February 27, (THEWILL) – The Laureus World Sports Academy, has announced the nominees for the landmark 25th Laureus World Sports Awards, taking place in Madrid this April. Lionel Messi, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Mikaela Shiffrin, lead a star-studded list of nominees for the prestigious accolades honouring sporting achievement in 2023.
Football icon Messi is nominated for the Sportsman of the Year prize for a second straight year after he made history in 2023, winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina. Tennis great Djokovic also eyes the top men’s honour after capturing three Grand Slam titles last season. Other top male athletes nominated include footballer Erling Haaland, Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen and England midfielder Jude Bellingham.
On the women’s side, top-ranked Swiatek and decorated skier Shiffrin are favourites for the Sportswoman of the Year award. Teenage tennis sensation Coco Gauff and Ballon D’Or Feminin winner Aitana Bonmati round out the category.
The 2024 Laureus Awards, considered the ‘Oscars’ of sport, will take place on April 22nd in Madrid. The annual event honours the world’s best sportspeople across eight categories like Breakthrough of the Year and Comeback of the Year.
Last year, Messi made Laureus history by winning two awards – Sportsman of the Year and Team of the Year with World Cup winners Argentina. The 2023 ceremony also saw Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Alcaraz and Eriksen among other big winners.
With such an iconic list of 2024 nominees, the upcoming Laureus Awards promises to be another unforgettable night celebrating athletic greatness.
The full list of nominees includes:
Sportsman of the Year:
Lionel Messi
Novak Djokovic
Erling Haaland
Max Verstappen
Mondo Duplantis
Noah Lyles
Sportswoman of the Year:
Iga Swiatek
Mikaela Shiffrin
Aitana Bonmati
Faith Kipyegon
Shericka Jackson
Sha’Carri Richardson
Team of the Year:
Manchester City
Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team
South Africa Springboks
Spain women’s football team
Europe Ryder Cup team
Germany men’s basketball team
Breakthrough of the Year:
Jude Bellingham
Coco Gauff
Linda Caicedo
Qin Haiyang
Josh Kerr
Salma Paralluelo
Comeback of the Year:
Simone Biles
Sebastien Haller
Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Siya Kolisi
Jamal Murray
Marketa Vondrousova
Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability:
Simone Barlaam
Danylo Chufarov
Diede de Groot
Luca Ekler
Nicole Murray
Markus Rehm
Sportsperson of the Year:
Rayssa Leal
Caroline Marks
Kirsten Neuschafer
Bethany Shriever
Filipe Toledo
Arisa Trew
Sport for Good Award:
Bola Pra Frente
Dancing Grounds
Fundacion Rafa Nadal
ISF Cambodia
Justice Desk Africa
Obiettivo Napoli
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
