As we kick off the new year, we reflect on awards season that dominated the world of sport at the end of 2024, offering a moment to celebrate the achievements of exceptional athletes. These ceremonies not only highlight individual and team accomplishments but also serve as a mirror, reflecting how far we’ve come—and how far we still need to go—in properly celebrating women in sport.
Awards are more than just accolades; they play a vital role in legitimising the achievements of athletes. For many, the title of an award winner becomes a lifelong badge of honour, signifying their place among the greats. This recognition often translates into lucrative brand deals, sponsorships, and partnerships, which are crucial for female athletes who frequently rely on these endorsements as a primary source of income. A failure to fully recognise women’s contributions can reinforce outdated gender norms, limit the visibility of female role models, and ultimately hinder the growth of women’s sport.
“Yeah it really is [frustrating] because it’s potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You never know if you’re ever going to get selected for such an accolade like that again, so it would be really nice to enjoy the experience and be there and feel like a star among the stars. If it was planned a little bit better, then it would be easier for a lot of female footballers to be there.”
Georgia Stanway
Despite progress, award ceremonies have faced criticism for treating women’s sports as an afterthought. English midfielder Georgia Stanway articulated this frustration in October 2023 when discussing scheduling conflicts that prevented many female nominees from attending prestigious ceremonies like the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best Awards. “It’s potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Stanway remarked at the time. “If it was planned a little better, it would be easier for a lot of female footballers to be there and feel like a star among the stars.” Fellow footballer Beth Mead echoed this sentiment, describing women’s inclusion at the Ballon d’Or as feeling like “a tick-box” exercise.
The lack of recognition for women’s sports in award culture is reflective of their historic exclusion from such ceremonies. Women have only been included in the recipients for the prestigious Wisden Cricketer of the Year and Ballon d’Or since 2009 and 2018 respectively—120 and 62 years after their male counterparts. As a result of this late inclusion of women, many sporting awards are also named only after men. A number of gender-neutral awards also show persistent disparities, with male athletes historically dominating both nominations and wins, despite women achieving remarkable feats.
In recent years Australian sporting awards have demonstrated a consistent effort in celebrating women. The coveted Newcombe Medal in tennis and the Greg Norman Medal in golf have been awarded to men and women in nearly equal proportions, reflecting an equal acknowledgment of both sports. Similarly, the Don Award, which honours the nation’s most inspiring sportsperson, has been won by female athletes in five of the last six years. It is perhaps unsurprising that many of Australia’s most successful award recipients, including names like Ellyse Perry, Ariane Titmus, Jess Fox and Ash Gardner, rank very high amongst the list of Australia’s most marketable athletes. Five-time Newcombe Medallist Ash Barty was considered to be the most marketable Australian at one point, even surpassing actors Margot Robbie and Chris Hemsworth according to marketing experts. Such examples are a result of deliberate efforts to meaningfully acknowledge and consider the achievements of all athletes.
Times are undoubtedly changing everywhere. For the first time in its history, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year—one of the UK’s most prestigious sporting honours—has been awarded to female athletes for four consecutive years. Earlier this year, Australian Olympic gold medallist Arisa Trew made history as the first female skateboarder to claim the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year award. Additionally, EA Sports, a leading sports video game company, has introduced a Women’s Team of the Year for the first time, marking a significant breakthrough in recognising female athletes in the digital arena.
While these milestones are inspiring, the journey to equal recognition is ongoing. To truly level the playing field, we must embrace a simple truth: all athletes, regardless of gender, give 100% to their sport. Their achievements deserve to be celebrated and valued equally. Awards must evolve to reflect this reality, ensuring that the narrative of excellence in sport is inclusive and representative of all who contribute to it.