Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona, Multiple Olympic gymnastic gold medal winner, Simone Biles, and four-time Formula 1 champion, Max Verstappen, are among a number of top sports stars nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards.
Biles, the most decorated gymnast, is nominated in the women’s category along with last year’s winner, Bonmati, as well as 400m track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, 1500m title holder Faith Kipyegon, marathon champion Sifan Hassan, and women’s top tennis player Aryna Sabalenka.
Verstappen, who won the men’s award in 2023, is nominated for the men’s award alongside pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis, swimming star Leon Marchand, cycling champion Tadej Pogacar, and tennis star Carlos Alcaraz.
Three Spanish football teams – Real Madrid men, Spain men and Barcelona women, along with USA men’s basketball team, McLaren F1, and reigning NBA champions Boston Celtics are nominated for the Team of the Year award.
Nominees for the awards are selected by a panel of journalists and broadcasters with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in Madrid on April 16, 2025.
Nominees List
Sportsman of the Year
Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) – tennis
Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) – athletics
Leon Marchand (France) – swimming
Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) – cycling
Max Verstappen (Netherlands) – Formula 1
World Sportswoman of the Year
Simone Biles (USA) – gymnastics
Aitana Bonmati (Spain) – football
Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) – athletics
Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) – athletics
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) – athletics
Aryna Sabalenka – tennis
Team of the Year
FC Barcelona women – football
Boston Celtics – basketball
McLaren – Formula 1
Real Madrid men – football
Spain men – football
USA men – basketball
Breakthrough of the Year
Julien Alfred (St Lucia) – athletics
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany) – football
Summer McIntosh (Canada) – swimming
Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) – athletics
Victor Wembanyama (France) – basketball
Lamine Yamal (Spain) – football
Comeback of the Year
Rebeca Andrade (Brazil) – gymnastics
Caeleb Dressel (USA) – swimming
Lara Gut-Behrami (Switzerland) – alpine skiing
Marc Marquez (Spain) – motor cycling
Rishabh Pant (India) – cricket
Ariarne Titmus (Australia) – swimming
Action Sportsperson of the Year
Yuto Horigome (Japan) – skateboarding
Chloe Kim (USA) – snowboarding
Caroline Marks (USA) – surfing
Aleksandra Miroslaw (Poland) – speed climbing
Tom Pidcock (GB) – mountain biking
Arisa Trew (Australia) – skateboarding
Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) – athletics
Teresa Perales (Spain) – swimming
Tokito Oda (Japan) – wheelchair tennis
Matt Stutzman (USA) – archery
Jiang Yuyan (China) – swimming
Qu Zimo (China) – wheelchair badminton
Sport for Good Award
Kick4life (Lesotho) – football & gender equity
Figure Skating in Harlem (USA) – figure skating & racial equity
Kind Surf (Spain) – surfing & inclusion
Liberi Nantes (Italy) – football & social inclusion
Paris Basket 18 (France) – basketball & gender equity
Street League (UK) – multi-sport & employability