TenZ reveals finalists for inaugural VALORANT Community Awards
Tyson "TenZ" Ngo has officially pulled the curtain back on the finalists for his first-ever VALORANT Community Awards. In a collaboration with Red Bull and Riot Games, the event promises to celebrate the 2025 competitive season with a distinct twist: the nominees were selected entirely by their peers.
Unlike traditional popularity contests, these finalists were determined by players and coaches from within the VCT and Game Changers circuits. This peer-to-peer voting system ensures that every nomination is stamped with the seal of respect from the people who actually compete against these talents on the server. The winners will be crowned during a live ceremony broadcasting from Los Angeles on February 4.
VCT Finalists: NRG and Fnatic Lead the Pack
The VCT nominations paint a clear picture of the 2025 season's hierarchy. NRG’s championship run at VALORANT Champions Paris 2025 is reflected in their overwhelming presence across the board, while Fnatic continues to prove they are the flag-bearers for EMEA.
Notably, Fnatic’s rookie sensation Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski has secured nominations for Duelist, Rookie of the Year, EMEA MVP, and Global MVP – a testament to his meteoric rise.
Class Roles
- Initiator of the year: Austin "crashies" Roberts, Trent "trent" Cairns, Brock "brawk" Somerhalder
- Sentinel of the year: Logan "skuba" Jenkins, Nathan "leaf" Orf, Emir "Alfajer" Ali Beder
- Controller of the year: Jacob "valyn" Batio, Sam "s0m" Oh, Kim "MaKo" Myeong-kwan
- Duelist of the year: Erick "aspas" Santos, Adam "mada" Pampuch, Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski
Initiator of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
Sentinel of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
Controller of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
Duelist of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
Coach of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
IGL of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
Rookie of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
Regional and Global MVPs
- Americas MVP: Ethan "Ethan" Cole Arnold, Adam "mada" Pampuch, Erick "aspas" Santos
- China MVP: Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang, Teng "happywei" Minwei, Lin "SpiritZ1" Ting-yu
- EMEA MVP: Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin, Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski, Emir "Alfajer" Ali Beder
- Pacific MVP: Ngô "Crazyguy" Công Anh, Ilya "something" Petrov, Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto
- Global MVP: Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski, Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto, Erick "aspas" Santos
VCT Americas MVP nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
VCT CN MVP nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
VCT EMEA MVP nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
VCT Pacific MVP nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
VCT Global MVP nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial on X)
Game Changers Nominations
The Game Changers categories highlight the incredible depth of the women's scene, with Team Liquid Brazil and MIBR dominating the conversation. Following their victory at the Game Changers Championship 2025, Team Liquid’s Natalia "daiki" Vilela has earned nods for Initiator, IGL, and MVP, cementing her status as one of the world's best leaders.
Class Roles
- Initiator of the year: Natália "daiki" Vilela, Sarah "sarah" Simpson, Melissa "mel" Millena
- Sentinel of the year: Nicole "Noia" Tierce, Safia "safiaa" Leghzal, binson
- Controller of the year: Letícia "Joojina" Paiva, Melanie "meL" Capone, Aleyna "Vania" Keskin
- Duelist of the year: Nicolas "srN" Niederauer, Azra "alkyia" Erin, Karnthida "dodonut" Chaisrakeo
VALORANT Game Changers Initiator of the Year nominees (Image Source: Tenz/@TenzOfficial on X)
VALORANT Game Changers Sentinel of the Year nominees (Image Source: Tenz/@TenzOfficial on X)
VALORANT Game Changers Controller of the Year nominees (Image Source: Tenz/@TenzOfficial on X)
VALORANT Game Changers Duelist of the Year nominees (Image Source: Tenz/@TenzOfficial on X)
Leadership & MVP
- Coach of the year: Caio "napz" Sousa, Loic "effys" Sauvageau, Drew "DrewSpark" Spark-Whitworth
- IGL of the year: Natália "daiki" Vilela, Camila "sayuri" Obam, Melanie "meL" Capone
- Rookie of The Year: Montserrat "mmonch" Gutierrez, Esllene "Akita" Xu, NTZ 332
- Game Changers MVP: Paula "bstrdd" Naguil, Nicole "Noia" Tierce, Natália "daiki" Vilela
VALORANT Game Changers Coach of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial)
VALORANT Game Changers Rookie of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial)
VALORANT Game Changers IGL of the year nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial)
VALORANT Game Changers MVP nominees (Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial)
Where to Watch
The TenZ VALORANT Community Awards were originally slated for December but were pushed to February to accommodate player schedules. This has allowed for a star-studded attendance list and higher production value.
Fans can tune in on February 4th at 9:00 PM PST / February 5th, 6:00 AM CET. The event will be streamed live on TenZ’s official Twitch and YouTube channels. While the finalists were chosen by pros, the community will still have a voice; viewers will be able to vote on select categories during the live broadcast, adding an interactive layer to a celebration of the highest level of VALORANT.
For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.
Featured Image Source: TenZ/@TenZOfficial
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