The Global Poker Awards is set to return in 2022. (photo: Global Poker Index)

The Global Poker Index and The Hendon Mob are finishing the year with a flurry of poker industry news beginning with this week’s announcement that, after a year away, the Global Poker Awards will return to the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas on Friday, February 18.

Having skipped the industry awards in 2021 due to the global pandemic, The GPI is preparing for the show’s imminent return. The 2021 Global Poker Awards will celebrate the year in poker by handing out more than 20 awards including 2021 GPI Player of the Year, Player’s Choice for Toughest Opponent, Best Vlogger, and the hand-selected Poker ICON award.

While the full list of awards have yet to be announced, and some changes are expected, previous awards that are likely to be handed out again include Breakout Player of the Year, Event of the Year, Journalist of the Year, Final Table Performance of the Year, and a variety of poker content awards.

The voting process for the awards will be announced in the immediate future with voting to take place early in 2022. Fans will also have their say with three different Fan Choice awards. However, in the meantime, the Global Poker Awards are looking for feedback from the community.

“Most award shows you have to submit your candidacy, we looking for more of that,” said Eric Danis, President of the GPI/THM on the most recent episode of their The Poker Show podcast. “We do a lot of work in the background, we have great people that help us but if you know someone, or an article, or anything…that you want to recognize, make to submit that info to us @GPI on Twitter or you can always email us as well.”

Within 48 hours, the GPI and Hendon Mob were making news again with an announcement of the latest addition to those people “that help in the background” as Kevin Mathers has signed on to join the team as the new GPI/THM Poker Information Manager.

Typically, an industry hiring, even an important one, would understandably fly under the radar however Mathers has cultivated one of the most prolific Twitter accounts (@Kevmath) in the poker community by being a constant source of information relied on my recreational and professional players alike. With more than 10 years on the inside of the poker industry, perhaps most well known as the Twitter Czar for the World Series of Poker for a number of years, Mathers is one of the most trusted and popular names in the game.

“As one of the most respected sources of information in the poker community, we are thrilled to have Kevin on board,” Danis said. “We have always dreamed of adding Kevin to the team. It means a lot to us to welcome Kev to his new home and we are excited for what he brings to the table.”