The awards highlight 3-way showdown among Hanwha Life Esports, Gen.G and T1
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok took center stage Sunday at the 2024 League of Legends Champions Korea Awards, after guiding T1 to its historic fifth World Championship title this November.
The 2024 LCK Awards, held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, honored the year’s top players and teams, recognizing those who excelled on both domestic and international stages. To qualify for an award, players had to have participated in at least 29 sets across the spring and summer splits of the 2024 season.
This year’s awards framed a rivalry among three powerhouses: Gen.G, Hanwha Life Esports and T1.
T1, featuring world-class players such as Faker and Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyung, stood out as the major contender, bolstered by their fifth World Championship victory.
Gen.G was also a formidable challenger, with the team having become the first team in LCK history to secure four consecutive league titles with their 2024 Spring Split victory.
Hanwha Life Esports, a relative newcomer established in 2018, also broke new ground this year by beating Gen.G during the Summer Split finals, claiming their first LCK championship title.
The 2024 LCK Awards began with a poignant moment of silence, honoring the victims of a tragic plane crash that occurred at Muan International Airport earlier that day.
Faker emerged as the evening’s most celebrated figure, sweeping multiple awards. He claimed the evening’s highest honor, Player of the Year, in recognition of his clutch plays that propelled T1 to yet another World Championship title. He also clinched the Mid of the Year for his expertise in the middle attack lane as well as the OP.GG Search King award, which honors the most searched player on OP.GG, a widely used esports data platform.
“This year wasn’t particularly satisfying for me personally, but receiving this award feels encouraging,” Faker said at the ceremony, acknowledging T1's struggles to secure the top spot in the LCK championships and their performance during the Mid-Season Invitational. The MSI is regarded as the second-most prestigious international tournament in League of Legends esports after the World Championship.
Despite the hurdles, Faker expressed gratitude for overcoming these challenges. “What stands out to me the most this year is achieving good results at Worlds and winning the championship,” he added.
Going forward, Faker expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming changes in the LCK’s format, highlighting the integration of the regular season. Starting next year, LCK will replace its traditional spring and summer splits with a single-season format.
Faker further highlighted how the introduction of a new rule in the LCK would make the league even more exciting for fans.
“The LCK Cup will (newly) feature Fearless Drafts, which I think will make it more entertaining (for fans) to watch,” he said. Fearless Draft mode will require players to choose unique champions -- or characters -- in every game.
Other notable winners at the ceremony included Ryu "Keria" Min-seok, who claimed Support of the Year for the fourth consecutive time. The award recognizes players excelling in bottom lane assistance. Keria has been a member of T1 since 2020.
Gumayusi of T1 took home Bottom of the Year for his prowess in bottom-lane attacks, while Jungle of the Year went to Moon "Oner" Hyun-joon, also of T1, for his resource-gathering efficiency and map control.
The Rookie of the Year accolade was awarded to Choi "Lucid" Yong-hyeok of Dplus KIA. Born in 2005, Lucid was recognized for his mastery of fighter and assassin champions such as Vi and Lee Sin, utilizing advanced engagement techniques that showcased his potential as a rising star in the league.
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