England Netball | Nominations open for The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards 2017

It’s been a brilliant nine months for England Netball, the netball family and women’s sport so far in 2017.

The England Roses have shown real growth and development in making their presence felt on the international stage, including the two recent victories over the New Zealand Silver Ferns.

The U21 England Roses overcame adversity and showed fantastic character to win bronze at the Netball World Youth Cup – the best finish by an England team in this competition since 2005.

Our tremendous volunteers have continued to dedicate their time to supporting and boosting the sport we love.

Nominations are currently open for the 2017 Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards in association with Vitality and this is your opportunity to nominate your favourite sportswomen of the past nine months.

Now in their 30th year, the Awards celebrate the outstanding contribution to sport made by elite athletes, coaches, administrators, community volunteers and inspirational women.

The British and Northern Ireland public are invited to submit nominations for seven categories at www.sportswomenoftheyear.co.uk

The online nomination process will close at midday on Monday 25th September. A panel of experts will select the respective shortlists.

The winners will then be revealed at a glitzy ceremony at the Hilton London Bankside hotel on the evening of Thursday 26th October.

The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Mix, a channel available to all Sky TV customers, from 2000-2130.

The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards 2017 in association with Vitality are among the most prestigious and influential in the British sporting calendar and are supported by the Sport and Recreation Alliance, UK Sport, Sport England and Women in Sport.

Previous winners of the main award, the coveted Sportswoman of the Year accolade, include Sally Gunnell, Denise Lewis, Dame Kelly Holmes, Zara Phillips, Victoria Pendleton, Christine Ohuruogu and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill. Laura Kenny, the four-time Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist, was crowned the 2016 Sportswoman of the Year.

Eleanor Mills, Editorial Director, The Sunday Times said: “We’re delighted to be able to honour the outstanding sportswomen of the UK and Ireland in the 30th anniversary of our annual sportswomen awards. It’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our female athletes, and the public vote always gives the awards added significance.”

Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Vitality, said: “We’ve been privileged to partner with these incredible Awards over the last three years. Supporting women in sport is a key focus for us and we hope that by raising awareness through these types of initiatives, and by partnering with inspirational role models such as Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Ellie Simmonds OBE, we can encourage more people to get involved in sport and enjoy the positive changes it can bring to their lives.”

Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: “It has been a game-changing year for women’s sport and throughout 2017, Sky has been covering fantastic team and individual successes across our channels. Our support of women’s sport has never been stronger and we are looking forward to broadcasting SWOTY and celebrating the achievements of this year’s sporting stars.”

The seven award categories are:

1. The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year 2017

The ultimate accolade for your favourite Sportswoman of this year

2. Young Sportswoman of the Year

Nominees must have been 21 or younger on 1st January 2017

3. Vitality Team of the Year

Celebrating the achievements of Britain’s successful collective efforts

4. Disability Sportswoman of the Year

The outstanding performer in a disability sport

5. Community Award

For individuals who have actively engaged with different groups of people within their community through sport

6. The Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration