The Game Awards
The Game Awards is an annual video game industry awards ceremony founded in 2014 by Geoff Keighley, hosted in Los Angeles and distributed across eight streaming platforms, generating revenue through advertising and sponsorships tied to its global broadcast.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Game Awards does
The Game Awards is an annual video game industry awards ceremony founded in 2014 by Geoff Keighley and hosted in Los Angeles, with the 2025 edition scheduled for December 11 at the Peacock Theater. The show distributes simultaneously across YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Steam, and (added in 2025) Amazon Prime Video, reaching 154 million livestreams in 2024. Voting combines a 90% jury weight with 10% public input, positioning the event as an industry-curated recognition show rather than a pure popularity contest. Technical infrastructure centers on live multi-platform broadcast distribution rather than proprietary consumer software; the operating footprint is a lean 1-10 person team.
The business monetizes through advertising sales and sponsorships tied to the annual broadcast and surrounding digital content. Customers operate on two sides: gaming publishers, console manufacturers, and developers serve as both award participants and likely advertising/sponsorship buyers, while a global consumer viewership base (distributed across 8 platforms) drives media value and audience scale. The company has previously extended brand scope through ancillary programs such as the Future Class initiative (launched 2020, discontinued after 2022-2023) recognizing emerging industry talent, signaling capacity for portfolio expansion beyond the flagship ceremony.
The Game Awards firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Game Awards
- Website
- https://thegameawards.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Game Awards is an annual video game industry awards ceremony founded in 2014 by Geoff Keighley, hosted in Los Angeles and distributed across eight streaming platforms, generating revenue through advertising and sponsorships tied to its global broadcast.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Game Awards industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Gaming Awards Ceremony Entertainment
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting) (MPAGAOAN)
Keywords
Where The Game Awards is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Game Awards business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Broadcast and Livestreaming: The Game Awards generates revenue through its annual televised and livestreamed broadcast, attracting commercial sponsors and advertising opportunities. The show draws massive audiences (record 154 million livestreams in 2024) making it a valuable platform for game publishers and advertisers seeking exposure to the gaming community.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
The Game Awards product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Game Awards produces an annual video game industry awards ceremony broadcast globally across multiple livestreaming platforms and television. The event combines awards presentations, exclusive game announcements and reveals, and acceptance speeches, drawing audiences of record scale (154 million livestreams in 2024) and offering game publishers and advertisers a premium platform for promotional exposure to the gaming community.
Product overview
The Game Awards is an annual awards ceremony and livestreamed entertainment event that celebrates excellence in video games. The core product is a single unified ceremony broadcast globally across multiple platforms, featuring awards presentations, game announcements, and acceptance speeches. The event draws massive audiences with record 154 million livestreams and provides significant promotional value to featured games through sales boosts. Voting is conducted through a weighted system of 90% jury and 10% public input. The company also operated a Future Class program from 2020–2022 designed to celebrate diverse game makers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Game Awards Annual Ceremony Annual video game industry awards ceremony broadcast globally across multiple livestreaming platforms and television, featuring awards presentations, game announcements and reveals, and acceptance speeches. Targeted at gaming enthusiasts and the broader gaming community; designed to deliver mass-market exposure for game publishers and advertisers.
- The Game Awards 2025 Ceremony 2025 instance of the annual Game Awards ceremony, including pre-show, main broadcast, and exclusive game reveals; aimed at the global gaming audience and game publishers seeking promotional exposure.
Quantifiable outcome
- Record 154 million livestreams in 2024
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Game Awards
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Game Awards technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Game Awards partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Game Awards competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BAFTA Games Awards: The BAFTA Games Awards is the most prestigious annual video game awards ceremony alongside The Game Awards, similarly honoring creative and technical excellence. Both events compete for the same publisher sponsorship dollars and industry prestige, with BAFTA carrying a longer institutional history but with smaller global viewership than The Game Awards.
- DICE Awards (D.I.C.E. Awards): Hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the DICE Awards is an annual video game industry awards ceremony competing for the same recognition and sponsorship pool as The Game Awards. DICE has a more industry-insider focus and trades show format (co-located with the DICE Summit), while The Game Awards leans more consumer-facing.
- Golden Joystick Awards: One of the longest-running video game awards (since 1983), the Golden Joystick Awards is fully public-voted, positioning it as a consumer-driven alternative to The Game Awards' jury-weighted system. The Golden Joystick is similarly broadcast globally and competes for fan attention and streaming viewership.
Emerging players
- Summer Game Fest: Also created and hosted by Geoff Keighley, Summer Game Fest is a summer showcase of game announcements that effectively functions as a sibling property to The Game Awards. It operates in the same livestream-game-reveal category and competes for the same publisher reveal slots and viewer attention across the calendar.
- Independent Games Festival (IGF): The IGF is a leading indie-focused game awards program held at GDC. While targeting a smaller indie segment than The Game Awards, it competes for recognition of in-game achievement and developer prestige, and shares the same awards-show advertising-driven monetization model.
- Gamescom (Opening Night Live): Gamescom is the world's largest gaming trade fair, with its Opening Night Live showcase (also hosted by Geoff Keighley) competing for the same major publisher reveal slots used during The Game Awards. The two events are complementary in the calendar but compete for sponsor visibility and reveal timing.
Others
- IGN's The Game of the Year / Best of Awards: IGN's editorial awards and game-of-the-year coverage run parallel to formal ceremonies like The Game Awards, providing free, widely-covered alternative recognition. While not a direct head-to-head broadcast ceremony, IGN's coverage competes for the same audience attention and editorial mindshare during the awards season.
- TGA-adjacent: The Game Awards Future Class (defunct): Internal reference removed — superseded by other entries.
- The Game Awards (r/Delete Dup): Placeholder removed — see other peer entries.
Regional players
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us / Spike Video Game Awards (VGAs): The Spike Video Game Awards (2003-2013) was the direct predecessor to The Game Awards, which Geoff Keighley created after Spike withdrew. The legacy brand and format provide direct historical continuity, and the show's audience overlaps significantly with the gaming community that migrated to The Game Awards.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Game Awards social profiles
Digital presenceThe Game Awards financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Game Awards leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Game Awards funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Game Awards M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Game Awards
What does The Game Awards do?
The Game Awards produces an annual video game industry awards ceremony broadcast globally across multiple livestreaming platforms and television. The event combines awards presentations, exclusive game announcements and reveals, and acceptance speeches, drawing audiences of record scale (154 million livestreams in 2024) and offering game publishers and advertisers a premium platform for promotional exposure to the gaming community.
Is The Game Awards a public or private company?
The Game Awards is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Game Awards founded?
The Game Awards was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Game Awards based?
The Game Awards is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Game Awards make money?
One revenue line is on record: broadcast and Livestreaming.
Who are The Game Awards's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BAFTA Games Awards, DICE Awards (D.I.C.E. Awards) and Golden Joystick Awards. Emerging players are Summer Game Fest, Independent Games Festival (IGF) and Gamescom (Opening Night Live). Others are IGN's The Game of the Year / Best of Awards, TGA-adjacent: The Game Awards Future Class (defunct) and The Game Awards (r/Delete Dup). Penn & Teller: Fool Us / Spike Video Game Awards (VGAs) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Game Awards have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Game Awards.
What industry is The Game Awards in?
The Game Awards's product category is Gaming Awards Ceremony Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAOAN, Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting). Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7990.