The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP) in 1931. At a time when women in sports were not given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to either a professional or amateur athlete. The awards are voted on annually by a panel of AP sports editors from across the United States, covering mainly American sports. As a result, a large majority of the winners have been Americans. However, non-Americans are also eligible for the honor and have won on a few occasions.

AP Athlete of the Year

{|class="wikitable sortable"

|+List of AP Athlete of the Year award winners

!scope=col rowspan=2| Year

!scope=col colspan=2| Male

!scope=col colspan=2| Female

|-

!scope=col| Name

!scope=col| Sport

!scope=col| Name

!scope=col| Sport

|-

| 1931 || Pepper Martin || Major League Baseball || Helene Madison || Swimming

|-

| 1932 || Gene Sarazen || Golf || Babe Didrikson || Track and field

|-

| 1933 || Carl Hubbell || Major League Baseball || Helen Jacobs || Tennis

|-

| 1934 || Dizzy Dean || Major League Baseball || Virginia Van Wie || Golf

|-

| 1935 || Joe Louis || Boxing || Helen Wills Moody || Tennis

|-

| 1936 || Jesse Owens || Track and field || Helen Stephens || Track and field

|-

| 1937 || Don Budge || Tennis || Katherine Rawls || Swimming

|-

| 1938 || Don Budge (2) || Tennis || Patty Berg || Golf

|-

| 1939 || Nile Kinnick || College football || Alice Marble || Tennis

|-

| 1940 || Tom Harmon || College football || Alice Marble (2) || Tennis

|-

| 1941 || Joe DiMaggio || Major League Baseball || Betty Hicks Newell || Golf

|-

| 1942 || Frank Sinkwich || College football || Gloria Callen || Swimming

|-

| 1943 || Gunder Hägg || Track and field || Patty Berg (2) || Golf

|-

| 1944 || Byron Nelson || Golf || Ann Curtis || Swimming

|-

| 1945 || Byron Nelson (2) || Golf || Babe Didrikson Zaharias (2) || Golf

|-

| 1946 || Glenn Davis || College football || Babe Didrikson Zaharias (3) || Golf

|-

| 1947 || Johnny Lujack || College football || Babe Didrikson Zaharias (4) || Golf

|-

| 1948 || Lou Boudreau || Major League Baseball || Fanny Blankers-Koen || Track and field

|-

| 1949 || Leon Hart || College football || Marlene Bauer || Golf

|-

| 1950 || Jim Konstanty || Major League Baseball || Babe Didrikson Zaharias (5) || Golf

|-

| 1951 || Dick Kazmaier || College football || Maureen Connolly || Tennis

|-

| 1952 || Bob Mathias || Track and field || Maureen Connolly (2) || Tennis

|-

| 1953 || Ben Hogan || Golf || Maureen Connolly (3) || Tennis

|-

| 1954 || Willie Mays || Major League Baseball || Babe Didrikson Zaharias (6) || Golf

|-

| 1955 || Howard Cassady || College football || Patty Berg (3) || Golf

|-

| 1956 || Mickey Mantle || Major League Baseball || Pat McCormick || Diving

|-

| 1957 || Ted Williams || Major League Baseball || Althea Gibson || Tennis

|-

| 1958 || Herb Elliott || Track and field || Althea Gibson (2) || Tennis

|-

| 1959 || Ingemar Johansson || Boxing || Maria Bueno || Tennis

|-

| 1960 || Rafer Johnson || Track and field || Wilma Rudolph || Track and field

|-

| 1961 || Roger Maris || Major League Baseball || Wilma Rudolph (2) || Track and field

|-

| 1962 || Maury Wills || Major League Baseball || Dawn Fraser || Swimming

|-

| 1963 || Sandy Koufax || Major League Baseball || Mickey Wright || Golf

|-

| 1964 || Don Schollander || Swimming || Mickey Wright (2) || Golf

|-

| 1965 || Sandy Koufax (2) || Major League Baseball || Kathy Whitworth || Golf

|-

| 1966 || Frank Robinson || Major League Baseball || Kathy Whitworth (2) || Golf

|-

| 1967 || Carl Yastrzemski || Major League Baseball || Billie Jean King || Tennis

|-

| 1968 || Denny McLain || Major League Baseball || Peggy Fleming || Figure skating

|-

| 1969 || Tom Seaver || Major League Baseball || Debbie Meyer || Swimming

|-

| 1970 || George Blanda || National Football League || Chi Cheng || Track and field

|-

| 1971 || Lee Trevino || Golf || Evonne Goolagong || Tennis

|-

| 1972 || Mark Spitz || Swimming || Olga Korbut || Gymnastics

|-

| 1973 || O. J. Simpson || National Football League || Billie Jean King (2) || Tennis

|-

| 1974 || Muhammad Ali || Boxing || Chris Evert || Tennis

|-

| 1975 || Fred Lynn || Major League Baseball || Chris Evert (2) || Tennis

|-

| 1976 || Bruce Jenner || Track and field || Nadia Comăneci || Gymnastics

|-

| 1977 || Steve Cauthen || Horse racing || Chris Evert (3) || Tennis

|-

| 1978 || Ron Guidry || Major League Baseball || Nancy Lopez || Golf

|-

| 1979 || Willie Stargell || Major League Baseball || Tracy Austin || Tennis

|-

| 1980 || U.S. Olympic hockey team || Ice hockey || Chris Evert Lloyd (4) || Tennis

|-

| 1981 || John McEnroe || Tennis || Tracy Austin (2) || Tennis

|-

| 1982 || Wayne Gretzky || National Hockey League || Mary Tabb || Track and field

|-

| 1983 || Carl Lewis || Track and field || Martina Navratilova || Tennis

|-

| 1984 || Carl Lewis (2) || Track and field || Mary Lou Retton || Gymnastics

|-

| 1985 || Dwight Gooden || Major League Baseball || Nancy Lopez (2) || Golf

|-

| 1986 || Larry Bird || National Basketball Association || Martina Navratilova (2) || Tennis

|-

| 1987 || Ben Johnson || Track and field || Jackie Joyner-Kersee || Track and field

|-

| 1988 || Orel Hershiser || Major League Baseball || Florence Griffith Joyner || Track and field

|-

| 1989 || Joe Montana || National Football League || Steffi Graf || Tennis

|-

| 1990 || Joe Montana (2) || National Football League || Beth Daniel || Golf

|-

| 1991 || Michael Jordan || National Basketball Association || Monica Seles || Tennis

|-

| 1992 || Michael Jordan (2) || National Basketball Association || <!--Federal Republic of Yugoslavia established then.--> Monica Seles (2) || Tennis

|-

| 1993 || Michael Jordan (3) || National Basketball Association || Sheryl Swoopes || College basketball

|-

| 1994 || George Foreman || Boxing || Bonnie Blair || Speed skating

|-

| 1995 || Cal Ripken Jr. || Major League Baseball || Rebecca Lobo || College basketball

|-

| 1996 || Michael Johnson || Track and field || Amy Van Dyken || Swimming

|-

| 1997 || Tiger Woods || Golf || Martina Hingis || Tennis

|-

| 1998 || Mark McGwire || Major League Baseball || Se Ri Pak || Golf

|-

| 1999 || Tiger Woods (2) || Golf || U.S. women's soccer team || Soccer

|-

| 2000 || Tiger Woods (3) || Golf || Marion Jones || Track and field

|-

| 2001 || Barry Bonds || Major League Baseball || Jennifer Capriati || Tennis

|-

| 2002 || Lance Armstrong || Road bicycle racing || Serena Williams || Tennis

|-

| 2003 || Lance Armstrong (2) || Road bicycle racing || Annika Sörenstam || Golf

|-

| 2004 || Lance Armstrong (3) || Road bicycle racing || Annika Sörenstam (2) || Golf

|-

| 2005 || Lance Armstrong (4) || Road bicycle racing || Annika Sörenstam (3) || Golf

|-

| 2006 || Tiger Woods (4) || Golf || Lorena Ochoa || Golf

|-

| 2007 || Tom Brady || National Football League || Lorena Ochoa (2) || Golf

|-

| 2008 || Michael Phelps || Swimming || Candace Parker || Women's National Basketball Association

|-

| 2009 || Jimmie Johnson || NASCAR || Serena Williams (2) || Tennis

|-

| 2010 || Drew Brees || National Football League || Lindsey Vonn || Skiing

|-

| 2011 || Aaron Rodgers || National Football League || Abby Wambach || Soccer

|-

| 2012 || Michael Phelps (2) || Swimming || Gabby Douglas || Gymnastics

|-

| 2013 || LeBron James || National Basketball Association || Serena Williams (3) || Tennis

|-

| 2014 || Madison Bumgarner || Major League Baseball || Mo'ne Davis || Little League baseball

|-

| 2015 || Stephen Curry || National Basketball Association || Serena Williams (4) || Tennis

|-

| 2016 || LeBron James (2) || National Basketball Association || Simone Biles || Gymnastics

|-

| 2017 || Jose Altuve || Major League Baseball || Katie Ledecky || Swimming

|-

| 2018 || LeBron James (3) || National Basketball Association || Serena Williams (5) || Tennis

|-

| 2019 || Kawhi Leonard || National Basketball Association || Simone Biles (2) || Gymnastics

|-

| 2020 || LeBron James (4) || National Basketball Association

| Naomi Osaka

|Tennis

|-

| 2021 || Shohei Ohtani || Major League Baseball || Candace Parker (2) || Women's National Basketball Association

|-

| 2022 || Aaron Judge || |Major League Baseball

| Katie Ledecky (2) || Swimming

|-

| 2023 || Shohei Ohtani (2) || |Major League Baseball

| Simone Biles (3) || Gymnastics

|-

|2024

| Shohei Ohtani (3)

|Major League Baseball

| Caitlin Clark || Women's National Basketball Association

|-

| 2025 || Shohei Ohtani (4) || |Major League Baseball

| A'ja Wilson || Women's National Basketball Association

|}

Multiple awards

<!-- This table has chronological order. New multiple award winners are inserted BELOW existing ones that already have the same or equal amount of AOTY wins. -->

{|class="wikitable"

|+List of male award winners

!scope=col| Name

!scope=col| Sport

!scope=col| Awards

!scope=col| Years

|-

|Lance Armstrong || Road bicycle racing || 4 || 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

|-

|Tiger Woods || Golf || 4 || 1997, 1999, 2000, 2006

|-

|LeBron James || Basketball || 4 || 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020

|-

|Shohei Ohtani || Baseball || 4 || 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025

|-

|Michael Jordan || Basketball || 3 || 1991, 1992, 1993

|-

|Don Budge || Tennis || 2 || 1937, 1938

|-

|Sandy Koufax || Baseball || 2 || 1963, 1965

|-

|Carl Lewis || Track and field || 2 || 1983, 1984

|-

|Joe Montana || American football || 2 || 1989, 1990

|-

|Byron Nelson || Golf || 2 || 1944, 1945

|-

|Michael Phelps || Swimming || 2 || 2008, 2012

|}

{|class="wikitable"

|+List of female award winners

!scope=col| Name

!scope=col| Sport

!scope=col| Awards

!scope=col| Years

|-

| Babe Didrikson Zaharias || Golf/Track and field || 6 || 1932, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1954

|-

|Serena Williams || Tennis || 5 || 2002, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2018

|-

|Chris Evert || Tennis || 4 || 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980

|-

|Maureen Connolly || Tennis || 3 || 1951, 1952, 1953

|-

|Annika Sörenstam || Golf || 3 || 2003, 2004, 2005

|-

|Simone Biles || Gymnastics || 3 || 2016, 2019, 2023

|-

|Alice Marble || Tennis || 2 || 1939, 1940

|-

|Althea Gibson || Tennis || 2 || 1957, 1958

|-

|Wilma Rudolph || Track and field || 2 || 1960, 1961

|-

|Mickey Wright || Golf || 2 || 1963, 1964

|-

|Kathy Whitworth || Golf || 2 || 1965, 1966

|-

|Billie Jean King || Tennis || 2 || 1967, 1973

|-

|Tracy Austin || Tennis || 2 || 1979, 1981

|-

|Nancy Lopez || Golf || 2 || 1978, 1985

|-

|Martina Navratilova || Tennis || 2 || 1983, 1986

|-

|Monica Seles || Tennis || 2 || 1991, 1992

|-

|Lorena Ochoa || Golf || 2 || 2006, 2007

|-

|Candace Parker || Basketball || 2 || 2008, 2021

|-

|Katie Ledecky || Swimming || 2 || 2017, 2022

|}

AP Athlete of the Decade

{|class="wikitable"

|+List of award winners

!scope=col rowspan=2| Decade

!scope=col colspan=2| Male

!scope=col colspan=2| Female

|-

!scope=col| Name

!scope=col| Sport

!scope=col| Name

!scope=col| Sport

|-

| 1960s || Arnold Palmer || Golf || colspan="2" rowspan="5" | None Awarded

|-

|1970s

| Jack Nicklaus

|Golf

|-

| 1980s || Wayne Gretzky|| Hockey

|-

|1990s

| Michael Jordan

|Basketball

|-

| 2000s || Tiger Woods || Golf

|-

| 2010s || LeBron James || Basketball || Serena Williams || Tennis

|}

Footnotes

Notes

  • Adapted from the article Associated Press Athlete of the Year, from Wikinfo, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.