Celebrating Excellence: The HLTV Awards 2024 Recap

As 2024 wrapped up, the HLTV Awards once again highlighted the finest talents in the Counter-Strike scene, honoring players, teams, and content creators for their outstanding performances. This year's ceremony featured 17 awards across three categories: Community Awards, Panel Awards, and Individual Awards, with the prestigious Player of the Year accolade taking center stage.

Player of the Year

Winner: Danil "donk" Kryshkovets (Russia)
Nominees:

• Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov (Russia) - Second place
• Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut (France) - Third place

In a breakout year, Danil "donk" Kryshkovets emerged as the Player of the Year. His stellar performances for Team Spirit, including leading them to victories at IEM Katowice and the Perfect World Shanghai Major, earned him five MVP awards. His remarkable consistency and impact outshone formidable AWPers m0NESY and ZywOo.

Women’s Player of the Year

Winner: Ana "ANa" Dumbravă (Romania)
Nominees:

• Zainab "zAAz" Turkie (Lebanon) - Second place
• Victoria "tory" Kazieva (Russia) - Third place

For the third consecutive year, Ana "ANa" Dumbravă claimed the Women’s Player of the Year award. The Romanian AWPer's exceptional performance, highlighted by a 1.25 rating throughout the year, solidified her dominance in the women’s scene.

Team of the Year

Winner: Natus Vincere (Europe)
Nominees:

• G2 (Europe) - Second place
• Spirit (Russia) - Third place

Natus Vincere secured the Team of the Year title after a triumphant 2024, which included a victory at the PGL Major Copenhagen. Their consistent performance throughout the year placed them ahead of other top contenders, G2 and Spirit.

Women’s Team of the Year

Winner: Imperial fe (Europe)
Nominees:

• NAVI Javelins (Ukraine) - Second place
• FURIA fe (Brazil) - Third place

Imperial fe continued their reign as the Women’s Team of the Year, achieving this honor for the third time. Their dominance was propelled by standout performances across all their players.

Rookie of the Year

Winner: Danil "donk" Kryshkovets (Russia)
Nominees:

• Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa (Guatemala) - Second place
• Myroslav "zont1x" Plakhotia (Ukraine) - Third place

Adding to his accolades, donk also clinched the Rookie of the Year award, showcasing his exceptional talent in his debut tier-one year.

Opener of the Year

Winner: Danil "donk" Kryshkovets (Russia)
Nominees:

• Nikola "NiKo" Kovač (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - Second place
• Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski (United States) - Third place

donk’s prowess as an entry fragger was recognized with the Opener of the Year award, as he consistently set the pace for his team’s success.

Closer of the Year

Winner: Justinas "jL" Lekavicius (Lithuania)
Nominees:

• Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy (Ukraine) - Second place
• Jimi "Jimpphat" Salo (Finland) - Third place

jL’s ability to finish rounds decisively earned him the Closer of the Year title, a well-deserved recognition for his impactful plays.

Anchor of the Year

Winner: Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy (Ukraine)
Nominees:

• Jimi "Jimpphat" Salo (Finland) - Second place
• Myroslav "zont1x" Plakhotia (Ukraine) - Third place

b1t's steadfast defensive skills secured him the Anchor of the Year award, underscoring his vital role in Natus Vincere’s success.

AWPer of the Year

Winner: Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov (Russia)
Nominees:

• Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut (France) - Second place
• Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov (Russia) - Third place

m0NESY’s precision and game sense with the AWP earned him the AWPer of the Year title, beating out other top-tier snipers like ZywOo and sh1ro.

IGL of the Year

Winner: Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen (Finland)
Nominees:

• Leonid "chopper" Vishnyakov (Russia) - Second place
• Finn "karrigan" Andersen (Denmark) - Third place

Aleksib’s strategic acumen and leadership in steering Natus Vincere to multiple victories were recognized with the IGL of the Year award.

Coach of the Year

Winner: Andrey "B1ad3" Gorodenskiy (Ukraine)
Nominees:

• Sergey "hally" Shavaev (Russia) - Second place
• Dennis "sycrone" Nielsen (Denmark) - Third place

B1ad3’s coaching excellence, reflected in his team’s consistent performance, earned him the Coach of the Year accolade.

All-star Team of the Year

• Opener: Danil "donk" Kryshkovets (Russia)
• Closer: Justinas "jL" Lekavicius (Lithuania)
• Anchor: Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy (Ukraine)
• AWPer: Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov (Russia)
• IGL: Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen (Finland)
• Coach: Andrey "B1ad3" Gorodenskiy (Ukraine)

Highlight of the Year

Winner: Danil "donk" Kryshkovets (Russia)
Nominees:

• Nikola "NiKo" Kovač (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - Second place
• Justinas "jL" Lekavicius (Lithuania) - Third place

donk’s unforgettable 1v5 clutch against HEROIC at the Perfect World Shanghai Major was voted Highlight of the Year.

Talent of the Year

Winner: James "BanKs" Banks (United Kingdom)
Nominees:

• Chad "SPUNJ" Burchill (Australia) - Second place
• Conner "Scrawny" Girvan (Canada) - Third place

BanKs’ exceptional interviewing skills and stage presence earned him the Talent of the Year award.

Event of the Year

Winner: Perfect World Shanghai Major (China)
Nominees:

• PGL Major Copenhagen (Denmark) - Second place
• IEM Katowice (Poland) - Third place

The Perfect World Shanghai Major’s thrilling matches and atmosphere secured it the Event of the Year honor.

Streamer of the Year

Winner: Mark "ohnePixel" Zimmermann (Germany)
Nominees:

• Erik "fl0m" Flom (United States) - Second place
• dima_wallhacks (Lithuania) - Third place

ohnePixel’s engaging content and community interactions earned him the Streamer of the Year title for the second year running.

Creator of the Year

Winner: NadeKing (Estonia)
Nominees:

• 3kliksphilip (United Kingdom) - Second place
• Virre (Sweden) - Third place

NadeKing’s innovative videos and tutorials captivated the community, making him the Creator of the Year.

Skin of the Year

Winner: Endrit: AK-47 | Inheritance
Nominees:

• apel8: Zeus x27 | Olympus - Second place
• moonfighter: M4A1-S | Black Lotus - Third place

Endrit’s AK-47 | Inheritance design was celebrated as the Skin of the Year, standing out among impressive competition.

Conclusion

The 2024 HLTV Awards celebrated the brightest stars in Counter-Strike, with donk’s multiple wins marking a historic debut year. As we look ahead, these awards serve as a testament to the extraordinary talent and dedication within the CS:GO community.