2. Sport Industry Awards

There is a different kind of feeling when a brand gets recognised on a major stage. The Sport Industry Awards place brands, rights holders, and campaigns alongside some of the most respected names in sport. Even a shortlist can shift perception and make work feel more credible inside the industry.

What makes it special?

• One of the biggest nights in the sports business calendar, with more than 1,500 senior executives attending.
• Offers 25 awards in 2026 across campaigns, activations, suppliers, rights holders, and social impact.
• Best for brands that want industry credibility, not just consumer-facing visibility.

Among sports awards, this is one of the clearest signals that your brand is being taken seriously by the people who shape the industry. That alone can make it worth targeting.

3. Sports Business Awards

Some sports awards matter because they celebrate the work people see. Others matter because they celebrate the work behind the scenes that actually moves sport forward. The Sports Business Awards sit firmly in the second group, which is exactly what makes them so relevant.

What makes it special?

• Recognises the teams behind the scenes that facilitate sporting excellence and business growth.
• Annual London event with around 670 industry professionals attending.
• Recent winners include KP Snacks x The Hundred, Vodafone Turkey x the Turkish Volleyball Federation, and Kodansha x Liverpool FC.

This is one of the more commercially relevant sports awards for brands working in partnerships, activations, content, and business development. It is especially useful when the goal is to be respected by other industry operators.

4. ESA Awards

You have probably seen sports partnerships where everything just clicks. The fit is right, the activation feels smart, and the audience response is real. The ESA Awards are built to recognise exactly that kind of sponsorship work.

What makes it special?

• One of Europe’s clearest sports awards for sponsorship and event activation.
• Covers the full spectrum of sponsorship disciplines across Europe.
• Recent winners include campaigns involving Sky, Energia, Gjensidige, and World Aquatics.

For brands that invest seriously in sponsorship, these sports awards offer a strong proof point. They show that the work was not only visible, but well built.

5. Beyond Sport Awards

Some sports awards are about profile. Others are about purpose. Beyond Sport belongs to the second category, which is why it carries such different weight. It is less about brand shine and more about what sport can actually do in communities.

What makes it special?

• Built around sport for social change rather than pure marketing performance.
• The Beyond Sport platform continues to run current awards programs such as the Flutter Tech4Good Awards.
• Best for brands, foundations, and partners with credible grassroots or community impact stories.

If a brand wants recognition for meaningful impact rather than just reach, this is one of the most relevant sports awards to consider. It signals substance, not just visibility.

6. Smarter Sports Awards

Every now and then, a product or platform makes people pause and think, this is where sport is going. That is the space the Smarter Sports Awards are built for. Formerly known as the Sports Technology Awards, they remain one of the clearest sports awards for innovation in sport.

What makes it special?

• Formerly the Sports Technology Awards and positioned as a global benchmark for innovation in sport.
• Draws entries from over 30 countries and more than 50 sports.
• Recent winners include Stats Perform: Opta and Team GB.

For sports tech brands, data platforms, wearables, or fan-experience products, these sports awards are one of the strongest credibility markers available. They place innovation at the center of the story.

7. Shorty Awards

Some campaigns do not stay in the sports bubble. They travel. They get shared, referenced, and talked about beyond the original audience. That is why the Shorty Awards are still some of the most useful sports awards for digital-first brands and campaigns.

What makes it special?

• The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital.
• Their sports category rewards the most effective and creative use of social or digital by sports teams, athletes, leagues, networks, and services.
• Best for brands investing in creators, social storytelling, and content-led audience growth.

Among sports awards, this one is especially useful when the goal is attention, shareability, and digital relevance. It helps brands show that they understand how modern sports content actually spreads.

8. Men’s Health Fitness Awards

Fitness is not really about trends. It is about daily routines, useful products, and trust over time. That is why the Men’s Health Fitness Awards stand out among sports awards: they feel closer to real product use than to a traditional industry ceremony.

What makes it special?

• Annual editorial recognition rather than a classic awards gala.
• Men’s Health says its editors and certified trainers tested hundreds of products over months.
• Best fit for fitness equipment, recovery, wellness, and performance-led consumer brands.

For fitness brands, this can be one of the more persuasive sports awards because it feels grounded in actual use. That kind of validation often lands better with consumers than a more corporate trophy.

9. Esports Awards

The esports world moves fast, and brands that understand it stand out immediately. The Esports Awards matter because they are not just about visibility. They are about whether a brand feels credible inside a highly engaged culture.

What makes it special?

• One of the most recognisable annual sports awards in global esports.
• The commercial partner category rewards brands that contribute more than money, including reputation-building and creative marketing.
• Recent winners include Red Bull, Team Liquid, and Team Falcons.

For brands entering gaming, these sports awards can help signal that they understand the space rather than just buying reach inside it. That distinction matters a lot in esports.

10. Laureus Sport for Good Award

Some recognition carries extra weight because of the stage it sits on. The Laureus Sport for Good Award is part of one of the most prestigious names in global sport, which makes it one of the most respected sports awards for impact-led work.

What makes it special?

• Part of the Laureus World Sports Awards, first launched in 2000.
• Laureus Sport for Good supports more than 300 programmes in over 40 countries and territories.
• The 2025 Sport for Good Award winner was Kick4Life.

This is one of the strongest sports awards for brands, nonprofits, and foundations that want social impact work to be seen on a truly global sports stage. It combines prestige with purpose in a way very few awards do.

Final Thoughts on Sports Awards

The best sports awards do more than recognise work after the fact. They help shape how that work is seen. A strong shortlist can sharpen perception. A win can create a story. And the right award can make a brand feel more established, more trusted, and more relevant to the people who matter most.

That is why sports awards are still such a useful exposure tool. They sit at the intersection of credibility, visibility, and positioning. Some sports awards are best for sponsorship. Some are better for innovation, digital campaigns, community impact, or esports. But when the fit is right, the value goes well beyond the trophy.

In the end, smart brands do not apply to every award. They choose the sports awards that match their story, their audience, and the kind of recognition they actually want to own. That is where sports awards really start to move the needle.