Golden Joystick Awards 2026

The Golden Joystick Awards return this November in London, and for once the timing could hardly be better for PlayStation fans. Running since 1983, the Golden Joysticks are one of the longest-established video game awards anywhere, and their defining feature has always been the weight given to public voting. Where some ceremonies lean on a critics' jury, this show hands most of the decision to the players themselves. After a strong stretch for the PS5 in 2026, a healthy slate of exclusives looks set to land in contention. This is a preview of how the awards work, which categories matter, and how to have your say — with anything unconfirmed clearly flagged as such.

What the Golden Joystick Awards are

The Golden Joystick Awards began in 1983 and are among the oldest surviving video game awards in the industry, now organised by GamesRadar+ and its parent company Future. Over four decades they have grown from a modest UK magazine poll into an internationally recognised ceremony, held in recent years as a live event in London. The show blends award presentations with the occasional reveal or gameplay showcase, though it has historically stayed more focused on the awards than on being a marketing launchpad.

What sets the Golden Joysticks apart is their reliance on the audience. Across most headline categories, winners are decided by public vote rather than by a closed jury, so the results tend to reflect what players actually rallied behind over the year. That can produce outcomes a critics' panel might not, and it is a large part of why the ceremony has kept its identity distinct from other end-of-year shows.

How the 2026 show shapes up

The 2026 edition is expected to follow the established pattern: a November ceremony in London, with public voting opening several weeks beforehand once the shortlists are published. As of early July, the organisers have not confirmed the exact date, venue, or full category list for this year, so treat any specifics below as illustrative of how the show usually runs rather than as settled fact. We will update our coverage as the official announcements land.

What is already clear is the raw material the year has handed voters. 2026 has delivered a deep and varied PS5 lineup, and the calendar still has heavyweight releases to come, which sets up an unusually competitive field across both the completed-game and most-anticipated categories.

The main categories

The Golden Joysticks typically run a broad slate of categories, most of them decided by public vote. The exact list shifts year to year, but the recurring pillars usually include:

• Ultimate Game of the Year — the headline award, drawn from the year's standout releases.
• Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design — craft-focused categories recognising narrative and art direction.
• Best Multiplayer Game and Best Game Expansion — covering co-op, competitive, and post-launch content.
• Best Audio and Best Performer — score, sound design, and acting.
• Studio of the Year — recognising a developer's overall output.
• Most Wanted Game — a forward-looking, heavily contested public vote for the release players are most excited about.
• Best Hardware and platform-specific awards, alongside a lifetime-style honour for long-term contribution to the medium.

Because so many of these are settled by public vote, the categories that draw the biggest, most passionate audiences tend to be the most unpredictable — and often the most interesting to follow.

The PlayStation angle

This is where 2026 gets genuinely compelling for PS5 owners. The console has enjoyed a strong year, and the exclusives that shipped so far give voters plenty to champion. Our roundup of the best PS5 games of 2026 so far lays out the field in detail, and several of those titles look like plausible entries in the game-of-the-year and craft categories once shortlists appear.

The forward-looking awards may be even more heated. With Marvel's Wolverine confirmed for September 15, 2026 as an Insomniac PS5 exclusive, and GTA VI confirmed to launch November 19, 2026 on PS5, the "Most Wanted" vote could be one of the tightest in years. Fable in the autumn adds another high-profile contender.

One caveat: nominations depend on release timing and eligibility windows, and shortlists have not been announced. So while a strong PlayStation showing is a reasonable expectation given the year's slate, treat any specific nominees as speculation until the official lists go live.

How to vote and watch

Voting for the Golden Joysticks is free and open to the public through the official website once shortlists are published, typically several weeks before the ceremony. In past years the process has been straightforward: visit the awards site, work through each category, and submit your picks. Because the public vote carries so much weight here, participating genuinely influences the outcome — more so than at ceremonies where a jury holds the majority.

The ceremony itself has usually been streamed live and free via GamesRadar+'s official channels, historically on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch, so you can watch without a subscription. Exact streaming details for 2026 will be confirmed closer to the date. Practical advice that holds every year: check the official site for the voting deadline, as it tends to close a little before the show, and note the London start time so you can convert it to your own timezone.

For the wider calendar of shows worth tracking, our events hub collects the year's major gaming events in one place.

Official resources

For accurate dates, shortlists, and voting links, the organisers' own channels are the only sources worth relying on. Avoid third-party pages claiming to list "nominees" before the official announcement:

• Official Golden Joystick Awards hub (GamesRadar+)
• Our companion coverage: Best PS5 games of 2026 so far
• More shows to follow across the year: PS-Gaming events hub

The Golden Joystick Awards have earned their place on the calendar by doing one thing consistently well — letting players decide. In a year this strong for the PS5, that hands PlayStation fans a real say in how 2026 gets remembered. Watch for the shortlists ahead of the November show, get your votes in before the deadline, and check back here as the official details are confirmed.