Presenting the 2026 Golden Gnome Awards Finalists!
We collected your nominations, did the maths, ran our checks and we're ready to share the finalists for this year's most prestigious awards show!
While our finalists came out on top this year, it has to be said that we were blown away by the nominations and incredible work you've been highlighting. The sheer outpouring of love for the creatives and community members we've seen has made our hearts very full.
There are so many talented, welcoming, and passionate creatives and communities that came through the nominations that we just want to say a massive thank you to. It's you that make our community truly special.
Shall we get voting?
How it works
You'll have until 8 am UTC on Friday, August 14th to cast your votes.
Once votes are in, we'll tally them up - finalists with the most votes win!
Everything will culminate in a huge celebration live at RuneFest, on Saturday, October 3rd. Don't worry if you can't make it, the awards ceremony will be streamed live on Twitch, too!
Remember that we're doing things a little differently this year. To be able to fully celebrate a wide reaching variety across the communities of all three of our games, we'll be varying where and when we announce each award. While we will still have our big on-stage celebration, live at RuneFest on Saturday, October 3rd, we're excited to announce a brand new pre-show Golden Gnomes award ceremony!
This is something never seen before, and means we have the opportunity to give every Golden Gnome winner their moment on stage! There'll be J-Mods handing out awards, acceptance speeches and many a shiny trophy given out! While this pre-show won't be livestreamed, all winners of all categories will be shared in a celebratory blog post following the event, too.
Cosplay!
We are also bringing back the Best Cosplay Creation award, which will be judged live at RuneFest. This does mean that only those who don their Cosplay and attend the live Cosplay parade are eligible for this award.
When it comes to your costume, the worlds of Old School, RuneScape and Dragonwilds are your oyster! Your cosplay can be inspired by any Jagex game, or even a mash up of all three if you fancy it!
Do note that any weapon-shaped props must be checked by NEC security, and if it is sharp and considered a risk it will be confiscated.
Good luck, we can't wait to see your fashionscape IRL!
Get your votes in!
It's time to have your say on which of the finalists for each category should get to take home the Golden Gnome this year! Head to the survey below, peruse the finalists and cast your votes!
Let's take a look at the finalists! We'll highlight the cross-game and RuneScape finalists here. Head to the Old School RuneScape and Dragonwilds blogs to peruse their finalists!
Finalists
Best New RuneScape Video Creator
Best RuneScape Video Creator
Best New RuneScape Video Guide
RuneScape Video of the Year
Best New RuneScape Streamer
Best RuneScape Streamer
Best Streamed RuneScape Moment
Best New RuneScape Artist
Best RuneScape Artist
Best RuneScape Digital Artistic Creation
Best RuneScape Physical Artistic Creation
Best RuneScape Homestead
Unsung Hero - Player Choice Award
This category is all about celebrating those folks that tend to fly under the radar but deserve their brilliance shared with the community! This covers any creator, community helper, communities and/or their leaders, streamers, artists... Pretty much anyone that you believe has been undiscovered for too long! We wanted to share just a small snippet of the reasons given via the nominations form for our four finalists.
Repeatedly praised for years of selfless community work. Players highlighted hosting regular Mega Duck masses, teaching PvM, helping thousands earn pets and achievements, organising community events, and always being welcoming to new players. The recurring comment from players was that they have quietly dedicated years to helping others without seeking recognition.
These players have been consistently recognised behind Clue Trainer, describing it as one of the most valuable community tools ever created. Players praised the continual development, bug fixing, route optimisation and support that has made clue scrolls more accessible and enjoyable for the wider community.
Almost every nomination focused on the enormous amount of behind the scene work maintaining FriendlyBot, made by Friendliness, supporting the official RuneScape Discord and countless community servers. Players felt many people benefit from their work every day without realising who is responsible, making them a perfect fit for an Unsung Hero.
>Widely recognised and mentioned for creating and maintaining community resources, organising events, producing guides and graphics, and helping players through Discord and social channels. Many nominations described Kravy clan as people who quietly improve the community every day and are always willing to help without expecting recognition.
Categories Spanning All Games
Best Series
Best Streamed Event
Best Music Composition
Gamer of the Year - A player whose in-game achievements over the last year are a particular standout worthy of the highest recognition.
Champion for Charity
Remember, voting closes at 8 am UTC on Friday, August 14th!
Use the button below to head to the nomination form!
We really appreciate you taking the time to nominate and vote for your favourite creators, and we'd also like to extend a colossal thanks to each and every member of the Dragonwilds, RuneScape and Old School communities! Truly, our games would not be what they are without you.
