Watch the Golden Joystick Awards 2020 here at 8:30 PM GMT

(Image credit: Future)

This year's Golden Joystick Awards are kicking off this evening over on Twitch at 8.30pm GMT/12.30pm PST/3:30pm EST. The annual awards ceremony is a celebration of the year's best games voted by the public and critics alike. This year is slightly different as it will all take place digitally but, as always, you can tune in from the comfort of your home and watch the entire thing below.

This year's awards are being hosted by Travis Willingham (Marvel's Avengers) and Laura Bailey (The Last of Us Part 2, Marvel's Avengers) and will feature a musical performance by Harry Mack and Lara6683, who will be unleashing some video game themed anthems for our ears to enjoy.

There are a total of 20 publicly voted categories, including Best Storytelling, Best Indie Game, Esports Game of the Year, and the big one, Ultimate Game of the Year. There are also four critics choice awards which are the Breakthrough Award, Best Performer, Outstanding Contribution, and Critics Choice Award. We've seen some juggernaut releases in 2020 so this year will be a fun one to watch.

Here are all the games up for Ultimate Game of the Year:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The Last of Us 2
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Crusader Kings III
Fall Guys
Hades
Half-Life: Alyx
Death Stranding (PC)
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Demon's Souls (PS5)
Ghost of Tsushima
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Factorio
Spelunky 2
F1 2020
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Doom Eternal
Genshin Impact

There's a specific category for PC game of the year and it's great to see that the nominees have come from every corner of PC gaming. Take a look below:

Paradise Killer
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Hades
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
Crusader Kings III
Valorant
Half-Life: Alyx
Death Stranding

There are plenty of great PC games up for the award and, out of the lot, I'm hoping Microsoft Flight Sim, Hades, and Crusader Kings III get the recognition they deserve. Make sure to tune in through Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook to see the full event.

Rachel had been bouncing around different gaming websites as a freelancer and staff writer for three years before settling at PC Gamer back in 2019. She mainly writes reviews, previews, and features, but on rare occasions will switch it up with news and guides. When she's not taking hundreds of screenshots of the latest indie darling, you can find her nurturing her parsnip empire in Stardew Valley and planning an axolotl uprising in Minecraft. She loves 'stop and smell the roses' games—her proudest gaming moment being the one time she kept her virtual potted plants alive for over a year.