The first full year of All Elite Wrestling has brought with it unforgettable matches, moments and angles that have left fans buzzing about the revolution the company has created in the pro wrestling industry.
With awards handed out for breakout male and female star, best mic moment and the prestigious Bleacher Report PPV Moment of the Year, find out the nominees and predictions for each category with this preview of the promotion's first awards ceremony.
Coverage of the awards begins Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, exclusively on the B/R app.
Celebrities and athletes scheduled to participate as presenters at the virtual ceremony include:
Shaquille O'Neal
Bert Kreischer
Chael Sonnen
Curtis Granderson
Camille Kostek
Kevin Heffernan
Steve Lemme
Ron Funches
Danielle Fishel Karp and Jensen Karp
It will be interesting to see if there is any advancement of Shaq's role with AEW.
We first heard his name when Jade Cargill debuted and issued a challenge on his behalf to Cody Rhodes, then again when he appeared in a sit-down interview with Brandi Rhodes that ended with the AEW chief brand officer throwing a glass of water on him.
Might the NBA icon garner a measure of revenge or provide some sort of update on his desire to tangle with Cody?
His presence looms large over the proceedings, so it should be expected in some form or fashion.
MJF and Cody Rhodes are two of the most gifted talkers in pro wrestling. Their ability to paint their words with emotion and intensity makes them a valuable asset in an industry that values storytelling and pay-per-view hype.
Their work in their nominated promos was undeniably excellent. In the scarf-wearing heel's case, it helped add purpose to his quest to defeat Jon Moxley for the AEW world title beyond a desire to hold gold. In Rhodes' case, it showcased the emotional battle within that his feud with Brodie Lee caused.
While either of those two interview segments would have won this award in any other year, it is Orange Cassidy stunning the world with his take on global warming during the debate with Chris Jericho that stands out in this category.
Freshly Squeezed stole the show with his first significant verbal sparring match in AEW and escalated a rivalry with Jericho that dominated the summer. He wins here, narrowly, in one of the toughest award categories to predict.
Matt Hardy, Jake Roberts, Miro and the late Brodie Lee's debuts in AEW were equally intriguing and buzzworthy, but the only choice here is the arrival of Sting.
The Icon sent social media into a frenzy when he made his way to the ring, bringing winter to the company and saving Darby Allin and Cody Rhodes from the devious Team Taz.
The excitement that accompanied the WWE Hall of Famer as he stalked to the ring helped Dynamite achieve ratings dominance and jump-started a story that will culminate at Revolution on February 27 when he teams with Allin to battle Ricky Starks and Brian Cage.
In 2019, Darby Allin began his AEW run by challenging industry giants Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho for the world title on Dynamite; in 2020, he turned his potential into results, defeating Cody Rhodes to win the TNT Championship at Full Gear in November—all while combating Team Taz.
Throw in an enigmatic relationship with Sting that results in a partnership in a huge, main event-worthy tag match and you have further proof of his growth and development.
The face-painted antihero of AEW has broken out in the year-plus he has been with the company. And if this first act is any indication, the future will be dominated by the TNT champion.
There is an argument to be made that Hikaru Shida should not be in contention for a "breakout" award given her reputation before she arrived in AEW. She is, though, and one cannot argue against her winning the award.
She captured the AEW Women's Championship in May at Double or Nothing, when she beat Nyla Rose, and has successfully retained it against every challenger since. She has been nothing short of phenomenal in that span, bringing a level of competition to the women's division it needed in order to elevate itself.
On top of that, she has excelled in matches against women of all styles and background, delivering in hardcore brawls with Rose, outwrestling fellow nominees Penelope Ford and Anna Jay, and withstanding the mind games of Abadon.
With contenders eyeing her prize, she thrived. For that reason, Shida has earned the award and recognition that comes with it.
Nyla Rose puts Hikaru Shida and Riho through tables
Brian Cage sneak-attacks Jon Moxley
The Nightmare Family and Inner Circle brawl
Prediction: The Nightmare Family and Inner Circle brawl
In just the fourth episode of Dynamite, AEW produced a brawl that will live in infamy—if for no other reason than the inclusion of an iconic treat.
Ahead of the Full Gear main event for the AEW world title between Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho, a fight erupted that spilled into the arena corridor and included a stop by the Dippin' Dots stand.
The wild, chaotic scene was only aided by a flabbergasted Jericho repeatedly exclaiming he had bought a ticket to the show that night, only to be assaulted.
It was evidence from a revolutionary promotion that it would not settle for overproduced vignettes or angles; that it would spill out of the arena and into the stands, reminding fans they were in an arena and not some small corner of a "universe."
Most of all, it heated up a Rhodes-Jericho match that ended up being quite good and led to MJF's betrayal of his mentor and more stellar television.
Make no mistake about it: Marq Quen, Nick Jackson and Pac all deserve recognition as nominees in this category, but no one on the AEW roster can soar through the air with as much ease as Rey Fenix.
His ability to twist and contort his body before crashing into his opponent or sending them across the squared circle is unrivaled. In an era that has seen aerial artistry rise to heights never before seen, he is a step above everyone else.
A magician of the skies, he has used his high-flying arsenal to fuel him to a critically acclaimed victory over Jackson, a win over his brother, Penta El Zero M, and a world title match with Kenny Omega.
While he has yet to score that defining singles victory as part of the AEW roster, the future is bright and the sky is not the limit for the luchador.
Orange Cassidy drops orange juice on The Inner Circle
The Parking Lot Brawl
The Bunkhouse Match
Big Swole dumps garbage on Dr. Britt Baker
Prediction: The Parking Lot Brawl
The Parking Lot Brawl between Best Friends and Inner Circle's Santana and Ortiz is one of the best matches in AEW's short existence and deserves recognition in these awards.
A chaotic and violent battle that featured an appropriate amount of brawling to put over the intense dislike between the teams, it earned rave reviews across social media.
A genuine five-star classic that has somehow been forgotten in the months that followed it, the match remains a highlight of the company and a reminder of what is possible when overproduction and creative handcuffs are removed.
A landmark battle for AEW and a match all should be proud of...and a hell of a post-match cleanup for some unfortunate soul.
Kenny Omega wins the AEW World Championship and walks out on the company
Bloody Dr. Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida
Young Bucks frog-splash off the stadium railing
Prediction: Sammy Guevara hit by a golf cart
There were plenty of WTF moments in AEW's first full year, but few left fans laughing quite like Sammy Guevara's encounter with Matt Hardy and Kenny Omega and a confiscated golf cart.
In the middle of a wild tag team street fight, Hardy and Omega chased The Spanish God with the vehicle, eventually running him down and causing one of the best bumps you will see.
The moment immediately did the rounds on social media, enhancing Guevara's star and further solidifying AEW as the company whose creativity lent itself to the unpredictable and unforgettable.
Britt Baker's bloodied face during her match with Hikaru Shida was special enough to warrant its own T-shirt, but that spot with Guevara and Co. was as spectacular as anything the company produced in 2020.
Prediction: Chris Jericho and MJF's Dinner Debonair
Britt Baker waxing Tony Schiavone's chest and The Inner Circle's trip to Las Vegas may have been more traditionally funny, but the sheer absurdity of Jericho and MJF's Dinner Debonair segment should earn it the win here.
More than the creativity of the segment and the completely unexpected turn it took was the commitment by both performers to the material. They were absolutely invested in their performance, and the result was one of the most surreal segments in pro wrestling history.
Some loved it, some hated it, but it was the talk of that particular episode of Dynamite and even earned recognition from the New York Times in its year-end list of best performances.
In this instance, originality and concept help fuel the segment and should earn it the win.
All four nominees in this category bring their unique characters and personalities to their Twitter game, but none are quite as true to form as Freshly Squeezed.
Sure, MJF lets his angry, sarcastic, "eff-you" persona shine through with every tap of the tweet button, but it is Cassidy's lackadaisical approach that appeals to fans of the bare minimum. Unbothered by detractors and unfazed by the momentous, he sticks with what works.
It is for that reason that he is among the most popular wrestlers on the planet right now, a major merchandise mover for AEW and one of the company's brightest stars.
All four nominees in this category figure to shape the immediate and long-term future of the company, making their presence and interactions with fans via social media that much more important.
Jon Moxley wins the AEW World Championship (Revolution 2020)
Hikaru Shida wins the AEW Women's Championship (Double or Nothing 2020)
Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page defeat The Young Bucks (Revolution 2020)
Darby Allin wins the TNT Championship from Cody Rhodes (Full Gear 2020)
The Young Bucks win the AEW Tag Team Championships (Full Gear 2020)
Prediction: Stadium Stampede
Wrestling fans like the new, innovative and exciting. In 2020, they also discovered an appreciation for the cinematic.
As the COVID-19 pandemic forced promotions out of their traditional arenas, AEW took the main event of its Double or Nothing pay-per-view into TIAA Bank Stadium, home to the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. There, it produced a wholly unforgettable Stadium Stampede match.
The contest, a collection of mini stories and high spots, culminated with the jaw-dropping One-Winged Angel by Kenny Omega to Sammy Guevara from the stands and through a specially made wooden platform.
From Matt Hardy's numerous rebirths to Omega and Hangman Page bonding over beer and milk, Page riding a horse into battle and The Young Bucks' splash from the stands that drove Chris Jericho through a table, the match had something for everyone.
The greatest competition from its fellow nominees was the AEW Tag Team Championship match pitting Omega and Page against the Bucks. That is one of the greatest tag team matches witnessed in North America, deserves recognition and would not surprise as the fans' choice for PPV Moment of the Year.
If anything, the strong pool of contenders proves just how lucky fans have been to witness excellence each time AEW hits B/R Live for one of its PPV extravaganzas.
