View source for Athlete of the Year

{{Short description|Award given by various sports organizations}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2024}}
'''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"==
{{For|the etymology of "athlete"|Athlete}}
*In many nations, an "athlete" primarily refers to someone who participates in the various disciplines of [[athletics (sport)|athletics]] ([[track and field]], [[racewalking]], [[cross country running|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==
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 [[:Category:Mr. and Miss Basketball awards|Mr. Basketball]] ([[Illinois Mr. Basketball|Illinois]], [[Indiana Mr. Basketball|Indiana]], [[Iowa Mr. Basketball|Iowa]], [[List of Kentucky "Mr. Basketball" award winners|Kentucky]], [[Mr. Basketball of Michigan|Michigan]], [[North Dakota Mr. Basketball Award|North Dakota]], [[Utah Mr. Basketball|Utah]], and [[Wisconsin "Mr. Basketball" Award|Wisconsin]]). Such awards — general and one-sport-only — are common at the high-school, [[college athletics|college]] ([[university]]), and professional levels in the United States.

==List of athlete of the year awards==

===Athletics (track and field)===
*[[Sportsperson#"World's Greatest Athlete"|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===
====Worldwide====
Awards with deliberate global scope, consistently nominating an international mix of athletes
*[[Laureus World Sports Awards#Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year|Laureus World Sports Awards]]
*[[Time Person of the Year#Athlete of the Year|TIME Athlete of the Year]]
*[[L'Équipe Champion of Champions#International|L'Équipe Champion of Champions]]—excludes French nationals
*[[BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year|BBC World Sport Star of the Year]]—excludes British nationals
*[[The Sporting News#Athlete of the Year 2|The Sporting News Athlete of the Year]]
*[[United Press International Athlete of the Year Award]]
*[[Gazzetta Sports Awards#Worldwide|Gazzetta Sports Awards]]
*[[Giuseppe Sciacca International Awards Sports Prize]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20141217200120/http://ussa.edu/news/sports-academys-game-of-the-year-award/ United States Sports Academy Athlete of the Year]

====Continental====
*[[European Sportsperson of the Year]]

====Regional====
*[[BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year]]

====Nationwide====
Awards that focus (either predominantly or exclusively) on sportspersons from the host country
{{Incomplete list|date=February 2023}}

{{Flagu|Algeria}}
*[[Sport in Algeria#Best athletes of the year|Algeria Best Athletes of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Argentina}}
*[[Olimpia Award]]
{{Flagu|Australia}}
*[[Australian Institute of Sport Awards#AIS Athlete of the Year|AIS Athlete of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Austria}}
*[[Austrian Sportspersonality of the year]]
{{Flagu|Belgium}}
*[[Belgian Sportsman of the year]]
{{Flagu|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
*[[Bosnia and Herzegovina Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Brazil}}
*[[Prêmio Brasil Olímpico]]
{{Flagu|Bulgaria}}
*[[Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|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)
{{Flagu|Croatia}}
*[[Sportske novosti awards]]
{{Flagu|Czech Republic}}
*[[Sportsperson of the Year (Czech Republic)|Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Denmark}}
*[[Danish Sports Name of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Estonia}}
*[[Estonian Sportspersonality of the year]]
{{Flagu|Finland}}
*[[Finnish Sports Personality of the Year]]
{{Flagu|France}}
*[[L'Équipe Champion of Champions#France|L'Équipe Champion of Champions]]
{{Flagu|Germany}}
*[[German Sportspersonality of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Greece}}
*[[PSAT Sports Awards]]
{{Flagu|Hungary}}
*[[Hungarian Sportspeople of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Iceland}}
*[[Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|India}}
*[[Khel Ratna Award]]
{{Flagu|Iran}}
*[[Iran Sportsperson of the year]]
{{Flagu|Ireland}}
*[[RTÉ Sports Person of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Italy}}
*[[Gazzetta Sports Awards]]
*[[Giuseppe Sciacca International Awards Sports Prize]]
{{Flagu|Jamaica}}
*[[Jamaica Sportsperson of the year|Jamaica Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Japan}}
*[[Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize]]
{{Flagu|Kenya}}
*[[Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Latvia}}
*[[Latvian Sportspersonality of the year]]
{{Flagu|Lithuania}}
*[[Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Luxembourg}}
*[[Luxembourgish Sportspeople of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Malaysia}}
*[[Anugerah Sukan Negara for Sportsman of the Year]]
*[[Anugerah Sukan Negara for Sportswoman of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Moldova}}
*[[Moldovan Sportsman of the year]]
{{Flagu|Montenegro}}
*[[Awards of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee|Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Netherlands}}
*[[Dutch Sportsman of the year]]
{{Flagu|New Zealand}}
*[[Halberg Awards]]
{{Flagu|Norway}}
*[[Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Philippines}}
*[[PSA Sportsman of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Poland}}
*[[Polish Sportspersonality of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Portugal}}
*[[CDP Awards]]
{{Flagu|Serbia}}
*[[DSL Sport#Golden badge|Golden badge Sport]]—athlete of the year 
{{Flagu|Slovakia}}
*[[Sportsperson of the Year (Slovakia)|Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Slovenia}}
*[[Slovenian Sportsman of the year]]
{{Flagu|South Africa}}
*[[South African Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Spain}}
*[[Premios Nacionales del Deporte]]
{{Flagu|Sweden}}
*[[Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal]]
*[[Radiosportens Jerringpris]]
*[[Svenska idrottsgalan]]
{{Flagu|Switzerland}}
*[[Swiss Sports Personality of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Ukraine}}
*[[Heroes of Sports Year (Ukraine)|Heroes of Sports Year]]
{{Flagu|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]]
{{Flagu|United States}}<br>
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#List of winners|Best Male Athlete ESPY Award]]
*[[Sporting News#Sportsman of the Year|''Sporting News'' Sportsman/Pro Athlete of the Year]]
*[[Sports Illustrated Sportsperson 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]]<ref name=college>The [[Best Female College Basketball Player ESPY Award|Best Female]] and [[Best Male College Basketball Player ESPY Award|Best Male College Basketball]] and [[Best College Football Player ESPY Award]]s — awarded from [[1993 in sports|1993]] to [[2001 in sports|2001]] — were absorbed in [[2002 in sports|2002]] by the [[Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award|Best Female]] and [[Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award]]s.</ref>
*[[Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award]]<ref name=college/>
*[[ACC Athlete of the Year|Atlantic Coast Conference Athlete of the Year]] (ACC)
*[[Big Ten Athlete of the Year]]
{{Flagu|Vanuatu}}
*[[Vanuatu Sports Awards]]

====Defunct====
{{Flagu|Czechoslovakia}}
*[[Sportsperson of the Year (Czechoslovakia)|Czechoslovakia Sportsperson of the Year]]
{{Flagu|USSR}}
*[[Soviet Union top ten athletes of the year]]
{{Flagu|Yugoslavia}}
*[[DSL Sport|DSL Sport Golden Badge Best Athlete]]
*[[Sportske novosti awards#Yugoslav competition (1950–1990)|Sportske novosti Athlete of the Year]]

===One sport (other than track and field)===
*[[Baseball awards#International Baseball Federation (IBAF)|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]])
*[[CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award|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 Award|''Players Choice Awards'' Player of the Year]] (Major League Baseball) (U.S. & Canada)
*[[Sporting News#Major League Baseball|''Sporting News'' Player of the Year]] (Major League Baseball) (U.S. & Canada)
*[[Sporting News#One-time only|''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|''Baseball America'' High School Player of the Year Award]] (U.S.)

==See also==
*[[Rookie of the Year (award)]]

==Footnotes==
<references/>

{{National Sportsperson of the Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Athlete Of The Year}}
[[Category:Most valuable player awards]]
[[Category:Sports trophies and awards]]