The Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award is an award honouring the achievements of those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the world of sports. It was first awarded in 2000 as one of the inaugural awards presented during the Laureus World Sports Awards. The awards are presented by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global organisation involved in more than 150 charity projects supporting 500,000 young people. The first ceremony was held on 25 May 2000 in Monte Carlo, at which Nelson Mandela gave the keynote speech. The recipient is presented with a Laureus statuette, created by Cartier, at an annual awards ceremony held in various locations around the world. Although the Laureus Awards ceremony is held annually, the Lifetime Achievement Award is not necessarily presented every time; it is one of a number of discretionary awards that can be given by the Laureus World Sports Academy. The awards are considered highly prestigious and are frequently referred to as the sporting equivalent of "Oscars".
The inaugural Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Brazilian footballer Pelé. Footballers have received more awards than any other sports with five. Two individuals have been honoured posthumously. The New Zealand yachtsman Peter Blake was shot dead by pirates on the Amazon River in December 2001. Arne Næss Jr., the Norwegian mountaineer, died in a climbing accident in South Africa four months before the 2004 ceremony. No award was presented at the 2005, 2009, or 2017 Laureus Awards ceremonies; American tennis player Billie Jean King won the award in the 2021 Laureus Awards ceremony in Seville. The most recent recipient of the award is Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci.
Recipients + Key Indicates posthumous award
+ Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Year Image Winner Nationality Sport Ref. 2000 Pelé Football 2001 Rowing 2002 Yachting 2003 Golf 2004 Mountaineering 2005 2006 Football 2007 Football 2008 Athletics 2009 2010 Athletics 2011 Football 2012 Football 2013 Athletics 2014 2015 2016 Formula One 2017 2018 Athletics 2019 Football 2020 Basketball 2021 Tennis 2022 American football 2023 2024 2025 Surfing 2026 Gymnastics
References