Stockholm International Esport Awards Recap - Malta Esports Awards?

2018 served as the first iteration of the Stockholm International eSport Awards; one of the few awards shows in which eSports is celebrated and personalities are rewarded - similar to the Esports Awards which is slightly more recognized as an event as it has been running for longer. The interchanging spelling of 'eSports' does confuse me though. Anyways, with the Swedish event occurring last week, the following are the notable prize winners from the evening, in their respective categories. 

Being Sweden's first esports gala ever, all the announcements went down on the third of September at Globen in Sweden's capital of Stockholm. Prior to the award giving, public voting was open for each category for the 5 esports scenes included: CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends, Overwatch and Call of Duty - arguably the top 5 scenes. Together with the public vote, a selected jury also contributed. The following are the results which should peak your interest, noting that the awards cover last year. 

Tournament of the Year - The International 2017 (TI7)

Maintaining the tradition of pushing the limit of eSports prize pools, in the massive eSport of Dota 2, it's not surprising to find the event winning this award. of course, the 2018 version has broken the prize pool record once more. 

Moment of the Year - Team Liquid's TI7 Win

It's only natural that the most memorable moment pertains to the largest event of the year - although this mention makes even more sense when understanding the position of the team. Put on the back foot early on in the competition, Team Liquid was kicked into the Losers' Bracket in the first round of bracket play - from that point, they went on an absolute tear to reach the Grand Finals. Here they defeated Newbee with a resounding sweep; making it such a treat to watch and experience as an eSports enthusiast. 

Team of the Year - Astralis

Moving from Dota 2, CS:GO is mentioned in a few of the upcoming awards. Firstly, Astralis as the team of the year is far from a surprise. The Danes have been dominant throughout 2018, and especially when considering the intense competition of the scene, their reputation is astounding. Stained by one grand final loss, they are and will be considered a threat for quite some time in the CS:GO scene. 

On Camera Talent of the Year - Uber

Overwatch climbs into the list through the commentating Mitch Uber  Leslie, an Aussie dedicated to the eSport. Not much to comment here, although it's great to see the industry recognize commentators as an essential part to eSports, instead of giving the teams and players all the credit. 

Player of the Year - s1mple

This must have been the hardest to decide. With endless lists from five eSports, ending with one player must have been quite the task. Wittled down thanks to the public vote, it seems that his incredible performance on Natus Vincere, the top 3 CS:GO team, has earned him the credit of being the player of the year. Personally, I think I'll be tuning in next time Natus Vincere is on the mainstage. 

Profile of the Year - Ninja

Once Tyler "Ninja" Blevins was put onto the shortlist, the outcome was sealed. Thriving in the storm of the recent Fortnite craze, his influence and reputation has grown to the point where he is internationally recognized by many. He is indeed the profile fo the year. 

That wraps it all up. Some interesting results too, including a few other categories, all viewable here: https://sthesa.com/. Events like these get me thinking; what if Gamers.com.mt puts out an award system of sorts like this at the end of the year, where we recognize the best players and the best teams in different categories? I think that would be pretty sweet, but you've got to let us know in the comments section what you think about this.