The Game Awards 2026 Nominees Announcement Confirmed for Nov. 17

Published Nov 13, 2026, 3:23 PM EST Michael McWhertor is a New York-based journalist and editor with more than 20 years of experience covering games, industry events, technology, movies, and TV. The annual awards show will reveal its contenders just days before GTA 6 arrives Image: The Game Awards The Game Awards 2026 is approaching, and this year's award nominees are set to be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 17. That's according to host and creator of The Game Awards Geoff Keighley, who announced Friday that 2026's nominees will be revealed during a livestream — that just happens to be coming two days ahead of the year's most anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto 6. Fans will be able to watch the TGAs Nomination Special on Tuesday via YouTube and Twitch. Host and executive producer Geoff Keighley will announce the games, studios, and talent nominated for this year's awards, which include Game of the Year. When is The Game Awards 2026 Nomination Special? The Game Awards 2026 Nomination Special will be livestreamed on Tuesday, Nov. 17, starting at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST. In past years, Keighley has made the special pretty efficient; the event usually takes around 10 minutes. Nominees for Game of the Year are typically announced at the very end of the special. Voting for fan-based awards will go live immediately after The Game Awards 2026 Nomination Special concludes. Is GTA 6 eligible for The Game Awards 2026? Image: Rockstar Games Yes. According to The Game Awards' official website, games eligible for this year's main awards "must be made commercially available to customers on or before Friday, November 20, 2026, at 9 p.m. PT." Grand Theft Auto 6 will squeak in ahead of that; the game is officially being released on Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. For the TGA's Players’ Voice category, games must ship on or before Nov. 30, 2026, organizers say. So if you're thinking about voting for GTA 6, you have ample time to spend with the game to make up your mind. When are The Game Awards 2026? The Game Awards 2026 will be held on Thursday, Dec. 10. The show starts at 4:30 p.m. PST/7:30 p.m. EST, including the traditional 30-minute pre-show. This year's The Game Awards will stream on more platforms than ever, with Disney Plus, Live TV on PS5, and Roblox joining the long list of platforms on which to watch. The show will also be available on YouTube, Twitch, Steam, TikTok Live, X, Kick, Facebook, and Instagram Live. In China, the show will be available on more than 20 platforms, including Baidu, Bilibili, Douyin, DouYu, Huya, WeChat, Weibo and Xiaohongshu. Additional partners include CHZZK and SOOP in South Korea; NicoNico in Japan; Vidio in Indonesia; Now TV in Hong Kong; mewatch in Singapore; and BIGO LIVE and Likee across Southeast Asia.