The inaugural Global Poker Awards will be handed out in the PokerGO studios in Las Vegas on April 5, but they are already generating a great deal of buzz. Some of that buzz is not something that the Global Poker Index (the organization behind the Global Poker Awards) desires, however. Complaints have arisen regarding the nomination process and the actual people nominated, to be honest by many who weren’t nominated for the awards.
Outrage Over Snubs in Two Major Categories
The biggest debate regarding the people nominated came in the categories of Vlogger of the Year and Streamer of the Year. Just as a way of comparison, here were the nominees for the Vlogger of the Year:
Marie Cordeiro
Joe Ingram
Andrew Neeme
Daniel Negreanu
Doug Polk
And here are the nominees for Streamer of the Year:
Jeff Gross
Jason Somerville
Jaime Staples
Lex Veldhuis
The arguments regarding the nominees selected aren’t without merit. Somerville was nominated for his award despite not streaming anything in 2018. But other streamers complained that they weren’t nominated for their work.
In an attempt to stanch the outrage from some in the poker community, the GPI and its president, Eric Danis, issued a statement that tried to assuage concerns. Here is that statement from the GPI post on Twitter:
Statement regarding the Global Poker Awards pic.twitter.com/ykZZssfsjC
— Global Poker Index (@gpi) March 20, 2019
There Will Always Be Complaints
When it comes to awards for any industry, there will always be complaints regarding how the nominees and, in some cases, the winners were chosen. Whether it is picking the 68 teams that will vie for the NCAA Men’s Basketball championship, the Grammy Awards, the Academy Awards or virtually any other ceremony that honors people or groups, there is always a group called “snubs.” In fact, it is one of the biggest things that some people like to look for after nominations have been announced…who should have been nominated, but wasn’t?
The Global Poker Index should have done a bit of legwork to verify that all the potential nominees suggested were qualified for such nomination. That Somerville hadn’t even provided material for the year should have disqualified him from nomination (trust me, after the uproar from the public, don’t look for the Jury that will decide the winners to pick him for the award!). But it also falls on the Nominations Committee for putting forth a non-qualified candidate.
As one of those on the Nominations Committee, I can honestly say that I went through each candidate and weighed the evidence available. And there were some very difficult choices, especially in the two fields that seem to have drawn the most fire. But, at the same time, everybody can’t be nominated. There are going to be some who, despite their fine work, aren’t going to get the accolades that they think they deserve.
And that’s the thing about awards shows. It is something that fans argue about – who’s better? Who deserves it more? – and there are going to be those who don’t make it in. Whenever there are arbitrary guidelines or a “personal preference,” you won’t have consensus. Remember, the first Hard Rock/Metal Grammy back in 1989 was awarded to Jethro Tull, despite the fact that Metallica was the odds-on favorite to win for their masterpiece …And Justice for All (and such other odd choices as Iggy Pop and Jane’s Addiction were also nominated).
For those who want their voice heard, the Global Poker Awards are handing out the People’s Choice Award. Voting is ongoing for the public to vote for their favorite poker personality. And there are things that will be changed by the GPI when it comes to the nominations in 2019. But everyone can’t get into the party, unfortunately…there are going to be those who will be left on the outside looking in, and that is a part of the beast that is awards shows.
