The Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards 2019 is open for nominations and if you know an individual or a team in your club or your sport that deserves recognition then please do nominate.
Best of the year: former Ireland and Ulster captain Rory Best joins Chris Nelmes from title sponsor, The Boulevard to set the ball rolling on the 2019 Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards.
The awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of local sports people from grassroots through to elite sports and the public can nominate in each of the 14 categories by completing and submitting a simple online nomination form at www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sportsawards2019/nominate. Entries close on Monday 2nd December at 12 noon
11 November 2019 Press Release
Race is on for Sports Awards 2019
Sports fans, clubs, sporting bodies and schools throughout Northern Ireland have been urged to nominate their top sporting stars for 2019 with the launch of the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards in partnership with The Boulevard.
The prestigious awards programme honours our top local sporting achievers in both the amateur and professional arenas.
The gala ceremony attracts some of our most famous and successful sporting heroes and will take place at the newly extended Grand Ballroom suite at Belfast’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Monday, 20th January 2020. Sports presenter Ruth Gorman will return to co-host with fellow television presenter Claire McCollum.
Backing the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards for a second year is title sponsor, The Boulevard, NI’s premier league outlet shopping complex housing over 50 leading brand name stores including new name Levis.
Chris Nelmes, retail director at The Boulevard said he was thrilled to be once again the lead sponsor of the Sports Awards saying:
“We’re pleased to continue our sponsorship of these awards for the second year in a row. As Northern Ireland’s biggest sports shopping destination, we are really passionate about creating an interest and love of sport from an early age and championing home-grown talent.
“Like us, many of our stores themselves support local GAA, rugby and football -especially kid’s teams – so Northern Ireland sport is something we have a huge affinity with and will continue to do so. The best of luck to everyone nominated and we look forward to celebrating their successes.”
Ulster, Ireland and British and Irish Lions rugby legend Rory Best helped launch this year’s Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards at The Boulevard on his return from the Rugby World Cup in Japan. The recently retired icon of Irish rugby won a Special Recognition award at last year’s gala ceremony.
The awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of local sports people from grassroots through to elite sports and the public can nominate in each of the 14 categories by completing and submitting a simple online nomination form at www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sportsawards2019/nominate.
Belfast Telegraph Group Sports Editor, Jim Gracey explains how to nominate:
“We’re asking everyone to describe in 250 words or less why your nominated individual or team deserves to win a Belfast Telegraph Sports accolade. As well as their overall sporting achievements we’d like you to consider elements such as; their dedication to training; how they have improved their performances and gone over and above the norm to secure their goals. Also, what is it that makes them a good role model makes them inspirational to other people.”
Entries close on Monday 2nd December at 12 noon and will be judged later in December by an experienced panel of sporting judges chaired by Jim Gracey.
Jim Gracey continued, “2019 has yet again been an amazing year for local sports people and teams and all around the world our sporting heroes have excelled. It’s important to salute our sports competitors, coaches and unsung heroes and I would really encourage everyone from members of the public to clubs, schools and governing bodies to put forward nominees for consideration from both the grassroots and elite sports sectors. I’m looking forward to a great line-up of nominations.”
In addition to The Boulevard backed top award, the Sports Star of the Year, individual successes will be reflected in the Malcolm Brodie Player of the Year, Sports Person with a Disability and Coach/Manager of the Year. The future of sport will be heralded through the Young Player, Young Team, George Best Breakthrough and Rising Star awards.
Other key awards include Team of the Year, Special Recognition and our Game Changer award. The Local Heroes trophy will be presented to an individual or team who have triumphed at grass roots level, the WJ ‘Paddy’ Patterson award recognises a person’s ‘service to sport’ over a long period of time and a famous face will be installed into the Belfast Telegraph Hall of Fame.
To buy tickets for the event go to www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sportsawards2019/tickets
