Athlete of the Year

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Athlete of the Year is an award given by various sports organizations for the athlete whom they have determined to be deserving of such recognition.

Contents

Definition of "athlete"

Similar names for the award

The awards have various titles, examples include "Player of the Year" and "Sportspersonality of the Year". In the United States, several states choose a simple "Mr." or "Miss" prefix, such as Mr. Basketball (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, North Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin). Such awards — general and one-sport-only — are common at the high-school, college (university), and professional levels in the United States.

List of athlete of the year awards

Athletics (track and field)

All sports

Worldwide

Awards with deliberate global scope, consistently nominating an international mix of athletes

Continental
Regional
Nationwide

Awards that focus (either predominantly or exclusively) on sportspersons from the host country

Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria

Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina

Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia

Flag of Austria.svg Austria

Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium

Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina

Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil

Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria

Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada

Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia

Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic

Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark

Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia

Flag of Finland.svg Finland

Flag of France.svg France

Flag of Germany.svg Germany

Flag of Greece.svg Greece

Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary

Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland

Flag of India.svg India

Flag of Iran.svg Iran

Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland

Flag of Italy.svg Italy

Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica

Flag of Japan.svg Japan

Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya

Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia

Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania

Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg

Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia

Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova

Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro

Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands

Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand

Flag of Norway.svg Norway

Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines

Flag of Poland.svg Poland

Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal

Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia

Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia

Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia

Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa

Flag of Spain.svg Spain

Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden

Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland

Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine

Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom

Flag of the United States.svg United States
The presence of "Sportsman" in the name doesn't imply that the award is open solely to men; women have frequently won these awards.

Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu

Defunct

Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia

Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union

Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Yugoslavia

One sport (other than track and field)

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 The Best Female and Best Male College Basketball and Best College Football Player ESPY Awards — awarded from 1993 to 2001 — were absorbed in 2002 by the Best Female and Best Male College Athlete ESPY Awards.

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Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated has annually presented the Sportsman of the Year award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the vast majority of winners have been from the United States. Both men and women have won the award, originally called "Sportsman of the Year" and renamed "Sportswoman of the Year" or "Sportswomen of the Year" when applicable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESPY Award</span> Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards Event

An ESPY Award is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC except 2020, and previously ESPN, to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993. Because of the ceremony's rescheduling prior to the 2002 iteration thereof, awards presented in 2002 were for achievement and performances during the seventeen-plus previous months. As the similarly styled Grammy, Emmy, Academy Award, and Tony, the ESPYs are hosted by a contemporary celebrity; the style, though, is lighter, more relaxed and self-referential than many other awards shows, with comedic sketches usually included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laureus World Sports Awards</span> Annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports

The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founding patrons Daimler and Richemont. It is supported by its global partners Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. The awards support the work of Laureus Sport for Good, which supports over 160 community projects in more than 40 countries. These programmes aim to use the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage, and prove that sport has the power to change the world. The name "Laureus" is derived from the Greek word for laurel, considered a traditional symbol of victory in athletics.

The United Press International Athlete of the Year Award was conferred annually between 1974 and 1995, one each to the individuals adjudged, without restriction to nationality or sport contested, to be the male and female athlete of the year by a panel of sportswriters and editors constituted under the auspices of the United Press International.

The Best Male Athlete ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Outstanding Male Athlete ESPY Award, is an annual award honoring the achievements of individual men from the world of sports. It has been presented annually at the ESPY Awards since 1993 to the male voted irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best athlete in a given calendar year. The Best Male Athlete ESPY Award trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, is presented to the recipient at an annual ceremony in Los Angeles. Since 2004, the winner has been chosen by online balloting through three to five choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. Before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts. Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in July and reflect performance from the June previous.

The Best College Football Player ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2001 to the collegiate American football player adjudged to be the best in the United States in a given calendar year. The award was subsumed in 2002 by the Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award.

The ESPY Award for Best College Athlete, Men's Sports, known before 2021 as the Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award, is an annual award honoring the achievements of a male individual from the world of collegiate sports. It was first presented as part of the ESPY Awards in 2002, following the subsumption of the Best College Football Player and Best Male College Basketball Player ESPY Awards, each of which had been presented annually between 1993 and 2001, inclusive. The award trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, is awarded to the sportsman adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year of those contesting collegiate sport in the United States through the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The ESPY Award for Best College Athlete, Women's Sports, known before 2021 as the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award, is an annual award honoring the achievements of a female individual from the world of collegiate sports. It was first presented as part of the ESPY Awards in 2002, following the subsumption of the Best Female College Basketball Player ESPY Award, which was presented annually between the 1993 and 2001 ceremonies, inclusive. The award trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, is awarded to the sportswoman adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year of those contesting collegiate sport in the United States through the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since the 2004 awards, the winner has been chosen by online voting through three to five nominees selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. Before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts. Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in July and reflect performance from the June previous.

The Best Female Soccer Player ESPY Award was presented annually between 2002 and 2004 to the female soccer player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year among those contesting the sport on the professional or international level. The award—and the Best Male Soccer Player ESPY Award—evolved from the Best Soccer Player ESPY Award, which was awarded in 2000 and 2001, and the latter once more absorbed the gender-specific awards in 2005.

The Best U.S. Olympian ESPY Award was presented in 2002 and 2006 to the sportsperson or team, irrespective of gender, affiliated with the United States Olympic Committee and contesting sport internationally adjudged to be the best. The award serves in practice to replace the gender-specific Best Male and Best Female Olympic Performance ESPY Awards, which were presented in 2005. The Best U.S. Male Olympian ESPY Award and Best U.S. Female Olympian ESPY Award superseded this award.

The Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the sportsperson, irrespective of gender, contesting a team sport professionally under the auspices of one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada or an individual sport on either an amateur or professional basis primarily in the United States or internationally under the auspices of a sport governing body adjudged to have made the most significant, profound, or impressive comeback from serious illness, injury, personal or familial hardship, retirement, or significant loss of form.

The Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award is an annual award honoring the achievements of a male individual from the world of disabled sports. Established with the aid of disability advocate and former United States Paralympic soccer player Eli Wolff, the accolade's trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, is presented to the disabled sportsman adjudged to be the best at the annual ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award was first bestowed as part of the ESPY Awards in 2005 after the non-gender specific Best Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award was presented the previous three years. Balloting for the award is undertaken by fans over the Internet from between three and five choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee, which is composed of a panel of experts. It is conferred in July to reflect performance and achievement over the preceding twelve months.

The German Sportspersonality of the Year has been chosen annually since 1947, with separate awards made for men and women. The record holder is tennis player Steffi Graf, who won five awards. Swimmer Michael Groß, tennis player Boris Becker, and high jumper Ulrike Meyfarth each have four awards. Since 1957 the sport journalists also vote for Germany's Sportsteam of the Year.

The Best Olympian, Men's Sports ESPY Award formerly known as the Best U.S. Male Olympian ESPY Award has been presented annually since 2009 to the sportsman or team affiliated with the United States Olympic Committee and contesting sport internationally adjudged to be the best. The award serves in practice to replace the Best Male Olympic Performance ESPY Award, which was presented in 2005, and the Best U.S. Olympian ESPY Award presented in 2006.

The Best Olympian, Women's Sports ESPY Award formerly known as the Best U.S. Female Olympian ESPY Award has been presented annually since 2009 to the sportswoman or team affiliated with the United States Olympic Committee and contesting sport internationally adjudged to be the best. The award serves in practice to replace the Best Female Olympic Performance ESPY Award, which was presented in 2005, and the Best U.S. Olympian ESPY Award presented in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awards of Olympic Committee of Serbia</span>

Awards of Olympic Committee of Serbia are proclaimed since 1994, at the end of each calendar year, to the most successful athletes. From 1994 to 2003 name was FR Yugoslavia and from 2003 to 2006 Serbia and Montenegro. Initially declared sportswoman and sportsman, and later introduced the award for best the women's team, the men's team, coach and young sportsperson. The competition includes results from current Olympic sports, also and from Chess Olympiad. Trophies are traditionally awarded at a gala evening at the House of the National Assembly.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports Awards were first held in 1986 and recognize the sporting achievements of Indigenous and Islander athletes. The Awards were not held between 2004 and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newsfirst Platinum Awards</span> Sports awards

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