Let’s be real for a second. If you’ve spent more than five minutes in a gaming Discord or scrolled through Twitter during the second week of December, you know that mention of the last of us game awards history is basically like throwing a match into a room full of gasoline. It’s a series that doesn't just win; it dominates, it divides, and it leaves a trail of think-pieces in its wake.
Most people remember the big moments. They remember the shiny trophies. But the story of how Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic epic basically rewrote the rulebook for award shows is a lot messier—and more interesting—than just a list of wins.
The Night That Changed Everything: 2020
You can't talk about this without going back to 2020. Honestly, that year was a fever dream for the industry. Everyone was stuck at home, and the hype for The Last of Us Part II had reached a boiling point. When the ceremony finally rolled around, the game didn't just perform well. It went on a tear.
It ended up taking home seven awards in a single night.
To put that in perspective, it broke the record for the most wins by a single game at the time. It snagged Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Audio Design. Laura Bailey even won Best Performance for her role as Abby—a win that, at the time, felt like a massive statement given the intense (and often toxic) online discourse surrounding the character.
But here’s what most people get wrong. They think the "sweep" was a foregone conclusion. It wasn't. It was up against Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, and Final Fantasy VII Remake. There was a massive divide between the critics and a vocal section of the player base. While the jury—which makes up 90% of the vote at the TGA—was clearly sold on Naughty Dog's brutal vision, the Player’s Voice award actually went to Ghost of Tsushima. That split created a narrative of "Critics vs. Fans" that still haunts the show today.
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Why the Adaptation Wins Mattered
Fast forward a bit. Suddenly, it wasn't just about the games anymore. When HBO’s The Last of Us hit the scene, it brought the franchise back to the stage in a brand-new way.
At The Game Awards 2023, the show won Best Adaptation.
It felt different than the usual trophies. This was the industry finally seeing its stories told "correctly" on the big screen (or the small one, technically). Then, just recently in 2025, the second season of the HBO series repeated the feat. Despite a year filled with tough competition like Fallout and the Minecraft Movie, the storytelling pedigree of the franchise held firm.
What’s wild is how this has changed Naughty Dog's relationship with the event. They aren't just developers showing up for a trophy; they’ve become the "prestige" anchor for the whole show. Every time Geoff Keighley mentions a Naughty Dog appearance, the viewership spikes. We saw it with the The Last of Us Part I remake reveal and the Part II Remastered trailers.
Breaking Down the Numbers (The Real Ones)
If you’re a stats nerd, the legacy of the last of us game awards is almost ridiculous. Between the two main titles, the franchise has racked up more "Game of the Year" titles from various outlets than almost any other IP in history.
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- The Last of Us Part II: 322+ GOTY awards (Combined media and reader polls).
- The Last of Us (2013): 190+ GOTY awards.
- Total TGA Wins: Over 10 across the decade.
It’s easy to look at those numbers and say, "Yeah, they’re just popular." But it goes deeper. The "Innovation in Accessibility" win in 2020 was arguably the most important trophy they ever grabbed. It set a new standard. Before that, accessibility was often an afterthought in AAA gaming. After that night? If your game doesn't have high-contrast modes or remappable controls, you're behind the curve.
The "Naughty Dog Bias" Controversy
We have to address the elephant in the room. There’s a persistent theory that the Game Awards are "rigged" for Naughty Dog. You’ve seen the memes. People claim Sony has too much influence or that the jury is biased toward "movie-games."
Here is the nuanced reality: The Game Awards jury consists of over 100 global media and influencer outlets. To rig that, you’d need a conspiracy on a scale that’s basically impossible in the leaky world of gaming journalism.
The "bias" is usually just a reflection of what the industry values at a high level:
- High-fidelity performance capture.
- Risky, subversive narrative structures.
- Industry-leading technical polish.
Whether you liked playing as Abby or not, the technical achievement of the game was undeniable. That’s usually what tips the scales when the jury sits down to vote.
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What’s Next for the Franchise at TGA?
So, where do we go from here? The dust has settled on the remasters and the second season of the show. The next big "The Last of Us Game Awards" moment is likely the reveal of the next project.
Rumors have been swirling about The Last of Us Part III or Naughty Dog’s new sci-fi IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. If history is any indication, the reveal won't happen on a random Tuesday on a blog post. It’ll happen on that stage, in front of millions, with a live orchestra playing a haunting Gustavo Santaolalla theme.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're following the trajectory of these awards, here's how to look at the data moving forward:
- Watch the Jury, Not Just the Polls: If you want to predict the next winner, look at the critical consensus on Metacritic. The Player's Voice is a popularity contest; the main awards are a "prestige" contest.
- Accessibility is the New Standard: For indie and AA developers, the TGA wins for TLOU show that accessibility is no longer optional if you want to compete for top honors.
- Adaptations are the New Frontier: The "Best Adaptation" category is now a permanent fixture. Expect more "prestige" TV creators to look at the TLOU blueprint for future projects.
The legacy of the franchise at these shows isn't just about the plastic trophies. It’s about the fact that we’re still arguing about a game that came out years ago. That, in itself, is the biggest win any developer can ask for.
Next Steps for You: To see the full breakdown of how the 2020 jury voted versus the public, you can check the archived voting data on the official Game Awards website. Alternatively, watching the "Grounded II" documentary provides a raw look at the development team's reaction to the wins and the surrounding controversy during that era.