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The 2019 Sportswomen of the Year Awards kicks-off the nationwide call for public nominations this Sunday (22nd September).
The awards, now in their 32nd year, have led the way in recognising and celebrating the outstanding contribution to sport made by elite performers, coaches, administrators, community volunteers and inspirational women. And this is the public’s opportunity to nominate their favourite sportswomen of the past year.
The awards this year are once again title sponsored by Vitality, the health insurance, life insurance and investments company.
For the next two weeks, the British public are invited to submit nominations for the seven categories at www.sportswomenoftheyear.co.uk
Neville Koopowitz, CEO of VitalityHealth said: "We firmly believe in the power of sport to inspire people to live healthy lives and have built long-term partnerships with leading athletes, teams and events to help us share this message to make sure more people have access to sport. Our title sponsorship of the Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards in association with Vitality and the Vitality Grassroots Sportswoman of the Year award represents our continued commitment to increasing participation in sport and helping more people get active.”
“This year we have seen awe-inspiring grit, determination and passion of female athletes from across a multitude of different disciplines on both domestic and international stages, and are delighted to be working once again with The Sunday Times to honour and celebrate the achievements of women from grassroots right through to elite athletes.”
“Eleanor Mills, Editorial Director of The Sunday Times and Editor Sunday Times Magazine, said: “For over 30 years The Sunday Times has supported and championed women's sport. Our coverage now goes beyond the sports section, into the magazines and supplements, including an interview with stellar jockey Bryony Frost, and magazine front covers featuring big wave female surfers and Dina Asher-Smith. We are delighted to welcome Vitality as our commercial partner, as we both believe the awards are an opportunity to celebrate women’s sport and to inspire more women to participate.”
Rebecca Myers, Sports Reporter, The Sunday Times said: “These awards are one of the greatest accolades in British women's sport, with a proud tradition of celebrating inspirational female athletes and grassroots volunteers. It has been an extraordinary year for women's sport and we have a fantastic line-up of judges, with scores of Olympic medals and world records between them."
1.The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year 2019
The ultimate accolade for your favourite sportswoman of this year
- Young Sportswoman of the Year
Nominees must have been 21 years old or younger on January 1, 2019
- Team of the Year
Celebrating the achievements of Britain’s successful collective efforts
- Disability Sportswoman of the Year
The outstanding performer in a disability sport
- Vitality Grassroots Sportswomen of the Year Award
For individuals who have actively engaged with different groups of people within their community through sport
- The Helen Rollason Award for inspiration
Recognising inspirational endeavour in honour of the late sports presenter Helen Rollason
- Lifetime Achievement Award
Recognising a lifetime of sporting success
The online nomination process closes at midnight on Sunday 6th October. A panel of experts will then select the respective shortlists. This year’s judging panel includes household names Ellie Simmonds, Rebecca Adlington OBE, Chemmy Alcott, Ama Agbeze MBE, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Helen Glover MBE, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Natalie Sawyer, Kelly Holmes, Chrissie Wellington OBE, Victoria Pendleton CBE, and Gabby Logan.
Sunday Times readers will be able to vote throughout October for two categories: Team of the Year and the Vitality Grassroots Sportswomen of the Year Award. Last year saw an increase in public votes by 1500%.
The winners will be revealed at a star-studded awards ceremony on the evening of Thursday November 21.
Previous winners of the main award, the coveted Sportswoman of the Year accolade, include Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Dina Asher-Smith, Elise Christie,Sally Gunnell, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Denise Lewis, Dame Kelly Holmes, Zara Phillips, Victoria Pendleton and Christine Ohuruogu. Dina Asher-Smith, the European champion sprinter, was crowned the 2018 Sportswoman of the Year last November.
The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards in association with Vitality are among the most prestigious and influential in the British sporting calendar and are supported by the Sport and Recreation Alliance, UK Sport, Sport England and Women in Sport.
Follow the latest news and get involved by following #SWOTY in the lead up to the awards.
