After the success of the inaugural GPI American Poker Awards, the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California will once again play host to the prestigious ceremony. The 2nd Annual GPI American Poker Awards will take place on February 25, together with the 2nd edition of the American Poker Conference. Players, industry experts, and media representatives will once again gather together to celebrate the most outstanding achievements in American poker over the previous calendar year.
The nomination process for this year’s edition of the awards is now open and as it was last year, a nomination panel of between 60 and 80 people was selected to compile the shortlist of nominees. Each member of the panel would be allowed to point two nominees for each of the eleven categories.
A special jury would then select the winners. The names of the jurors as well as the winners are to be revealed at the ceremony on February 25. The members of the nomination panel have up until January 20 to submit their nominations.
This year, a total of 15 APAs will be awarded at the lavish ceremony. Three of the awards will be given to the top-ranked players in the GPI Player of the Year Ranking. And here are the three respective categories:
2015 GPI Global Player of the Year
The award will be given to American poker pro Byron Kaverman who tops the ranking with 4,736.90 points collected over the span of the previous calendar year.
2015 GPI American Player of the Year
This award, too, will go to Kaverman.
2015 GPI Female Player of the Year
Last year, Kelly Minkin was the female poker player to collect the most GPI Player of the Year points. She finished 2015 with a total of 1,748.99 points.
And here are the 11 categories that are to be voted on by members of both the nomination and the juror panels:
Breakout Player of the Year
Media Person of the Year
Event of the Year (buy-in under $2,000)
Event of the Year (buy-in over $2,000)
Tournament Performance of the Year
Media Content of the Year
Industry Person of the Year
Poker Innovation or Initiative of the Year
Charitable Initiative of the Year
Poker Moment of the Year
Poker Presenter of the Year
Here it is important to note that awards for the last two categories are to be given for the very first time at the ceremony’s second edition. What is more, this year, too, the special Poker Ambassador of the Year award will be voted by the public. Last year, poker fans selected Canadian poker pro Daniel Negreanu as the game’s best ambassador for 2014.
And as it was last year, the SLS Hotel will also play host to the 2nd edition of the American Poker Conference. Poker players and personalities, as well as other industry experts will discuss the current state of the game and its future at various related panels.
