Indeed barracking on the internet is a thing, and it cuts both ways. I mean TLOU2 winning Metacritics GOTY win (which most people honestly didn't even know about), was something like 500% higher than previous years. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
To be honest i dont mind Metacritic users GOTY, i know its not that reliable but at least it has some basis, there are good number of users and Metacritic gives awards annually and is a known websites.
However checking that website (gameawards.net) many other awards feels like its inflated and some of them are just added to increase numbers. For example, recently they added this award given by Sword Chomp, i click on the link and it took me to Instagram page, the page says they are run by 4 guys that love video games, LOL. Its ridiculous how these GOTY trackers literally add awards left and right, all with equal value to big ones, it just doesnt make sense to me. Some video in Iranian language is actually a link to GOTY awards there, you click on it and the link takes to to a timestamp of a Youtube video of some Turkish or Iranian Youtuber who is giving GOTY awards. And ofcourse those places always award the most mainstream casual title, will they ever give Hades for example? Nope, only Sony movie games.
In the past i used to put value in number of GOTY awards, but this year after i checked many links i dont take them seriously now, in my perspective there are some GOTY awards that count and those are the known prestigious ones that have been giving awards since the 90's those outlets are probably around 100's not anymore. Therefore to reach these big numbers it must be inflated by some irrelevant ones.
And let me point this so to make it clear, GOTY winners are not necessarily my GOTYs or games that i consider to be good, some of them i dont like, but i will acknowledge as GOTY winners.
I also dont like how the old titles are suddenly gaining more awards, surprise!! we found some awards from the year 2017 for Breath of the Wild, add them, from 180's to 220's. Who knows maybe in 2030 they will find some 50 awards too?! LOL what a joke this GOTY tracker actually is. I expect more trackers will appear soon.