Here Are the Categories and Nominees for This Year's Sports Illustrated Awards


Let's take a look at the categories and nominees for this year's show.

The annual Sports Illustrated Awards Show is set to kick off on Tuesday, December 7. We're a little more than 24 hours away from the announcement of 2021's Sportsperson of the Year.

There are a number of other awards that will be given out, including Athlete of the Year for both male and female, along with Hometown Hero. The event will start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast across over 20 of SI's channels, including SportsIllustratedAwards.com, LiveXLive, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and Twitter.

Let's take a look at this year's categories, along with the candidates for each.

  • Athlete of the Year (both male and female)
  • Hometown Hero
  • Breakthrough Athlete of the Year: 
    • Emma Raducanu
    • Wander Franco
    • Ja'Marr Chase 
    • LaMelo Ball
  • Team of the Year: 
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • Atlanta Braves
    • Milwaukee Bucks
    • Chicago Sky
  • Play of the Year: 
    • Jordan Spieth's blind Ryder Cup flop shot
    • Jalen Suggs's Final Four buzzer-beater vs. UCLA
    • Marshall's Jamil Roberts's OT goal to win school's first men's soccer title
    • South Dakota's tip drill Hail Mary to beat South Dakota State
  • Best Dressed:
    • Jordan Clarkson
    • Tyler Herro
    • Ashlyn Harris
    • Travis Kelce
  • Gamer of the Year:
    • JuJu Smith-Schuster
    • Kyler Murray
    • Gordon Hayward
    • Neymar

Earlier this week, Billie Jean King won the 2021 Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. In late November, Zaila Avant-garde was named the 2021 SportsKid of the Year.

Rob Gronkowski, Caeleb Dressel and Suni Lee will be on-site in Hollywood, Fla. on Dec. 7. The event will be co-hosted by DJ Khaled and sportscaster and TV host Cari Champion, with musical performances by 2 Chainz and DJ Irie.

More Sports Illustrated Awards Coverage:
Jordan Spieth, Jalen Suggs Among SI's Play of the Year Nominees
Billie Jean King Wins Sports Illustrated’s 2021 Muhammad Ali Legacy Award
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Neymar Among SI's Gamer of the Year Award Nominees
Tyler Herro, Ashlyn Harris Among SI's Best Dressed Athlete of the Year Nominees