Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year
{{Short description|Annual award}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox award
| name = Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year
| image = Simone Biles National Team 2024.jpg
| imagesize = 150px
| alt =
| caption = Simone Biles, 2025 winner
| awarded_for = "the most remarkable women from the world of sport along with the greatest achievements fans have admired throughout the year."
| presenter = Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
| country =
| location = Madrid (2025)
| year = 2000
| year2 =
| holder = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|USA}} Simone Biles}} (4th award)
| most_awards = {{flagicon|USA}} Serena Williams
{{flagicon|USA}} Simone Biles
(4 awards each)
| most_nominations = {{flagicon|USA}} Serena Williams
{{flagicon|JAM}} Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
{{flagicon|USA}} Allyson Felix
{{flagicon|USA}} Katie Ledecky
(5 nominations each)
| website = {{official website|https://awards.laureus.com/winners}}
}}
The Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year is an annual award honouring the achievements of individual women from the world of sports. It was first awarded in 2000 as one of the seven constituent awards presented during the Laureus World Sports Awards. The awards are presented by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global organisation involved in more than 150 charity projects supporting 500,000 young people.{{Cite web | url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/sport/79136668/its-more-than-just-an-award | via= Stuff.co.nz | authorlink= Ian Snook | work= Taranaki Daily News | title= It's more than just an award | first= Ian | last= Snook | date= 20 April 2016 | access-date= 18 October 2017 | url-status= live | archive-url= https://archive.today/20171120010537/http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/sport/79136668/its-more-than-just-an-award | archive-date= 20 November 2017 | df= dmy-all }} The first ceremony was held on 25 May 2000 in Monte Carlo, at which Nelson Mandela gave the keynote speech.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ocsrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT163 |title=Sport and Peace-Building in Divided Societies: Playing with Enemies |first1=John |last1=Sugden |first2=Alan |last2=Tomlinson |page=163 |isbn=978-1-136-29233-0|publisher=Taylor and Francis |date=30 April 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140534/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ocsrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT163&lpg=PT163 |archive-date=18 October 2017 }} {{As of|2020}}, a shortlist of six nominees for the award comes from a panel composed of the "world's leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters".{{Cite web | url = http://laureus17.laureus.com/about-laureus/the-awards/ | title = The awards | access-date = 18 October 2017 | publisher = Laureus | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170318104839/http://laureus17.laureus.com/about-laureus/the-awards/ | archive-date = 18 March 2017 | df = dmy-all }} The Laureus World Sports Academy then selects the winner who is presented with a Laureus statuette, created by Cartier, at an annual awards ceremony held in various locations around the world.{{Cite web| url = http://laureus17.laureus.com/awards-history/did-you-know/| title = Did you know?| publisher = Laureus| access-date = 18 October 2017| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170318110110/http://laureus17.laureus.com/awards-history/did-you-know/| archive-date = 18 March 2017| df = dmy-all}} The awards are considered highly prestigious and are frequently referred to as the sporting equivalent of "Oscars".{{Cite web| url = http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/14/sport/usain-bolt-simone-biles-laureus-world-sports-awards/index.html| title = Usain Bolt and Simone Biles dominate at 'Sport's Oscars'| first = Aimee| last = Lewis| publisher = CNN| date = 15 February 2017| access-date = 18 October 2017| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170308135620/http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/14/sport/usain-bolt-simone-biles-laureus-world-sports-awards/index.html| archive-date = 8 March 2017}}{{Cite news| url = https://www.welt.de/sport/video162091832/Nico-Rosberg-mit-dem-Sport-Oscar-geehrt.html| language = German| date = 15 February 2017| title = Nico Rosberg mit dem Sport-Oscar geehrt| newspaper = Die Welt| access-date = 18 October 2017| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140534/https://www.welt.de/sport/video162091832/Nico-Rosberg-mit-dem-Sport-Oscar-geehrt.html| archive-date = 18 October 2017}}
The inaugural winner of the award was American sprinter Marion Jones, who, at the time of the presentation, was considered to be "the world's dominant sprinter".{{Cite web | url = https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/woods-and-jones-sweep-sporting-oscars | publisher = International Association of Athletics Federations| title = Woods and Jones sweep Sporting Oscars | date = 25 May 2000 | access-date = 18 October 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140534/https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/woods-and-jones-sweep-sporting-oscars | archive-date = 18 October 2017 |first= Paul| last=Radford| agency=Reuters}} She later admitted to having taken performance-enhancing drugs and, along with being stripped of her Olympic medals by the International Olympic Committee in 2007,{{Cite web| url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/2328318/Marion-Jones-stripped-of-Olympic-medals.html| work = The Daily Telegraph| title = Marion Jones stripped of Olympic medals| first = Giles| last = Mole| date = 12 December 2007| access-date = 18 October 2017| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150926043454/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/2328318/Marion-Jones-stripped-of-Olympic-medals.html| archive-date = 26 September 2015}} her Laureus Award and nominations (2001 and 2003) were rescinded. American sportswomen have won more awards and nominations than any other nationality, with eleven wins and thirty-eight nominations. American tennis player Serena Williams and American artistic gymnast Simone Biles holds the record for the most awards with four.{{Cite web |last=Atwal |first=Sanj |date=3 September 2022 |title=Serena Williams breaks two records before retirement at US Open |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/9/serena-williams-breaks-two-records-before-retirement-at-us-open-716040 |access-date=29 January 2023 |website=Guinness World Records -gb |archive-date=3 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220903075605/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/9/serena-williams-breaks-two-records-before-retirement-at-us-open-716040 |url-status=live }} The 2025 award was won by American artistic gymnast Simone Biles for the fourth time.{{Cite web |date=22 April 2025 |title=Simone Biles wins Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year for the fourth time after record-breaking Olympic campaign|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/artistic-gymnastics-usa-simone-biles-laureus-world-sportswoman-of-the-year-fourth-win |access-date=22 April 2025 |website=Olympics.com}}
List of winners and nominees
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Key |
| scope=row style="text-align:center" | *
| Indicates individual whose award or nomination was later rescinded |
|---|
Statistics
:Statistics are correct as of 2025 nominations.
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
| class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Multiple winners and nominees |
| scope=col | Name
! scope=col data-sort-type="number" | Wins ! scope=col data-sort-type="number" | Nominations |
|---|
| scope=row | {{sortname|Serena|Williams}}
| 4 | 5 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Simone|Biles}}
| 4 | 4 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Yelena|Isinbayeva}}
| 2 | 4 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Shelly-Ann|Fraser-Pryce}}
| 1 | 5 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Annika|Sörenstam}}
| 1 | 4 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Lindsey|Vonn}}
| 1 | 3 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Justine|Henin}}
| 1 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Janica|Kostelić}}
| 1 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Jessica|Ennis|Jessica Ennis-Hill}}
| 1 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Genzebe|Dibaba}}
| 1 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Naomi|Osaka}}
| 1 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Missy|Franklin}}
| 1 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Elaine|Thompson-Herah}}
| 1 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Aitana|Bonmatí}}
| 1 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Cathy|Freeman}}
| 1 | 0 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Jennifer|Capriati}}
| 1 | 0 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Kelly|Holmes}}
| 1 | 0 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Vivian|Cheruiyot}}
| 1 | 0 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Allyson|Felix}}
| 0 | 5 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Katie|Ledecky}}
| 0 | 5 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Carolina|Klüft}}
| 0 | 4 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Venus|Williams}}
| 0 | 3 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Inge|de Bruijn}}
| 0 | 3 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Paula|Radcliffe}}
| 0 | 3 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Mikaela|Shiffrin}}
| 0 | 3 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Maria|Sharapova}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Kim|Clijsters}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Tirunesh|Dibaba}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Lorena|Ochoa}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Tina|Maze}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Angelique|Kerber}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Alexia|Putellas}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Iga|Swiatek}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{sortname|Mikaela|Shiffrin}}
| 0 | 2 |
{{col-3}}
| class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Winners by nationality |
| scope=col | Country
! scope=col data-sort-type=number | Winners ! scope=col data-sort-type=number | Nominations |
|---|
| scope=row | {{flag|USA}}
| 11 | 38 |
| scope=row | {{flag|JAM}}
| 2 | 7 |
| scope=row | {{flag|RUS}}
| 2 | 6 |
| scope=row | {{flag|GBR}}
| 2 | 5 |
| scope=row | {{flag|SWE}}
| 1 | 8 |
| scope=row | {{flag|AUS}}
| 1 | 5 |
| scope=row | {{flag|BEL}}
| 1 | 4 |
| scope=row | {{flag|ESP}}
| 1 | 3 |
| scope=row | {{flag|ETH}}
| 1 | 3 |
| scope=row | {{flag|CRO}}
| 1 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|JPN}}
| 1 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|KEN}}
| 1 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|NED}}
| 0 | 6 |
| scope=row | {{flag|GER}}
| 0 | 5 |
| scope=row | {{flag|KEN}}
| 0 | 3 |
| scope=row | {{flag|CZE}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|ITA}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|MEX}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|POL}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|ROU}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|SLO}}
| 0 | 2 |
| scope=row | {{flag|AUT}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|BRA}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|CHN}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|DEN}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|FRA}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|MOZ}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|NZL}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|RSA}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|SUI}}
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | {{flag|TPE}}
| 0 | 1 |
{{col-3}}
| class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Winners by sport |
| scope=col | Sport
! scope=col data-sort-type=number | Winners ! scope=col data-sort-type=number | Nominations |
|---|
| scope=row | Athletics
| 9 | 49 |
| scope=row | Tennis
| 7 | 27 |
| scope=row | Gymnastics
| 4 | 4 |
| scope=row | Alpine skiing
| 2 | 12 |
| scope=row | Swimming
| 1 | 14 |
| scope=row | Football
| 1 | 8 |
| scope=row | Golf
| 1 | 8 |
| scope=row | Cycling
| 0 | 3 |
| scope=row | Basketball
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | Nordic skiing
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | Snowboarding
| 0 | 1 |
| scope=row | Triathlon
| 0 | 1 |
{{col-end}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year}}
{{Laureus World Sports Awards}}
{{featured list}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laureus World Sports Award For Sportswoman of the Year}}