Athlete of the Year

Award given by various sports organizations

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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.

## Definition of "athlete"

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For the etymology of "athlete", see Athlete.

* In many nations, an "athlete" primarily refers to someone who participates in the various disciplines of athletics (track and field, racewalking, cross country and road running)
* In other nations — including Canada and the United States — an "athlete" equals "sportsperson" (from any sport).

## Similar names for the award

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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

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### Athletics (track and field)

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* World's Greatest Athlete (decathlon for men, heptathlon for women)
* World Athlete of the Year (World Athletics formerly known as the IAAF)
* European Athlete of the Year (European Athletic Association)
* Track & Field News Athlete of the Year
* The Bowerman (collegiate track & field's athlete of the year)

### All sports

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#### Worldwide

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

* Laureus World Sports Awards
* TIME Athlete of the Year
* L'Équipe Champion of Champions—excludes French nationals
* BBC World Sport Star of the Year—excludes British nationals
* The Sporting News Athlete of the Year
* United Press International Athlete of the Year Award
* Gazzetta Sports Awards
* Giuseppe Sciacca International Awards Sports Prize
* United States Sports Academy Athlete of the Year

#### Continental

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* European Sportsperson of the Year

#### Regional

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* BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year

#### Nationwide

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

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (February 2023)

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Algeria

* Algeria Best Athletes of the Year

Argentina

* Olimpia Award

Australia

* AIS Athlete of the Year

Austria

* Austrian Sportspersonality of the year

Belgium

* Belgian Sportsman of the year

Bosnia and Herzegovina

* Bosnia and Herzegovina Sportsperson of the Year

Brazil

* Prêmio Brasil Olímpico

Bulgaria

* Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year

Canada

* Lou Marsh Trophy (athlete of the year, of either sex)
* Lionel Conacher Award (male athlete of the year)
* Bobbie Rosenfeld Award (female athlete of the year)
* Velma Springstead Trophy (female athlete of the year)
* Tom Longboat Awards (indigenous athletes)

Croatia

* Sportske novosti awards

Czech Republic

* Sportsperson of the Year

Denmark

* Danish Sports Name of the Year

Estonia

* Estonian Sportspersonality of the year

Finland

* Finnish Sports Personality of the Year

France

* L'Équipe Champion of Champions

Germany

* German Sportspersonality of the Year

Greece

* PSAT Sports Awards

Hungary

* Hungarian Sportspeople of the Year

Iceland

* Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year

India

* Khel Ratna Award

Iran

* Iran Sportsperson of the year

Ireland

* RTÉ Sports Person of the Year

Italy

* Gazzetta Sports Awards
* Giuseppe Sciacca International Awards Sports Prize

Jamaica

* Jamaica Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year

Japan

* Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize

Kenya

* Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year

Latvia

* Latvian Sportspersonality of the year

Lithuania

* Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year

Luxembourg

* Luxembourgish Sportspeople of the Year

Malaysia

* Anugerah Sukan Negara for Sportsman of the Year
* Anugerah Sukan Negara for Sportswoman of the Year

Moldova

* Moldovan Sportsman of the year

Montenegro

* Sportsperson of the Year

Netherlands

* Dutch Sportsman of the year

New Zealand

* Halberg Awards

Norway

* Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year

Philippines

* PSA Sportsman of the Year

Poland

* Polish Sportspersonality of the Year

Portugal

* CDP Awards

Serbia

* Golden badge Sport—athlete of the year

Slovakia

* Sportsperson of the Year

Slovenia

* Slovenian Sportsman of the year

South Africa

* South African Sportsperson of the Year

Spain

* Premios Nacionales del Deporte

Sweden

* Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal
* Radiosportens Jerringpris
* Svenska idrottsgalan

Switzerland

* Swiss Sports Personality of the Year

Ukraine

* Heroes of Sports Year

United Kingdom

* BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
* BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year
* BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year
* BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year

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.

* Associated Press Athlete of the Year (AP)
* Best Female Athlete ESPY Award
* Best Male Athlete ESPY Award
* Sporting News Sportsman/Pro Athlete of the Year
* Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year
* USOC Athlete of the Year
* Sportswoman of the Year Award (Women's Sports Foundation)
* United Press International Athlete of the Year Award (UPI) (defunct)
* NCAA Woman of the Year Award (student-athlete)
* Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award[1]
* Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award[1]
* Atlantic Coast Conference Athlete of the Year (ACC)
* Big Ten Athlete of the Year

Vanuatu

* Vanuatu Sports Awards

#### Defunct

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Czechoslovakia

* Czechoslovakia Sportsperson of the Year

Soviet Union

* Soviet Union top ten athletes of the year

Yugoslavia

* DSL Sport Golden Badge Best Athlete
* Sportske novosti Athlete of the Year

### One sport (other than track and field)

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* International Baseball Federation Senior Athlete of the Year
* U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year (U.S. Soccer Federation) (association football)
* Golden Year Award at association football, Neymar last winner
* Leigh Matthews Trophy (Australian Football League) (Australian rules football)
* Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Player Award (Canadian football)
* GAA All Stars Awards (Gaelic games)
* All Stars Footballer of the Year (Gaelic football)
* All Stars Hurler of the Year (hurling)
* Ladies' Gaelic football All Stars Awards (Ladies' Gaelic football)
* Camogie All Stars Awards (camogie)
* Rounders All Stars Awards (rounders)
* National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (U.S.) (American football)
* Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (Japan)
* MLB Most Valuable Player Award (Major League Baseball) (U.S. & Canada)
* Players Choice Awards Player of the Year (Major League Baseball) (U.S. & Canada)
* Sporting News Player of the Year (Major League Baseball) (U.S. & Canada)
* Sporting News MLB Athlete of the Decade (Major League Baseball) (U.S. & Canada)
* ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year (Atlantic Coast Conference) (college/university) (U.S.)
* Baseball America High School Player of the Year Award (U.S.)

## See also

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* Rookie of the Year (award)

## Footnotes

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1. ^ a b 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.

* v
* t
* e

Sportsperson of the Year

National|

* Algeria
* Argentina
* Australia
* Austria
* Belgium
* Sportsman of the Year
* Sports Merit Award
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Brazil
* Bulgaria
* Canada
* Northern Star Award (general)
* Conacher (male)
* Rosenfeld (female)
* Springstead (female)
* Croatia
* Czechoslovakia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* India
* Iran
* Ireland
* Italy
* La Gazzetta
* International Sports Prize
* Jamaica
* Japan
* Kenya
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malaysia
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Norway
* Philippines
* Poland
* Portugal
* Serbia
* NOC
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* South Africa
* Spain
* Sweden
* Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal
* Jerring Award
* Swedish Sports Awards
* Switzerland
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* Main award
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales
* United States
* AP
* ESPY
* female
* male
* The Sporting News
* Sports Illustrated
* NOC
* USSR
* Vanuatu
* Yugoslavia
* Sport
* Sportske novosti
* Zimbabwe

Regional|

* BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year

Continental|

* European Sportsperson of the Year

World|

* BBC World Sport Star of the Year
* International Sports Prize
* La Gazzetta
* Laureus Awards
* L'Équipe Champion of Champions

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