Grand Theft Auto 6, the presumed frontrunner for Game of the Year at numerous award ceremonies, will be ineligible for the upcoming Golden Joystick Awards. The game's release date of November 19, 2026, falls a week after the fan-voted awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 11, 2026. Voting for the Golden Joysticks is set to conclude at the end of October, making it impossible for players to have experienced and judged the title.
This ineligibility means that GTA 6 cannot achieve a 'Big Five' sweep of Game of the Year awards in a single year. The Big Five comprises the Golden Joystick Awards, The Game Awards, the DICE Awards, the GDC Awards, and the BAFTA Game Awards. This particular grand slam has only been accomplished twice in recent history, by Baldur's Gate 3 in 2023 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in the previous year.
Should Grand Theft Auto 6 secure GOTY wins at The Game Awards, DICE, GDC, and BAFTA, it could still complete the set by winning the Golden Joystick Awards in 2027. A similar situation occurred with Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in 2011/2012, which won most major awards but was narrowly beaten by Portal 2 at BAFTA.
If GTA 6 claims the top prize at The Game Awards, it would mark Rockstar's first GOTY win since Grand Theft Auto 5 at the Golden Joysticks and VGX in 2013. In 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 was notably overlooked for top honors, losing out to God of War and Fortnite at various ceremonies.
Voting for most categories in the Golden Joystick Awards is currently open, with the Ultimate Game of the Year nominations opening for public vote from October 26 to October 30. Among the nominees for other categories, the James Bond adventure 007 First Light and the co-op indie title Big Walk have each received five nominations, placing them in a strong position for the awards.