Awards & honors

All-Star SelectionBeing picked for the league's showcase team — a peer-, coach- and public-voted marker of … Athlete of the YearThe federation's own annual verdict — World Athlete of the Year, Swimmer of the Year, nat… Coach of the YearThe season's verdict on the bench — conferred by federations, leagues, conferences and co… Continental ChampionChampion of a continent — the European, Pan American, Asian, African or Oceanian title, a… Greatest of All Time (GOAT)The honours that have actually conferred the title — five bodies in 1999, five methods, f… Hall of FameInduction as a career honour — permanent recognition by a sport, a league, a country or a… Junior & Youth World ChampionWorld titles at U18, U20 and U23 — a full parallel championship structure run by the same… Most Valuable Player (MVP)The single player judged most important to a season, a league or a championship — America… National ChampionThe title won at a country's national championships — the single most common national-lev… National RecordThe best mark ever set by an athlete of a given country — ratified by the national federa… Olympic MedalGold, silver and bronze at the Olympic or Paralympic Games — the most widely recognized a… Player of the YearThe annual verdict on who was best — voted by federations, coaches associations and the t… Rainbow JerseyCycling's world champion's jersey — worn for a full year in the discipline it was won in,… Rookie of the YearThe best first-year competitor in a league — an award that identifies arrival at the top … Team of the YearThe collective award — federation, league and cross-sport honours naming the outstanding … World ChampionThe title held by the winner of a sport's world championship — the highest single honour … World No. 1 RankingTop of the world ranking — a rolling, computed honour that no panel votes on and that can… World RecordThe best performance ever recorded in an event, ratified by the international federation …

Academic All-AmericanThe honour that requires both — a national-level athletic season and a grade-point averag… All-AmericanThe annual honor identifying the best college athletes in each sport in the United States… All-ConferenceNamed to the best team in a conference — the honour every American college athlete meets … AP NFL Most Valuable PlayerThe Associated Press MVP — professional football's headline individual award, voted by a … Ballon d'OrSoccer's oldest and most famous individual prize — awarded by France Football since 1956,… Conference Player of the YearOne athlete per conference per season — the single highest individual honour a league of … Crystal GlobeThe FIS World Cup trophy — a season-long points title, awarded overall and by discipline … Cy Young AwardThe best pitcher in each major league — voted by the Baseball Writers' Association of Ame… ESPY AwardsESPN's annual televised awards — fan-voted across American and international sport, and t… FEI AwardsEquestrian sport's annual honours — Best Athlete, Rising Star, Against All Odds, Best Gro… Golden Boot & Golden BallThe top scorer and best player of a tournament or a season — soccer's standard event awar… Golden Spikes AwardThe best amateur baseball player in the United States — presented by USA Baseball since 1… Hart Memorial TrophyThe NHL's most valuable player — awarded since 1924, and the oldest continuously presente… Heisman TrophyThe most outstanding player in American college football — awarded every December since 1… Hobey Baker AwardThe top player in NCAA men's ice hockey — awarded since 1981, with character and academic… ITF World ChampionTennis's governing-body title — awarded by the ITF since 1978 across singles, doubles, wh… Laureus World Sports AwardsSport's cross-discipline honours, voted by an academy of former champions — Sportsman, Sp… Naismith TrophyCollege basketball's player of the year — awarded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club since 1969 f… NBA Most Valuable PlayerThe Michael Jordan Trophy — the NBA's regular-season MVP, awarded since 1956 and voted by… Piolets d'OrAlpinism's highest honour since 1992 — awarded for the style of an ascent rather than the… Ring Fighter of the YearBoxing's oldest annual honour — awarded by The Ring since 1928, in a sport with four sanc… The Best FIFA Football AwardsSoccer's governing-body award — voted by national-team coaches, captains, media and the p… The BowermanCollege track and field's highest individual honour — awarded by the USTFCCCA since 2009 … World Aquatics Swimmer of the YearWorld Aquatics' annual athlete awards — swimmer of the year plus a winner in each aquatic… World Athlete of the YearWorld Athletics' own annual verdict — one man and one woman from every event and every co…