The HLTV Awards have become one of the most anticipated events in the CS:GO and CS2 competitive scene, bringing together fans, players, and experts to celebrate the most outstanding achievements of the year. But what exactly goes into these prestigious awards? How are the winners decided, and what does it take to be crowned a winner in each category? In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the HLTV Awards 2024, including the voting system, the categories, the key nominees, and some information about how the awards process works. From the community’s influence to expert opinions, the HLTV Awards are a blend of different perspectives that give us a comprehensive look at the year that was in CS2.
The Structure of the HLTV Awards 2024
The HLTV Awards take an intricate method to selecting and recognizing the best in competitive CS2. There are three distinct groups involved in the voting process: Internal Awards, Community Awards, and Panel Awards:
- Internal Awards: As the name suggests, these awards are decided by HLTV’s internal team. The HLTV staff selects the winners for a number of categories based on their analysis and the overall performance of players and teams throughout the year.
- Community Awards: The Community Awards give fans from all over the world the chance to have a say in who gets recognized. Each year, the Counter-Strike community is heavily involved in the voting process, helping to decide several categories. Fans can vote for their favorite players, teams, and moments.
- Panel Awards: The Panel Awards are possibly the most intriguing aspect of the HLTV Awards because they entail voting by a specially selected panel of specialists. In 2024, HLTV has prepared an impressive panel of 35 professionals, including on-air talent, analysts, journalists, and representatives from the world’s top teams.
What sets the Panel Awards apart is that the panel focuses on assessing roles, consistency, and impact, not just raw statistics. For example, the IGL of the Year and Coach of the Year are categories where the influence of these individuals can’t always be measured by stats alone. Instead, the voting is based on their strategic thinking, leadership qualities, and ability to bring out the best in their teams.
The Panel Awards Categories
These awards are voted on by a selected group of experts, including coaches, players, and analysts, who evaluate the nominees based on their performance and impact. The Panel Awards categories for 2024 include:
- Coach of the Year
- IGL of the Year
- Opener of the Year
- Closer of the Year
- Anchor of the Year
- AWPer of the Year
- Highlight of the Year
These categories are voted on by a panel consisting of 10 on-air talent members (casters, analysts, and former pros), 5 HLTV newsroom staff members and 20 representatives from the top 20 teams of 2024. Team representatives include such experts like Casper “cadiaN” Møller, Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire and many others. This varied panel ensures that the votes are well-informed and grounded in both statistics and expert opinion by bringing a variety of knowledge from every aspect of the Counter-Strike scene.
The Panel Awards highlight players who stand out in specific roles, with each category focusing on a different aspect of gameplay.
- The Opener of the Year is awarded to players who are aggressive in taking map control and setting the pace early in rounds, often creating opportunities for their team.
- The Closer of the Year recognizes players who thrive in high-pressure situations, closing out rounds, especially during clutch moments.
- The Anchor of the Year is given to players who consistently hold key positions, shutting down pushes and maintaining control of critical areas under pressure.
- The Coach of the Year and IGL of the Year awards are particularly challenging to quantify due to the complex, behind-the-scenes impact these individuals have on their teams.
To ensure fairness, HLTV has selected nominees for these awards from teams ranked in 2024, excluding those who were not involved with their team for a sufficient amount of time.
Nominees for the 2024 HLTV Awards
Here are the nominees for the categories in the HLTV Awards 2024. These players have consistently demonstrated exceptional skill and impact in their respective roles throughout the year. From the deadly precision of the AWP to the clutch performances of Closers and the strategic brilliance of IGLs, these are the players who stood out in 2024.
Highlight of the Year
The Highlight of the Year award goes to the player who delivered the most game-changing moment of the year. These moments were some of the most talked-about plays in the CS2 community:
- Danil “donk” Kryshkovets AK-47 1v5
- Justinas “jL” Lekavicius Deagle + AK-47 ACE
- Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato ACE
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov AWP 4K
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov Scout 4K
- Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa AK-47 1v3 ACE CLUTCH
- William “mezii” Merriman AK-47 ACE
- Nikola “NiKo” Kovač Deagle ACE
- Felipe “skullz” Medeiros M4A1-S 1v4
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut AWP 4K
AWPer of the Year
- Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch
- Helvijs “broky” Saukants
- Nicolai “device” Reedtz
- Håkon “hallzerk” Fjærli
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Ádám “torzsi” Torzsás
- Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov
- Özgür “woxic” Eker
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
Opener of the Year
- Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
- Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski
- Shahar “flameZ” Shushan
- Mihai “iM” Ivan
- Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa
- Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
- Munkhbold “Senzu” Azbayar
- Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken
- Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş
- Dorian “xertioN” Berman
Closer of the Year
- Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy
- Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin
- David “frozen” Čerňanský
- Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo
- Justinas “jL” Lekavicius
- Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato
- Keith “NAF” Markovic
- Guy “NertZ” Iluz
- Robin “ropz” Kool
- Lotan “Spinx” Giladi
Anchor of the Year
- Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy
- Shahar “flameZ” Shushan
- Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo
- Boris “magixx” Vorobiev
- Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa
- William “mezii” Merriman
- Ayush “mzinho” Batbold
- Keith “NAF” Markovic
- Robin “ropz” Kool
- Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia
IGL of the Year
- Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen
- Dan “apEX” Madesclaire
- Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren
- Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov
- Dzhami “Jame” Ali
- Finn “karrigan” Andersen
- Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski
- Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli
- Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek
- Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski
Coach of the Year
- Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy
- Sezgin “Fabre” Kalaycı
- Sergey “hally” Shavaev
- Erdenedalai “maaRaa” Bayanbat
- Filip “NEO” Kubski
- Eetu “sAw” Saha
- Dennis “sycrone” Nielsen
- Tiaan “T.c” Coertzen
- Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas
- Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam
These players were carefully selected by the HLTV staff as nominees for the year’s loudest CS2 award because of their dedication, talent, and training. There are many nominees from various teams and nations, and they have all had some sort of influence on the CS2 community.
What the HLTV Awards Mean for CS2
The HLTV Awards 2024 are a reflection of the competitive scene’s growth, depth, and evolving dynamics. Sure, the big names like the star players and top teams get a lot of attention, but these awards also shine a spotlight on the often-overlooked roles that are just as crucial to a team’s success. The beauty of the Panel Awards is that they’re voted on by the people who really know the game inside and out. We’re talking about players, coaches, and analysts — the people who live and breathe CS2 every day. And because of this, the awards feel so much more meaningful. Then you’ve got the Community Awards, where fans get to have their say. It’s a great reminder of the bond between players and their supporters. So here’s to another year of incredible moments, upsets, rivalries, and, of course, to the players, coaches, and teams who make Counter-Strike what it is today. Join us in following the award, support your favorite players and teams, and remember that there is still more to come.
