Leeds Sports Awards: Time to vote for your favourite sports stars

The Leeds Sports Awards are launched for 2018 with Dan Goodfellow, Jack Laugher, Katherine Torrance, Yona Knight-Wisdom, Andrew Cooper (Leeds BID), Anthony Harding, Isobelle Palmer, Jen Mitchell (first direct) & Cllr. James Lewis.

VOTING is open for the 2018 Leeds Sports Awards with Leeds United centre-back Pontus Jansson one of seven finalists for the Sportsman of the Year award.

Voting for the five Senior Achievers (over-18s) awards closes at midnight on December 17 with nominations for the Young Achievers and Special Contribution awards finishing at the same time.

Finalists for the Young Achievers and Special Contribution awards will then be announced on January 9 ahead of the event itself on Thursday, March 1.

The awards are once again being held at first direct arena for the second time after moving to the arena from New Dock Hall this year.

And Leeds United’s popular Swedish defender Jansson faces competition from six other Leeds sporting stars to be named Sportsman of the Year.

Jansson, who has made a huge impact since signing from Torino, has Leeds Rhinos Grand Final winner Stevie Ward among his competition, as well as the city’s featherweight boxing champion Josh Warrington.

Yorkshire CC star Jonny Bairstow, diving ace Matty Lee, gymnastic star Nile Wilson and triathlete talent Tom Bishop complete the list of finalists for the Sportsman of the Year award.

Seven of the city’s female sporting stars will do battle for the Sportswoman of the Year award, headed by former double Olympic boxing champion and now professional world title hopeful Nicola Adams.

Adams is up against 1500m star Laura Weightman, cricket ace Lauren Winfield, diving teen starlet Lois Toulson, rugby league star Lois Forsell, triathlete star Jess Learmonth and badminton ace Gabby Adcock.

Adam Duggleby MBE, Ryan Richardson, James Simpson are the three finalists for the Sportsman Disability award while Hannah Cockroft MBE, Kadeena Cox MBE and Jodie Boyd-Ward are in competition for the Sportswoman Disability award.

Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott is up against Malcolm Brown MBE and Jack Maitland as well as Dave Murray for the Coach – Performance award. The list of candidates has been selected by a panel representing Sport Leeds and the public vote of one person per category will account for 50 per cent of the voting.