Approximately 300 guests attended the sold-out EBS 2022 Tempest Awards at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas.
The annual awards ceremony celebrates the future of the business of esports. The event is part of the broader Esports Business Summit (EBS) event. The Esports Business Summit is produced by Cynopsis and it is the largest esports business event in North America. The event provides esports businesses with the opportunity to expand the ecosystem. EBS also provides non-endemic brands with a viable gateway to gaming culture.
Categories and Hosts
Rachel ‘Seltzer’ Quirico and Caleb ‘Wavepunk’ Simmons masterfully hosted the awards ceremony. Winners were crowned across 25 categories that are detailed below. The winners showcased a multitude of aspirational traits. Categories ranged from diversity and inclusion to fashion, technology, brands, teams, events, and more.
Notable winners included 100 Thieves in the Team of the Year category. State Farm took home the coveted Brand of the Year for 2022. The EBS 2022 Tempest Awards were sponsored by HyperX Esports Arena and Venable LLC.
EBS 2022 Tempest Awards – Hall of Fame
The EBS Tempest Awards also recognized its 2022 luminary award recipients. The Tempest Hall of Fame inductees included:
- Founder & CEO of GGWP Dennis Fong (introduced by Author/Director David Craddock),
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Complexity Gaming & Global Head of Esports of GameSquare Jason Lake (introduced by SuperAwesome’s Nathan Lindberg)
- Founder & COO of RTS Kim Phan (introduced by Rally Cry’s Adam Rosen).
Ambassador & Sentinel Award Winners
The Ambassador Award winner was the Host of G4 Gina Darling (introduced by Esports/Voice Over Actor Josh Han). The Ambassador Award honors talent in the esports and gaming industry.
The Sentinel Award winner was the Founder of Gamers Outreach Zach Wigal (introduced by Ex-Halo Pro Player Dave Walsh). The Sentinel award is presented to an individual who leverages the power and the reach of gaming to assist social causes.
Presenters
Guest presenters included:
- CSA’s Britanni Johnson
- Jason ‘SUP3RSoN1K’ Burns
- Gabriella ‘LeTigress’ Devia-Allen
- Esports Closet Founders Jake Lucky and Alex Be
- Host/Actress Michelle Morrow.
Brands
The three-day Esports Business Summit featured more than 700+ attendees, 150+ speakers. Attendees included representatives of brands, esports organizations, esports leagues, platforms, and non-profits. The event included Brand Camps with Gillette, Grubhub, Kraft, Procter & Gamble, and The Coca-Cola Company.
Section Highlights
The EBSU Path to Pro section focused primarily on collegiate esports. The Pitcher’s Duel section featured up-and-coming companies. The chosen companies were EGO Lounge, ESR 24/7 Esports Network, Gamr Africa, Katz Digital Video, and Oakwood University.
The EBS 2022 Tempest Awards Winners:
Team of the Year
Innovative Use of Technology
- Apex Legends Global Series Multiview – WINNER
- AT&T Stadium
- The State Farm Gamerhood Challenge
- PepsiCo Beverages North America, MTN DEW, NYXL, Call of Duty League
- Orange/Cisco
Innovator During the Covid-19 Pandemic
- NBA 2K League Draft – WINNER
- EGO Lounge
- Panda Global
Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
- ESL Impact League – CO-WINNER
- United Esports/Tampax – CO-WINNER
- BroadcastHER Academy
- V1BE Squad
- Gen.G + Burberry – NetWORK: Inspire
Social Good/Charity Initiative
- Panda Global – WINNER
- HyperX, SoLa I CAN Foundation, Riot Games
- FIFAe
- United Service Organizations, Inc. National Football League
- Gen.G – Women’s Month
Best Podcast
- LAN Parties – WINNER
- The Center Ring
- The Business of Esports
Producer/Production Executive of the Year
- Adam Apicella, Esports Engine – WINNER
- Joe Lynch, Electronic Arts
- Jeremy Lee, Riot Games
- Justin Woychowski, United Esports
- Frederik Munksgaard, Blast Premier
Best Esports Betting/Fantasy Initiative/Campaign
- PrizePicks – WINNER
- Overwatch League Pick’Em
- Bovada
- DraftKings Fantasy Esports
- GG.BET
Esports-Themed Program/Documentary (non-competitive)
- Watchpoint – WINNER
- Esports Time
- The Story of…
- Attack of the Show
- Gen.G + Burberry – NetWORK: Inspire
Best Endemic Brand Activation
- Verizon Collegiate Esports Series Invitational – WINNER
- Gen.G + Nimble Neuron
- Xfinity Rewards
- Alienware Games
- SteelSeries Prime Invitational
Best Non-Endemic Brand Activation
- The State Farm Gamerhood Challenge – WINNER
- The AT&T Annihilator Cup
- Tampax: The Ultimate Teammate
- #DawnSavesWildlife Challenge
- Chipotle/Karl Jacobs
- Gillette Gaming Alliance
Marketer of the Year
- Gina Chung Lee, Gen.G – WINNER
- Felix LaHaye, United Esports
- Tatiana Tacca, Oni Vision
- Nick Lacagnina, G Fuel
- Steve Brauntuch, Misfits Gaming Group
Brand of the Year
- State Farm – WINNER
- DHL
- Mastercard
- Gillette
- AT&T
Best Social Experience
- Pokémon World Championships – WINNER
- Panda Global
- The State Farm Gamerhood Challenge
- FaZe Clan
- G4
Fashion Collection
- 100 Thieves Foundations – WINNER
- Champions Fnatic Collection
- Polo Ralph Lauren x G2 – Fall Collection
- Lacoste x Minecraft
- Team Liquid x Naruto Akatsuki Fall Collection
Best Collegiate/Amateur/Semi-Pro Event
- Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup – WINNER
- XP League
- 2022 EGF High School National Championships
- LevelNext 2021
- Verizon Collegiate Esports Series Invitational
Collegiate Esports Program of the Year
- Boise State University – WINNER
- Clark University
- University of Hawai’i
- Maryville University
- Northwood University
Best Production of an Event
- Twitch Rivals: Streamer Bowl III featuring Fortnite – WINNER
- The State Farm Gamerhood Challenge
- Overwatch League 2021 Grand Finals
- FIFAe Finals 2022
- 2021 NBA 2K League All-Star
- Pokemon World Championships
Best Sports/Sim Event/League
- FIFAe – WINNER
- 2022 eMLS
- NBA 2K League
- Formula 1 Esports Series
- NASCAR iRacing Series
New Event of the Year
- Tim the Tatman’s Tailgate – WINNER
- Immortals Invasion
- Twitch Rivals: SquidCraft Games
- MFAM Gauntlet: NICKMERCS vs TimTheTatman at UFC
- Ultimate Crown
New League of the Year
- Halo Championship Series – WINNER
- NACE StarLeague
- Panda Cup
Best Mobile Gaming Event/League
- Call of Duty Mobile World Championship – WINNER
- The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational
- Pokémon World Championships
- ESL Gaming’s Snapdragon Pro Series
- PUBG Mobile Pro League
Esports League/Series of the Year
- VALORANT Champions Tour – WINNER
- Apex Legends Global Series
- Rocket League Championship Series
- Call of Duty League
- ESL Pro League
Esports Event of the Year
- Apex Legends Global Series Year 2 Championship – WINNER
- Call of Duty League Grand Finals
- IEM Katowice X
- 2021 NBA 2K League All-Star
- Six Invitational 2022
- Twitch Rivals: Streamer Bowl III featuring Fortnite
- Pokémon World Championships
- 2022 Mid-Season Invitational
- EVO 2022
- Overwatch League 2021 Grand Finals
The EBS 2022 Tempest Awards – Watch List
- Andrew ‘Zyori’ Campbell, Program Lead, Esports & Content Creators, Sky Mavis
- Denis D’Have, Gillette, Procter & Gamble
- Phil Englert, Global Business Development Manager for Esports, Ross Video
- Victoria Horsley, Global Competition Manager, VALORANT, Riot Games
- Lavell Juan, CEO & Chairman, Brag House
- Jordanne Laurito, Manager, Communications & Marketing, Player 2
- Paul Mascali, Head of Esports and Gaming, Pepsico
- Jay Melamed, CEO, XP League
- Danyela “Dany” Swidler, Chief of Staff, Collegiate Sports Management Group/ESPORTSU
- Casey Tamkin, Sr. Public Relations Manager, JSA+Partners
- Mimi Wermcrantz – ‘aEvilcat’, Talent, VALORANT Champions Tour
- Demar Williams – ‘Dazerin’, Talent, Rocket League Championship Series
Partners and Sponsors
EBS Strategic Partners include Business of Esports, DKC, IESF, and World Esports Consortium. Sponsors include Bent Pixels, Cast & Crew, Content for Mobile, Edifier, Erickson Immigration Group, Greenberg Traurig, HyperX Arena, Infinite Reality, Insight Enterprises, Morgan Stanley, MSI, Perkins Coie, Populous, Reztark, Stream Hatchet, SuperAwesome, Twitch, United Esports, Venable LLP, and Wiland.
