In a highly unexpected move that perhaps encapsulates the ever-evolving nature of poker, Global Poker Index (GPI) President Eric Danis has announced a series of groundbreaking changes to the 2026 GPI Awards ceremony.
Eric Danis, pictured alongside the GPI and THM team during the 2023 Global Poker Awards.
New Date and Show Structure, Same Host
Recognizing that most nominees haven’t bothered making the effort to attend the ceremony over the last few years, GPI has decided to make a hard pivot. “Rather than spending money to rent out the PokerGO Studio, the budget will instead be used to install state-of-the-art cameras, lighting, and microphones in all nominees’ homes. This will ensure that every reaction shot is captured in high definition and that winners deliver their acceptance speeches from the comfort of their living rooms, no dressing up required,” said Danis.
PokerGO President Mori Eskandani responded to the announcement, stating, “We’re sorry to see the GPI Awards go, as we’ve really enjoyed hosting the ceremony over the past few years. That said, the show must go on, which is why we’re making sure Jeff Platt still shows up to Scott Stewart’s house with a film crew to deliver his monologue on awards night.”
Rather than a traditional livestream, the awards will be broadcast in five-minute increments throughout the commercial breaks of the April 1, 2026 edition of No Gamble, No Future.
New Awards Categories Introduced
In their ongoing quest to be more inclusive and ensure more of poker’s top players, creators, events, and behind-the-scenes personalities get recognized for their work, the GPI has also introduced half a dozen new award categories, including:
- Best WhatsApp Personality
- Best Poker Event That’s Not the WSOP Main Event
- Best 17-Time WSOP Bracelet Winner (To be renamed if Phil wins #18 this summer)
- Best Poker Podcast That Hasn’t Already Won Three Awards
- Best Brazilian Poker Series
- Best Poker App
Shill/AgentPromoter (a category expected to be fiercely contested)
In an extremely rare public statement, GPI Owner Alex Dreyfus revealed that the voting system has also been changed and modernized. “Except for GPI Player of the Year and Female Player of the Year, which will be pre-awarded to Alex and Kristen Foxen because it makes for great headlines, all other awards will now be fan-voted and require the use of the company’s new $HODL token to cast a ballot,” said Dreyfus.
Finally, a special award will be presented at the end of the ceremony to Justin Bonomo, poker’s #2 all-time leading tournament money earner. A Hendon Mob spokesperson, who spoke to Cardplayer Lifestyle on the condition of anonymity, explained the decision: “We conducted an industry-wide poll and the results were conclusive. Nobody in poker personifies what it means to be a number two quite like Justin Bonomo, so we’ve crafted a special award just for him.” Unconfirmed rumors indicate that the award was originally supposed to be named “Poker’s April Fool”, but at least in this writer’s opinion, the GPI got it right.
