The 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards will be held on November 11 later this year, and to mark the occasion, the longest-running publicly voted game awards are getting a brand new look, which can be seen in the image above.

The critically curated shortlist for this year’s awards will be revealed on September 25 at goldenjoysticks.com, which is also when voting will open for the initial 21 categories, including Best Storytelling, Console Game of the Year, Best Lead Performer, and more.

Public voting for the first set of categories will then close on October 23, ahead of the public vote for Ultimate Game of the Year, which takes place between October 26 and October 30, thereby widening the net of consideration for games that are set to launch over the next month.

You can find a full list of the GJA 2026 eligibility conditions and rules on the Golden Joystick Awards events website.

With GTA 6 arriving on Nov 19, a little over a week after the Golden Joystick Awards, focus is drawn to the last year of game launches, which has seen blockbusters like Resident Evil: Requiem and 007: First Light take the spotlight, as well as acclaimed indies like Mina the Hollower and Big Walk. It’s one of the most open playing fields in recent Golden Joystick Awards memory and still ripe for competition, with a wealth of great games launching to acclaim in the last few weeks, including Control: Resonant, Marvel’s Wolverine and The Blood of Dawnwalker.

Last year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept the Golden Joystick Awards, with the French RPG taking home a record-equalling seven trophies, including the top prize, Ultimate Game of the Year. Other big winners on the night included Hollow Knight: Silksong and Ghost of Yōtei, with GTA 6 picking up two awards for Best Game Trailer and Most Wanted Game.

Who will sweep this year’s awards? Start making your lists ahead of Friday September 25, when you can cast your ballot and decide who gets to grace the stage on November 11.