The League Managers Association Awards is an annual award ceremony in English football, awarded by the League Managers Association. The most prestigious award is the LMA Manager of the Year award. It is presented to a manager from any division for his achievements in the prior season. The award is voted by fellow professional managers and as a result consideration is also given to managers who inherit poor sides or financial difficulties and not only those managers who do not have such financial constraints and have won trophies. On only five occasions has the Premier League winning manager won the award compared with the Premier League Manager of the Year award which has been won on all but four occasions by the manager of the team who were league champions. Trophies for the event are hand-crafted by silversmith Thomas Lyte, which also makes trophies for the LG Performance of the Week Award throughout the league season.
LMA Manager of the Year The LMA Manager of the Year Award is voted by fellow managers and the winner can come from any of the four professional leagues. To date seven have come from outside the Premier League: 1996 winner Peter Reid, who led Sunderland to the Division One title; 1997 winner Danny Wilson, who guided Barnsley into the Premier League; 2000 winner Alan Curbishley who led Charlton to the Division One title; 2006 winner Steve Coppell, who led Reading to win the Championship; 2015 winner Eddie Howe, who guided AFC Bournemouth into the Premier League; 2019 winner Chris Wilder, who took Sheffield United up from the Championship; and 2024 winner Kieran McKenna who guided Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League. Year Manager Nationality Club Ref1993 Manchester United1994 Wimbledon1995 Nottingham Forest1996 Sunderland1997 Barnsley1998 Southampton1999 Manchester United2000 Charlton Athletic2001 Ipswich Town2002 Arsenal2003 Everton2004 Arsenal2005 Everton2006 Reading2007 Reading2008 Manchester United2009 Everton2010 Fulham2011 Manchester United2012 Newcastle United2013 Manchester United2014 Liverpool2015 AFC Bournemouth2016 Leicester City2017 Chelsea2018 Manchester City2019 Sheffield United2020 Liverpool2021 Manchester City2022 Liverpool2023Manchester City2024Ipswich Town2025Liverpool2026Coventry City
Winners by individual Manager Name Wins Winning years 5 1993, 1999, 2008, 2011, 2013 3 2018, 2021, 2023 3 2003, 2005, 2009 2 2020, 2022 2 2002, 2004 2 2006, 2007 1 1994 1 1995 1 1996 1 1997 1 1998 1 2000 1 2001 1 2010 1 2012 1 2014 1 2015 1 2016 1 2017 1 2019 1 2024 1 2025 1 2026
Winners by nationality CountryIndividualsTotal wins 1011 39 33 22 13 12 11 12 11
Divisional Award Winners
The divisional award winners are voted by a panel. YearPremier League / PremiershipChampionship / Division OneLeague One / Division TwoLeague Two / Division ThreeManagerClubManagerClubManagerClubManagerClub1994 Manchester United Wycombe Wanderers1995 Blackburn Rovers Bolton Wanderers Birmingham City Chesterfield1996 Manchester United Leicester City Swindon Town Gillingham1997 Manchester United1998 Arsenal1999 Manchester United Sunderland Preston North End Walsall2000 Manchester United Charlton Athletic Preston North End Swansea City2001 Ipswich Town Fulham Rotherham United Brighton & Hove Albion2002 Arsenal West Bromwich Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Plymouth Argyle2003 Manchester United Portsmouth Wigan Athletic Wrexham2004 Arsenal Norwich Plymouth Argyle Doncaster Rovers2005 Chelsea Sunderland Luton Town Southend United2006Chelsea Reading Southend United Carlisle United2007 Manchester United Sunderland Yeovil Town Hartlepool United 2008 Manchester United West Bromwich Albion Swansea City Hereford United2009 Manchester United Wolverhampton Wanderers Peterborough United Exeter City2010 Tottenham Hotspur Newcastle United Norwich City Rochdale2011 Manchester United Norwich City Brighton & Hove Albion Chesterfield2012 Newcastle United Reading Charlton Athletic Swindon Town2013 Manchester United Cardiff City Yeovil Town Gillingham2014 Crystal Palace Leicester City Wolverhampton Wanderers Leyton Orient Scunthorpe United2015 Chelsea AFC Bournemouth Bristol City Wycombe Wanderers2016 Leicester City Brighton and Hove Albion Wigan Athletic Northampton Town2017 Chelsea Brighton and Hove Albion Sheffield United Portsmouth2018 Manchester City Wolverhampton Wanderers Shrewsbury Town Accrington Stanley2019 Manchester City Sheffield United Luton Town Lincoln City2020 Liverpool Leeds United Coventry City Crewe Alexandra2021 Manchester City Norwich City Hull City Cheltenham Town2022 Liverpool Fulham Leam Richardson Wigan Athletic Matt Taylor Exeter City2023 Manchester City Burnley Plymouth Argyle Leyton Orient2024 Manchester City Ipswich Town Portsmouth Stockport County2025 Liverpool Leeds United Chris DaviesBirmingham City Doncaster Rovers2026 Arsenal Coventry City Michael SkubalaLincoln City Bromley
FA Cup Manager of the Year
Year Manager Nationality Club Ref2012 Chelsea 2013 Wigan Athletic 2014 Sheffield United 2015 Bradford City
Winners by individual The following managers have won two or more awards. Manager Name Total WinsLMA Manager of the Year Premier League / Premiership Championship / Division One League One / Division Two League Two / Division Three FA Cup 16511 734 53 2 523 41111 422 32 1 33 33 211 211 211 211 211 21 1 21 1 21 1 21 1 211 211 21 1 22 22 211 211 2 2 2 11 2 11 211
Wins by country Total country wins Wins by ManagersLMA Manager of the Year Premier League / Premiership Championship / Division One League One / Division Two League Two / Division Three FA Cup England62501021119212 Scotland3211813362 Spain923411 Northern Ireland 96333 Ireland86161 France62231 Germany62222 Italy642211 Portugal 5332 Wales32111 Netherlands2111 Argentina111 Belgium111 Gibraltar111 Uruguay111
Special Merit Award Also referred to as Service to Football Award. YearNationalityNameNotes2002 2004 Service to youth coaching.2006 Champions League win in first season at Liverpool.2007 Long service to Crewe Alexandra.2009 Champions League win, Club World Cup win and third league title in a row.2010 Winning the Eredivisie with FC Twente, their first championship in their 45-year history.2011 Surpassing 2,000 competitive games and becoming Manchester United's longest serving manager.2012 Record 42 Football League games unbeaten2013 Winning the FA Cup and Champions League with Chelsea2013 Taking Bradford to League Two play-off promotion and the League Cup Final.
John Duncan Award Awarded to an individual chosen by the LMA board who has accomplished something significant in the field of football, or represents the passion and service to football that it was said John Duncan personified. YearNationalityNameReason2023 Awarded for Macari's work creating the Macari Foundation which is helping people impacted by homelessness in Stoke-on-Trent.2024 Awarded for reaching 1250 games in professional management.2025 Awarded for winning a first major trophy with Crystal Palace.Ange PostecoglouAwarded for winning the Europa League with Tottenham HotspurEddie HoweAwarded for winning the EFL Cup with Newcastle United (first major trophy in 70 years)Renée SlegersAwarded for winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Arsenal WomenSonia BompastorAwarded for winning the Domestic Treble (Women's Super League, Women's FA Cup, FA Women's League Cup) with Chelsea Women
References
External links League Managers Association