Islanders are being encouraged to recognise the sporting stars, dedicated coaches and behind-the-scenes volunteers who make Isle of Wight sport possible as nominations open for the 2026 Isle of Wight Sports Achievement Awards.
From talented young athletes and successful teams to the volunteers who paint the lines, make the tea, clean the kit and drive the bus, the annual awards aim to celebrate sporting achievement at every level.
Nominations for the 2026 awards will open on Monday (31st August), giving Islanders the chance to put forward those they believe deserve recognition.
Entries will remain open until 8th November.
The winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony at Medina Theatre on 25th February next year.
For the third consecutive year, WRS will return as headline sponsor of the awards.
Sophie Jackson, Chief Operations Officer at WRS, has said:
“We’re incredibly proud that WRS is once again the headline sponsor of the Isle of Wight Sports Awards.
Article continues below this advertisement “As an Island business, supporting our local community is important to us. Sport plays a big part in life at WRS too, with many of our team involved in local clubs, events and fundraising across the Island.
“The Sports Awards are about celebrating everyone who makes Island sport special, from talented individuals and teams to the coaches, volunteers and people working behind the scenes.
“There are so many people across the Island who deserve recognition, so if someone comes to mind, please take the time to nominate them. It could mean a huge amount to them.”
Organisers say the 2025 awards attracted unprecedented levels of nominations, particularly among younger age groups, leaving judges with a difficult task when selecting the eventual winners.
This year, they are keen to see nominations representing the full breadth of the Isle of Wight’s sporting community, including masters and senior competitors.
Claire Beasley, Chair of the new Awards company, has said:
“We are delighted to have WRS back on board for a third year and thank them for their continued support.
“The 2025 awards saw unprecedented levels of nominations, particularly across the younger age groups, making it a challenging job for the judges to choose the winners.
“So, please put your thinking caps on, not just for young sportspeople but also for the masters and senior competitors, as well as the coaches, club officials and other unsung heroes that make our sporting scene so successful.
“Any surplus cash will be ploughed back into the grant scheme run by the IW Sports Foundation as a donation.”
Nominations can be made from Monday until 8th November here.
Updates can also be found by following the Isle of Wight Sports Achievement Awards on Instagram and Facebook at @iw_sports_achievment_awards.
