The BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award[1] is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. The award is given to the sportsperson who has made a substantive yet unrecognised contribution to sport. Sportspeople are nominated by the public, and must be aged 16 years or over on 1 January that year. Nominees may not put themselves forward or be nominated by a member of their immediate family. A nominee must actively help others participate in a sport at any level on a voluntary basis. The work they do must not be part of their job or take part within their places of work, and they must not be a participant in the sporting group they are helping. Previous winners of the award are ineligible for nomination. One winner is selected from each of the twelve BBC English Regions, and the three national regions: BBC Scotland, BBC Wales, and BBC Northern Ireland. A judging panel then chooses the Unsung Hero winner from the fifteen regional winners.[2]
The inaugural winner in 2003 was 63-year-old Nobby Woodcock, for "his unstinting work with grassroots football in Wales".[3] Of the fourteen recipients to date, four were chosen for their contributions to football; the other recipients contributed towards boxing, basketball, athletics, swimming, and the Special Olympics. Three of the fourteen winners have each been put forward from the BBC East Midlands and BBC South regions, and two from the BBC East region. The other winners came from the BBC London, BBC North West, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Scotland, BBC West Midlands and BBC Wales regions. The most recent award was presented in 2023 to Des Smith.
^"Nominate your BBC Sports Unsung Hero". BBC Press Office. BBC. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
^"Sports Personality voting & judging: Terms & conditions". BBC Sport. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 18 January 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
^"Nobby named unsung hero". BBC Sport. 14 December 2003. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
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newest is the UnsungHeroAward, first presented in 2003. In 2003, the 50th anniversary of the show was marked by a five-part series on BBC One called Simply...
BBC Sport, Youth Sports Trust and Blue Peter. Former winner Ellie Simmonds and footballer Leah Williamson presented the award. The UnsungHeroAward rewards...
David Walliams had been given the same award for similar efforts three years earlier. The BBCSportsUnsungHeroAward recognised "someone who is dedicating...
Year Lifetime Achievement AwardBBCSports Personality Team of the Year AwardBBCSportsUnsungHeroAwardBBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Egebergs...
Coach of the Year: John Blackie Young Personality: Caroline Dubois UnsungHeroAward: Keiren Thompson Gordon Banks Billy McNeill Stevie Chalmers Peter...
community sports facilities together with outreach to, and mentoring of, young people. In 2016, Baz was named the BBC Get Inspired UnsungHero at the BBC Sports...
receive the award, instead speaking in a pre-recorded video. The UnsungHeroAward rewards volunteers for their contribution to grassroots sports in their...
Khabib Nurmagomedov Young Sports Personality of the Year: Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix UnsungHero: Sgt Matt Ratana Helen Rollason Award: Captain Sir Tom Moore...
awards will also be presented: BBCSports Personality of the Year Coach Award: Gareth Southgate BBCSportsUnsungHeroAward: Kirsty Ewen On 3 December 2018...
2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021. "Sports Personality 2021: Fitness club founder Sam Barlow named UnsungHero 2021". BBC Sport. 19 December 2021. Archived...
Young Sports Personality of the Year, Helen Rollason Award, Lifetime Achievement Award and UnsungHero. There were calls to remove Tyson Fury from the nominees...
condition. The award was presented by Sir Clive Woodward, with Lawrence Dallaglio paying tribute on the show. The BBCSportsUnsungHeroAward is given to...
December 2017. "BBC Sports Personality 2017: Denise Larrad wins BBCUnsungHeroaward". BBC Sport. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2018. Official...
Year 2011. BBC Sport. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011. "Scots duo win UnsungHeroaward". Sports Personality of the Year 2011. BBC Sport. 22...
Amber Hill wins BBCaward". 15 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013. "Sports Personality: Basketball duo win BBCUnsungHeroaward". BBC Sport. 15 December...
BBC Young Sports Personality award". 14 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014. "Sports Personality: Swimming coach named UnsungHero". BBC Sport. 14...
Houghton win UnsungHeroAward". Sports Personality of the Year 2012. BBC Sport. 16 December 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012. "Lord Coe receives BBC Lifetime...
performers to be given their own Academy Award category: "All of the stunt men—these are the unsungheroes. They really are. Nobody is giving them any...
In 2011 Longmore won the BBC Midlands SportsUnsungHeroAward – an award recognising those involved in community sports projects, and which was presented...
2018. "BBC team wins top award". BBC. London: BBC Sport. 9 May 2003. Retrieved 27 January 2018. "Xfm's O'Connell wins Sony honour". BBC. London: BBC News...
as Harpz Kaur reports for Football Focus. "From Nairobi to the NASL: the unsung pioneer who marked Pele out of the game". The Guardian. An unlikely star...
and an image wholly lacking in glamour. He has been described as an "unsunghero" and praised as a "fans' favourite" for his high work rate and commitment...
the Year: Claudio Ranieri Helen Rollason Award: Ben Smith Young Personality: Ellie Robinson UnsungHeroAward: Marcellus Baz Johan Cruyff Don Howe Gary...
2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019. "EFL Awards: Brentford striker Ollie Watkins wins Championship Player of the Season". BBC Sport. 27 August 2020. Retrieved...
The Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People's Gaming Awards, is a video game award ceremony; it awards the best video games of the year, as voted...
the BBC North West SportsAwards In 2006, Kirby was awarded the Mussabini Medal in the UK Coaching Awards. In 2008, Kirby was nominated for the Unsung Hero...
Rebecca Adlington Paralympian of the Year: Eleanor Simmonds CCPR UnsungHeroAward: Wendy Coles David Lloyd Leisure PE Teacher of the Year: Cheryl Buckley...
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