The nominations for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2023 have been announced and this year, the world’s pre-eminent sporting awards ceremony will celebrate not only athletes who thrilled sports fans over the previous 12 months but several who will end their careers with a claim to be the greatest in the history of their sport.
Six nominees have been selected across seven nominated Laureus categories, with six inspirational programs also shortlisted for the Laureus Sport for Good Award. The more than 1,400 members of the Laureus Global Media Nominations Panel decided on all but one category – the shortlist for the Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability Award was chosen by a specialist panel from the International Paralympic Committee. But what makes these Awards unique is the final stage of the judging process: a vote by the 71 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy – Olympic champions, world-record breakers, athletes who redefined their sports and who now make up the ultimate jury on sporting greatness. The Award winners in these categories and recipients of the Awards presented at the discretion of the Laureus World Sports Academy will be announced at the Laureus World Sports Awards in the Spring.
The nominees for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award spent 2022 climbing to the very pinnacle of their sport. Lionel Messi collected the one prize that had eluded him by leading Argentina to the World Cup. Kylian Mbappe’s hat trick in the final earned him the Golden Boot as the World Cup’s leading goalscorer. Rafael Nadal ended 2022 alone at the top of the all-time list of men’s Grand Slam champions with 22 titles after victory in Australia and France. Max Verstappen joins Messi and Nadal as past winners of this Award on the 2023 shortlist after defending his Formula One world title. Mondo Duplantis broke the pole vault world record on three occasions and won world titles indoors and out. Steph Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a fourth NBA championship in eight years.
Formula One world champion and current Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Max Verstappen said: “It’s an honour to be nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. Winning last year was an incredible moment for me: it is such a prestigious accolade, and it means even more when you’re up against the world’s best athletes. To be shortlisted again is an achievement in itself, so thank you to my team Oracle Red Bull Racing for the support throughout our Championship winning year, and thank you to the world’s media for nominating me.”
The race for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award is led by two athletes who lit up the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became a five-time champion over 100m, while Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added the world title to her Olympic crown with a world record in the 400m hurdles.