Preliminary HLTV Awards 2025 Nominee Lists Announced

On July 12, 2025, HLTV.org published the preliminary nominee lists for the HLTV Awards 2025 across its social media platforms. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on January 10, 2026, in Belgrade, Serbia, at the Sava Centar concert venue, which can host up to 4,000 attendees. Based on the first half of the season, many nominees align with the 2024 HLTV Awards winners. However, there are notable omissions. For instance, Andrey "B1ad3" Gorodenskiy is absent from the “Coach of the Year” list, and Justinas "jL" Lekavicius is missing from the “Closer of the Year” category. Additionally, not all categories have finalized contenders — some finalists will be determined after the second half of the season.

At the previous ceremony in January 2025, Danil "donk" Kryshkovets earned the “Player of the Year” title. The HLTV Awards remain one of the key off-season events, summarizing the competitive year for the CS community. Every new nominee announcement sparks active discussion among professional players and fans alike. Nominees are selected based on cumulative performance, often reflecting ranking leaders and top tournament performers. Each nominee reveal is followed by streams and podcasts — such as HLTV Confirmed — where experts analyze the picks and speculate on favorites. The award’s prestige is underscored by its exclusivity: only industry professionals attend the ceremony, and nominees for select categories (Panel Awards) are chosen by a jury of pro players and analysts. The “Player of the Year” and “Team of the Year” titles, however, are awarded by HLTV’s editorial staff.

The “Player of the Year” category includes absolute titans: donk, m0NESY, ropz, sh1ro, and ZywOo. All five delivered outstanding performances throughout the season, with donk standing out in particular — boasting a 1.45 rating and seven EVP awards, including two MVPs. This could have been his triumphant year, were it not for Vitality's dominance led by ZywOo and his insane individual stats.

In the “Opener of the Year” category, the nominees are donk, flameZ, NiKo, Senzu, and XANTARES — players known for breaking through enemy defenses. Donk appears to be the frontrunner here too, though NiKo's consistency at big events keeps the race tight. Each nominee is recognized for their aggression and composure in entry duels.

Competing for the “Closer of the Year” title are frozen, ropz, Spinx, TeSeS, and Wicadia — clutch players who often seal the round. Ropz looks especially strong with a 1.20 rating and five EVPs. However, frozen also poses a serious threat with the highest clutch success rate.

The “Anchor of the Year” nominees are b1t, HeavyGod, Jimpphat, PR, and mezii — all known for reliably holding down key positions on maps. Both b1t and HeavyGod have shown strong numbers despite differing media exposure, making this one of the more tightly contested categories.

In the “IGL of the Year” category, the shortlist includes apEX, bLitz, Brollan, chopper, and kyxsan. Vitality’s apEX stands out not just for his win rate but also for his impressive seven trophies. Still, Chopper and Brollan had excellent stretches this season, proving their leadership capabilities.

The “AWPer of the Year” category features 910, m0NESY, sh1ro, torzsi, and ZywOo. While m0NESY and ZywOo continue to show elite sniping ability, torzsi and sh1ro have also hit peak form in 2025. This category highlights the fiercest AWP talent in the world.

Nominees for “Coach of the Year” include hally, maarra, sycrone, XTQZZZ, and zonic. XTQZZZ and zonic once again displayed exceptional consistency, while young coach maarra earned recognition for his work with a new roster, despite lacking trophies.

The “Rookie of the Year” candidates are PR, Jottaaa, TN1R, Molodoy, and ICY. Molodoy stands out with the highest rating at 1.21. These young stars have stormed the tier-one scene and begun to dominate, despite their lack of experience.

Finally, the “Team of the Year” nominees are Falcons, MOUZ, The MongolZ, Spirit, and Vitality. With seven trophies and an outstanding win rate, Vitality is the clear frontrunner — and this status is unlikely to change in the remaining months.

The absence of major figures like coach Andrey "B1ad3" Gorodenskiy and lurker Justinas "jL" Lekavicius from the preliminary lists surprised fans. Analysts suggest that this may be due to a reduced impact on team success in 2025 or inconsistent performance following strong showings in the previous season. Nominee selection heavily depends on performance in key tournaments — even top players may lose ground if their teams underperform. Experts emphasize that there's still time for both players and teams to make their mark, with the remainder of the season providing further material for assessment.

It’s important to note that the announced lists are preliminary. The second half of the season includes major events like IEM Cologne, ESL Pro League Finals, BLAST Premier, and the Bucharest Major — all of which could drastically shift the rankings. These upcoming tournaments offer chances for new and established names alike to rise (especially as roster changes and transfers may alter team dynamics). The final HLTV Awards 2025 nominees will be selected based on the full competitive year, and current frontrunners may lose their spots to those who shine in decisive matches. For now, the announced names serve only as a reference point — much can still change before the Belgrade ceremony.

IEM Cologne 2025: Play-In and Groups Determined

While the current HLTV Awards 2025 nominee list reflects the present standings, it remains subject to change. The second half of the season, including several premier events, may still impact the final list of finalists and winners. The definitive results will be revealed at the ceremony in Belgrade.