Leeds Sports Awards 2022: When they take place, all the categories and how to make a nomination

Hosted by Tanya Arnold and Jamie Jones- Buchanan, this highlight of the sporting calendar is backed by the Yorkshire Evening Post and presented by Sport Leeds and Leeds City Council.

An audience of more than 600 people is expected to gather at New Dock Hall at the Royal Armouries on Thursday May 12 to see the winners revealed across 17 categories.

Awards up for grabs include Inspiring Community Champion and the prestigious Sporting Pride of Leeds Award. Previous winners of this award include Leeds Rhinos for their treble-winning season, Nicola Adams OBE, Josh Warrington and last year’s winner Kevin Sinfield OBE.

Peter Smith MBE, who chairs Sport Leeds, said: "With amazing medal-winning performances from our Leeds athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a top 10 finish by Leeds United and the great resilience and community spirit shown by the city’s sports clubs and players, 2021 was certainly a great year of sport in spite of the challenges of the pandemic.

"Sport Leeds are proud to be organising the Leeds Sports Awards 2022 to enable everyone to be able to nominate their particular Leeds sporting hero or heroine from 2021.

"Whether that be a medallist, their favourite team, their local community superstar, an inspirational sports teacher or a long-serving volunteer or official at their club, these awards will give

everyone the chance to celebrate a great year of sport in Leeds."

Highlighting the role of sport in Leeds, Coun Salma Arif, executive member for public health and active lifestyles, added: "Sport is part of the fabric of our city, from Olympic and Paralympic success to grassroots participation, the power of sport brings our diverse city together.

"We have seen incredible successes over the last year not only on the pitch but also off it as clubs of all sizes have gone above and beyond to support their local community.

"I am really looking forward to being able to celebrate Leeds’ sporting heroes from the last year and to look back on some of the city’s great moments."

Later this year, Leeds will play host to the 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds, International Cricket and eight Rugby League World Cup games. The city is also set to host the British Transplant Games.

Sponsors for the 2022 event include Leeds City Council, University of Leeds and Yorkshire Sport Foundation.

Entries can be made now via the Leeds Sports Awards website - www.leedssportsawards.co.uk - for 16 of the 17 categories.

Who can enter Leeds Sports Awards 2022?

To be eligible, the nominee must have been born, or reside, or train and, or compete for a club within Leeds City Council boundaries.

Entries must relate to sporting achievements between January 2021 and December 2021.

What are the categories this year?

YOUNG ACHIEVERS – U18s

Young Sportsman: This award recognises the hard work and success achieved by young sportsmen. Nominees will have achieved significant success at city, county, regional, national or international level.

Young Sportswoman: This award recognises the hard work and success achieved by young sportswomen. Nominees will have achieved significant success at city, county, regional, national or international level.

Young Sportsman: Disability: This award recognises the hard work and success achieved by young sportsmen and in disability sport. Nominees will have achieved significant success at city, county, regional, national or international level.

Young Sportswoman: Disability: This award recognises the hard work and success achieved by young sportswomen in disability sport. Nominees will have achieved significant success at city, county, regional, national or international level.

SENIOR ACHIEVERS – 18+

Sportsman: This award celebrates the best of Leeds’ sporting talent. The winner of this award will have achieved success at a national or international level. Athletes from all recognised sports aged over 18 years are eligible for this award.

Sportswoman: This award celebrates the best of Leeds’ sporting talent. The winner of this award will have achieved success at a national or international level. Athletes from all recognised sports aged over 18 years are eligible for this award.

Sportsman - Disability: This award celebrates the best of Leeds’ disability sporting talent. The winner of this award will have achieved success at a national or international level. Athletes from all recognised sports aged over 18 years are eligible for this award.

Sportswoman - Disability: This award celebrates the best of Leeds’ disability sporting talent. The winner of this award will have achieved success at a national or international level. Athletes from all recognised sports aged over 18 years are eligible for this award.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVERS

Club/Team - Participation: (U18 or 18+) This award recognises and celebrates outstanding achievements by a community club competitively and/ or through their development of a strong ethos of being welcoming, growing participation and being inclusive throughout their club.

Club/Team - Performance: (U18 or 18+) This award recognises and celebrates outstanding success of a Leeds based club or organisation performing in a recognised sport competing in a Yorkshire, National, International or World context.

Coach - Participation: This award recognises the important and inspirational role of coaches, who work with amateur clubs and athletes at grassroots level in Leeds.

Coach - Performance: This award recognises the important and inspirational role of a coach. The winner of this award will be coaching at a performance level and/ or coaching athletes or a team preparing for regional, national or international sporting competition.

Inspirational Community Champion/s: (U18 or 18+) This award recognises and celebrates an individual, group or club (Over 18) who have inspired, motivated or supported others to stay active or become active, in a safe way, during the COVID pandemic.

Outstanding Service to Sport This accolade is awarded to an individual/s who has demonstrated total commitment and dedication to their sport, or sport in general, over a considerable period of time. They should be an ambassador for sport at a recognised level.

School Sport: (U18 or 18+) This award recognises schools, school clubs, school groups and/or an individual pupil, teacher or assistant who have made a significant contribution to school sport or physical education in Leeds, through activity programmes, significant achievement, or one-off event.

Student Sport This award recognises student sports clubs, teams or individual athletes who have achieved success at regional, national or international level and/or contributed significantly to their community through voluntary activities, such as fundraising and community coaching. Nominees must be in full time education and studying for a recognised qualification in Leeds.

When is the deadline for nominations?

Nominations should be made via the Leeds Sports Awards website. The closing date for nominations is midnight on April 3.

All nominations will be reviewed by an independent judging panel representing sport across Leeds.

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