Nominations sought for 2026 Derry Strabane Sports Awards
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Annual awards return to celebrate the clubs and individuals shaping community health, wellbeing, and achievement
Derry City and Strabane District Council, in partnership with the District Sports Forum, is inviting the public to nominate suitable candidates for the 2026 Derry Strabane Sports Awards.
The annual awards celebrate the outstanding contribution made by athletes, teams, clubs, coaches and volunteers to sport and community life across the Council area.
A special awards ceremony will take place in The Guildhall on Thursday, October 22 2026, to recognise and celebrate this year’s nominees.
With nominations now open, organisers are reminding anyone putting forward a nomination that only fully completed nomination forms will be accepted and only information included on the nomination form will go forward for assessment by the awards panel.
Nominators are therefore encouraged to take time to complete every relevant section of the form and provide as much detail as possible about their candidate’s achievements over the past year.
Providing a detailed nomination is important as the information submitted will form the basis of the assessment against the criteria for each category.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Grace Uí Niallais, said the awards provide an important opportunity to recognise those who make such a valuable contribution to local sport.
“The Derry Strabane Sports Awards are a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the many people who dedicate so much of their time and energy to sport in our communities.
“Sport plays such an important role in bringing people together, improving health and wellbeing and creating opportunities for people of all ages to get involved and reach their potential.
“I would encourage everyone to think about the sporting heroes in their community and put forward a nomination.
“If you are making a nomination, please take the time to complete the full form and tell us as much as you can about your nominee’s achievements and contribution.
“The information you provide is what the awards panel will use for its assessment, so a detailed nomination gives your nominee the best opportunity to have their achievements properly recognised.”
There are 11 award categories available for nomination in 2026:
- Sports Star of the Year
- Young Male Sports Star of the Year
- Young Female Sports Star of the Year
- Sports Star of the Year with a Disability
- Club of the Year
- Team of the Year
- Youth Team of the Year – including School Team of the Year
- Performance Coach of the Year
- Community Coach of the Year
- Special Recognition Award
- Hall of Fame
Sports persons must reside in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, with students with a Derry City and Strabane District Council home address considered on merit.
All nominees must be involved in an amateur capacity in a sport recognised by Sport Northern Ireland and/or the Irish Sports Council.
Nominations are open to organisations, local sports clubs, schools, youth clubs and individuals.
Nominations must be submitted online by Monday September 7th, 2026 at 4pm.For more information on the award categories and to make a nomination, visit www.derrystrabane.com/sportsawards.
If you have any questions or queries about the awards, please email [email protected].