iShowSpeed Nominated for Esports Streamer of the Year 2026: Can He Complete a Three-Peat?
Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. has won the Esports Streamer of the Year award in the two previous years, and he has been nominated for the third time in 2026, giving him the chance to complete a three-peat.
2026 has been a massively successful year for iShowSpeed, as he became one of the first creators in the world to livestream the FIFA World Cup. He was also featured in the FIFA Heroes game roster and made it on the TIME100 Creator List for the second year. Speed also crossed 60 million YouTube subscribers in August 2026, claiming that he will hit the 100 million milestone soon.
His nomination for the Esports Streamer of the Year 2026, then, is no surprise, and if he claims the honor it will arguably be his highlight of the year. Voting closes on November 10, before the winner is announced.
iShowSpeed is one of 12 nominees for Esports Streamer of the Year 2026
Speed may find himself having a tough fight this year for the award, as 11 other popular creators have been nominated in the same category. These streamers include Nicholas “Jynxzi” Stewart, TheBurntPeanut, Marc “Caedrel” Lamont, Kai Cenat, Mark “OhnePixel” Zimmermann, Case Dylan “CaseOh” Baker, Victor “Coringa” Augusto, Jason “JasonTheWeen” Nguyen, Rani “Stable Ronaldo” Netz, Brittany “Cinna” Watts, and Raj “Snax Gaming” Varma.
Each of the nominated streamers has a good following and viewership, with engaging broadcasts where various forms of content are created. Speed may outshine them all in terms of popularity, his large-scale IRL streams, and his massive partnerships with the likes of FIFA and YouTube. Despite this, the IRL YouTuber may face a harder time, as he is still competing with some of the most famous creators in the world from the esports space.
iShowSpeed’s uniqueness is his main selling point. The YouTuber began his career with gaming content, but soon expanded into IRL streaming. This decision helped him reach a wider audience and also made him recognized globally. Speed doesn’t just show himself traveling; instead, the creator shared the culture and popular landmarks with his viewers. This helps people learn about the world without having to visit the countries.
Editor’s analysis: Why iShowSpeed is a strong contender for the Esports Streamer of the Year 2026
Speed isn’t a newcomer to the Esports Streamer of the Year award, having won it in both 2024 and 2025. The 2026 nomination isn’t a surprise, as Speed has only gotten bigger over the past two years. He livestreamed the FIFA World Cup 2026 and even won the FIFA Creator Cup. The creator also became one of the first streamers to perform at the final closing ceremony. The World Cup was simply the ideal opportunity for Speed — as well as performing his song, he interacted with countless celebrities which gave him even more mainstream exposure.
iShowSpeed also reportedly gained roughly 5 million YouTube subscribers over the course of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is another great achievement that the YouTuber managed in such a short time. Speed has also won the Streamer of the Year award at The Streamer Awards in 2024 and 2025. This further highlights his popularity and chances of winning both Esports Streamer of the Year 2026 and the Streamer of the Year 2026. iShowSpeed is currently livestreaming a Minecraft marathon with Twitch star Kai Cenat.
Image credit: iShowSpeed
Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.
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