The Laureus World Sports Awards, considered the 'Sports Oscars', will be handed out this evening, April 20, in Madrid. These are one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in the world of sports, with seven categories celebrating the best individual athletes, teams, breakthroughs and community programmes with positive social impact.
In the sportsman of the year, Carlos Alcaraz from Spain, Ousmane Dembélé from France, Mondo Duplantis from Sweden, Marc Márquez from Spain, Tadej Pogaca from Slovenia, and Jannik Sinner from Italy are nominated.
In Sportswoman of the year, the candidates are Aitana Bonmatí from Spain, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden from USA, Faith Kipyegon from Kenya, Katie Ledecky from USA, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from USA, and Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus.
How to watch the Laureus Awards 2026
The Award Ceremony, held in the Cibeles Palace in Madrid (the City Hall), will start at 20:00 CEST, 19:00 BST. In most countries in Europe, it will be broadcast through HBO Max, Eurosport or Discovery+.
- Germany: Sky
- France: Bein France
- Italy: Sky Italia
- Spain: RTVE / Teledeporte
- United Kingdom and Ireland: Premier Sports
Laureus World Sports Awards 2026 nominations
Last year, Mondo Duplantis, Simone Biles and men's Real Madrid were chosen as winners in the athletes and team categories. Here's a reminder of the Laureus World Sports Awards nominees in 2026:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
- Carlos Alcaraz (tennis)
- Ousmane Dembélé (football)
- Mondo Duplantis (pole vault)
- Marc Márquez (MotoGP)
- Tadej Pogacar (cycling)
- Jannik Sinner (tennis)
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
- Aitana Bonmatí (football)
- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (athletics)
- Faith Kipyegon (athletics)
- Katie Ledecky (swimming)
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (athletics)
- Aryna Sabalenka (tennis)
Laureus World Team of the Year
- England Women's Football Team
- European Ryder Cup Team
- India Women's Cricket Team
- McLaren Formula 1 Team
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Paris Saint-Germain
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
- Désiré Doué (football)
- João Fonseca (tennis)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (basketball)
- Luke Littler (darts)
- Lando Norris (motor racing)
- Zidi Yu (swimming)
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year
- Yago Dora (surfing)
- Kilian Jornet (mountain sports)
- Chloe Kim (snowboarding)
- Rayssa Leal (skateboarding)
- Molly Picklum (surfing)
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
- Gabriel Araújo (swimming)
- Simone Barlaam (swimming)
- David Kratochvíl (swimming)
- Catherine Debrunner (athletics)
- Kiara Rodríguez (athletics)
- Kelsey DiClaudio (para ice hockey)
Laureus Sport for Good Award
- Fútbol Mas (youth sport charity)
- MindLeaps (education through dance)
- Transformación Social TRASO (martial arts + therapy)
- A.S.D. Gruppo Sportivo Valanga (inclusive sport)
- Rugby for Good (ADHD youth rugby)
- Kings County Tennis League (tennis outreach)
The Laureus World Sports Awards will be handed out in Madrid. Who do you think will win this year?
