Player of the year award
Encyclopedia
Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player
award. The awards with the "player of the year" phrasing include these.
In association football, this award is held on both an international and national level.
In American basketball
, several such awards are given:
In baseball
, publications sometimes issue awards with this name:
In lacrosse
, two awards are given with this name, the Major League Lacrosse Offensive player of the Year Award
and the Major League Lacrosse Defensive player of the Year Award
.
In cricket
, awards for the leading international player are the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy
.
In ice hockey
, in the United Kingdom
the Player of the Year Trophy
is awarded by Ice Hockey Journalists UK
.
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award. The awards with the "player of the year" phrasing include these.
In association football, this award is held on both an international and national level.
- FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
awards a worldwide men's and women's FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA World Player of the YearThe FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
, football's highest individual honour. - English football leagues honour the PFA Players' Player of the YearPFA Players' Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
and the PFA Young Player of the YearPFA Young Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
. - Scotland has similar awards, the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the YearScottish PFA Players' Player of the YearThe Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish football...
and the Scottish PFA Young Player of the YearScottish PFA Young Player of the YearThe Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year is named at the end of every Scottish football season. The members of the Professional Footballers' Association vote on which of its young members played the best football in the previous year. The award was first given in 1978.- List of winners :-Winners...
. - Many organizations award "footballer of the year" awards. Among them are the European Footballer of the YearEuropean Footballer of the YearThe "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
, African Footballer of the YearAfrican Footballer of the YearThe African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football player each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine...
, and in English football the Football Writers' AssociationFootball Writers' AssociationThe Football Writers' Association is an association of England football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1947....
's FWA Footballer of the Year.
In American basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, several such awards are given:
- The Oscar Robertson TrophyOscar Robertson TrophyThe Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's college basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association . The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 1959...
is awarded to the college basketball player of the year by the United States Basketball Writers AssociationUnited States Basketball Writers AssociationThe United States Basketball Writers Association was founded in 1956 by Walter Byers and serves the interests of journalists who cover college basketball.-Scholarships:...
. - The Naismith College Player of the YearNaismith College Player of the YearThe Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
award is given to the best men's college player and the best women's college player. - The John R. Wooden AwardJohn R. Wooden AwardThe John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
award is given by the Los Angeles Athletic ClubLos Angeles Athletic ClubLos Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
to the best men's college player and the best women's college player.
- The National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
gives the Chip Hilton Player of the Year AwardChip Hilton Player of the Year AwardThe Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award is presented to a men's college basketball player who is a senior and who has demonstrated personal character both on and off the court, similar to the fictional Chip Hilton character depicted by Hall of Fame coach Clair Bee in the classic Chip Hilton series...
to the Division I men's basketball player who exemplifies the best character.
- The National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
awards an NBA Defensive Player of the Year AwardNBA Defensive Player of the Year AwardThe National Basketball Association's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1982–83 NBA season, to the top defensive player of the regular season...
. - The Women's National Basketball AssociationWomen's National Basketball AssociationThe Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
awards a WNBA Defensive Player of the Year AwardWNBA Defensive Player of the Year AwardThe Women's National Basketball Association's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the league's inaugural season, to the top defensive player of the regular season...
.
In baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, publications sometimes issue awards with this name:
- The Sporting NewsThe Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
awards a Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player the TSN Player of the Year AwardThe Sporting News Player of the Year AwardThis is a list of the Major League Baseball players chosen by The Sporting News since 1936 as recipients of the TSN Player of the Year Award. Until 1969, it was the only major award given to a single player from MLB, rather than to a player in each league. In 1969, Baseball Digest began its Player...
. This almost always goes to a position playerPosition playerIn baseball, a position player is a player who on defense plays as an infielder, outfielder, or catcher. This is generally all players on a team except for the pitcher, who is considered separate from the position players; in the American League, there is also a designated hitter, who bats but...
, since this magazineMagazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
also has separate awards for the best pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in each Major League. - Similarly, Baseball AmericaBaseball America Minor League Player of the Year AwardListed below in chronological order are the Minor League Baseball players chosen by Baseball America as recipients of the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award...
and USA TodayUSA Today Minor League Player of the Year AwardListed below in chronological order are the Minor League Baseball players chosen by USA Today as recipients of the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year Award...
designates their respective Minor League Player of the Year Award.
In lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, two awards are given with this name, the Major League Lacrosse Offensive player of the Year Award
Major League Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year Award
Warrior Major League Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year Award is given annually to the best all around offensive player of the MLL....
and the Major League Lacrosse Defensive player of the Year Award
Major League Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year Award
Warrior Major League Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year Award is given annually to the individual judged to be, from amongst all MLL players, the best all-around defensively across a given season. Brodie Merrill has largely dominated this award, winning it a record six consecutive...
.
In cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, awards for the leading international player are the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World
The Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World award was introduced in 2004 to complement the long-standing Wisden Cricketer of the Year awards, which are still given to five players each year....
and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy
The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy is a cricket trophy awarded annually by the International Cricket Council to its chosen world player of the Year. It was first awarded in 2004 to Rahul Dravid....
.
In ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the Player of the Year Trophy
Player of the Year Trophy (IHJUK)
The Player of the Year Trophy is an award given by Ice Hockey Journalists UK to the MVP in the Elite League and the English Premier League at the end of each season. In previous seasons it has been awarded to players in the British Hockey League's Premier and First Divisions, the Super League and...
is awarded by Ice Hockey Journalists UK
Ice Hockey Journalists UK
Ice Hockey Journalists UK, abbreviated to IHJUK, is an organisation which was set up in 1984 to promote the interests of ice hockey and its writers, photographers and broadcasters...
.