldwide. The Hendon Mob is the largest database of tournament results, recognized as the standard in the poker industry. Together, these projects organize and support prestigious poker awards and maintain the statistics used to determine the winners. Individual titles such as GPI Player of the Year are awarded to players who achieve the best results over the calendar year, based on points earned for success in various tournaments. The Hendon Mob Award also recognizes outstanding players and their achievements. The Contribution of Hosts and the Importance of the Awards for the Poker Community Over the years, the ceremonies have been hosted by well-known poker personalities such as Maria Ho , Joe Stapleton , and Jeff Platt . Their involvement highlighted the status of the event and helped promote poker as both a sport and an industry. The Global Poker Awards have become a symbol of recognition for players, media representatives, and organizers, as well as an important part of modern poker history. Despite the cancellation of the large-scale ceremony, maintaining the key individual titles will allow the tradition of honoring the best of the best to continue. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For members of PPPoker clubs, this news primarily highlights the importance of individual achievements and ranking systems in modern poker. Even if large-scale offline ceremonies are temporarily taking a back seat, recognizing the best players of the year remains relevant. Players should pay attention to how rankings are built and how to become one of the leaders — whether in local clubs or on the international stage. Participating in regular tournaments, consistent results, and being active in the poker community can lead to recognition not only within the PPPoker platform but also on a global level. Moreover, the experience of holding and canceling major events shows how important it is to support and develop local poker communities. PPPoker clubs can use this moment to organize their own rankings, awards, and incentives, motivating players to achieve new heights and strengthening team spirit.