The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) hands out four awards to honor tour competitors for their accomplishments both on and off the lanes after each PBA Tour season.

No awards were given in 2001, as the PBA transitioned from a calendar year format to a "seasonal" (September to March) format, one of the league's many changes as a result of the PBA's sale in March 2000. In 2014, the PBA returned to a calendar year format for each tour season.

Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year This award was voted by writers of The Sporting News from 1963 to 1970. Since 1971 (with the exception of 2008 to 2010, when the winner was determined by season points only), the award has been voted on by the players and media. In 1999, the PBA named the award after the long-time play-by-play television announcer for the Professional Bowlers Tour, Chris Schenkel of ABC Sports.

Billy Hardwick was the first to win the PBA Player of the Year ("POY") award in 1963, and is still the youngest ever (age 22) to win the award. Hardwick was also the first to win it a second time (1963, 69). Earl Anthony was the first to win POY a 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th time (1974–76 & 81–83), while Walter Ray Williams Jr was the first to win a 7th POY award (1986, '93, '96–98, 2003, '10). His award at age 50 in 2010 made him the oldest ever to win the award.

A handful of PBA pros have won PBA Player of the Year four or more times: Williams Jr 7x (1986, 93, 96–98, 2003, 10), Jason Belmonte 7x (2013–15, 17, 19–20, 22), Anthony 6x (1974–76 & 81–83), E. J. Tackett 5x (2016, 23–26), and Mark Roth 4x (1977–79, 84).

Don Johnson was the first bowler to win the PBA Player of Year award in consecutive seasons (1971–72). Only five bowlers have won the Player of the Year award in three consecutive seasons, with only one of them doing it twice: Anthony (1974–76 & 1981–83), Roth (1977–79), Williams Jr (1996–98), Belmonte (2013–15), and Tackett (2023–25). Tackett is the only bowler to have won the Player of the Year award in four consecutive seasons (2023–26).

Season Bowler Nationality # of Wins Notes 1963 4 Won PBA National Championship. Youngest player (22) to win this award to date. 1964 1 Won PBA National Championship and BPAA All-Star. Leading money winner. 1965 2 Won BPAA All-Star and George Young High Average Award (211.90) 1966 3 Won Tournament of Champions and PBA National Championship. George Young High Average Award (208.66) 1967 6 Won PBA National Championship 1968 5 Leading money winner. Won BPAA All-Star. 1969 (2) 6 Won BPAA All-Star and George Young High Average Award (212.96†) 1970 4 George Young High Average Award (214.91†) 1971 6 First year awarded by player vote. Won George Young High Average Award (213.98) 1972 (2) 3 Won BPAA U.S. Open and George Young High Average Award (215.29†) 1973 6 10-time finalist and leading money winner. 1974 6 Won Tournament of Champions, PBA National Championship, and George Young High Average Award (219.39†) 1975 (2) 7 Won PBA National Championship. George Young High Average Award (219.06). Leading money winner and first player in PBA history to eclipse $100,000 in season earnings. 1976 (3) 6 Leading money winner, 2nd consecutive $100,000 season. 1977 4 George Young High Average Award (218.17) and leading money winner. 1978 (2) 8 George Young High Average Award (219.83†) and leading money winner. PBA record 8 wins in a season. 1979 (3) 6 George Young High Average Award (221.66†) 1980 3 Won Tournament of Champions. Leading money winner. 1981 (4) 4 Won PBA National Championship. 1982 (5) 3 Won PBA National Championship. First to surpass $1,000,000 in career earnings. 1983 (6) 2 Won 6th career PBA National Championship. George Young High Average Award (216.65) 1984 (4) 4 Won BPAA U.S. Open and PBA Touring Players Championship 1985 6 Won PBA National Championship. First to win $200,000 in a single season. 1986 3 9-time finalist 1987 0 First and only player to win award without a tournament victory. (Current rules now require at least one title to be eligible.) 3-time tournament runner-up. George Young High Average Award winner (216.80) 1988 2 Won PBA National Championship. Leading money winner with then-record $225,485. 1989 4 Won PBA Touring Players Championship. Harry Smith Points Leader Award winner. First player born outside the US to win award. 1990 (2) 3 George Young High Average Award winner (218.16) 1991 4 Won the Tournament of Champions. Leading money winner. 1992 2 Harry Smith Points Leader and George Young High Average (219.70) Award winner. Cashed in 26 of 28 events bowled. 1993 (2) 7 George Young High Average Award winner (222.98†) and leading money winner. 1994 5 Won the Tournament of Champions. George Young High Average Award (222.83) and leading money winner. 1995 (2) 1 Won the Tournament of Champions. George Young High Average Award (225.49†). Leading money winner. 1996 (3) 5 George Young High Average Award Winner (225.37) and leading money winner. 1997 (4) 3 George Young High Average Award Winner (222.95) 1998 (5) 5 Won the BPAA U.S. Open. George Young High Average Award Winner (226.13†) 1999 5 George Young High Average Award Winner (228.04†), leading money winner, cashed in 20 of 24 events. 2000 (2) 3 Won PBA National Championship 2002 (2) 5 Won 2001 ABC Masters. George Young High Average Award (221.08) 2003 (6) 3 Won BPAA U.S. Open and PBA World Championship. George Young High Average Award (221.08) and leading money winner with a then-record $419,700. 2004 2 7-time finalist. Won George Young High Average Award (222.73). Second international player (after Monacelli) and first European to win award. 2005 3 Top-five finish in all four majors. Won PBA World Championship. Led tour in earnings. 2006 4 Won the BPAA U.S. Open. Also won Rookie of the Year. 2007 2 Won USBC Masters and PBA World Championship. Leading money winner. 2008 2 First award based on points system. 2009 3 8-time finalist. George Young High Average Award (222.98) 2010 (7) 2 Won USBC Masters. George Young High Average Award (222.89). Tour earnings leader. Oldest player (50) to win this award. 2011 (2) 1 Won Tournament of Champions. George Young High Average Award (222.50). Award went back to voting. 2012 1 Won Tournament of Champions. George Young High Average Award (228.13). Harry Smith Point Leader Award. 2013 3 Won USBC Masters and George Young High Average Award (228.81†). 2014 (2) 3 Won Tournament of Champions, USBC Masters, George Young High Average Award, and Harry Smith Point Leader Award 2015 (3) 2 Won Tournament of Champions and USBC Masters. Best Bowler ESPY Award. 2016 4 Won PBA World Championship 2017 (4) 4 Won PBA Players Championship, USBC Masters, and PBA World Championship. George Young High Average Award (229.39†) 2018 2 Won USBC Masters. 2-time runner-up. Third at Tournament of Champions. 2019 (5) 4 Won Tournament of Champions and PBA World Championship. 2020 (6) 3 Won U.S. Open and PBA World Championship. 2021 2 Won PBA Players Championship. Tour earnings leader with record $496,900. Harry Smith PBA Points Leader. 2022 (7) 5 Won PBA Players Championship. Harry Smith PBA Points Leader. 2023 (2) 5 Won U.S. Open and 2nd PBA World Championship. Earned George Young High Average Award (227.18) and Harry Smith PBA Points Leader Award. 2024 (3) 2 Won 3rd PBA World Championship. Earned George Young High Average Award (229.37) and Harry Smith PBA Points Leader Award. 2025 (4) 4 Won 2nd U.S. Open and 4th PBA World Championship. Led tour in earnings (record 2nd $400K+ season). Earned Harry Smith PBA Points Leader Award. Won 4th consecutive George Young High Average Award (228.60), tying Mark Roth (1976–79) as only players to win four in a row. 2026 (5) 1 Only player to win POY four seasons in a row. Won 5th PBA World Championship, 4th consecutive. Earned top seed in three majors. Led tour in earnings. Earned Harry Smith PBA Points Leader Award. Won 5th consecutive George Young High Average Award (229.78†); only player to win five in a row.

† - Broke previous High Average record.

Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year Candidates receive votes for this honor by PBA members and media. In 1992, this award was renamed in honor of Harry Golden, longtime PBA tournament director.

Season Bowler Nationality Notes 1964 Won the Seattle Coca-Cola PBA Open. 3-time runner-up. 1965 Finished in 3rd at the PBA Oxnard Open. 1966 Cashed in 9 tournaments. 1967 Won the Tampa Bay-Sertoma Open and Youngstown Open. Finished 4th at the Tournament of Champions. 1968 1969 Runner-up at Bellows-Valvair Open. Finished 3rd at the PBA National Championship. 1970 Cashed in 17 tournaments 1971 1972 Qualified for match play in 4 of the first 6 tournaments he entered. 1973 Cashed in 21 or 27 events bowled 1974 1975 Runner-up at Tucson Open. 1976 Won the AMF Regional Champions Classic. 1977 1978 Runner-up at the PBA National Championship. 1979 Won the PBA National Championship (def. Earl Anthony). Runner-up at Amarillo Open. 1980 Finished 4th at Long Island Open 1981 Finished 5th at Fair Lanes Open and 4th at Showboat Doubles Classic (with Pete Weber) 1982 Finished 5th at Miller High Life Open and 4th at Showboat Doubles Classic (with Bill Spigner) 1983 Won AC-Delco Classic 1984 Won the Denver Open. Finished 5th at the Miller High Life Classic. 1985 Finished 4th at the Denver Open. 1986 Runner-up at Ebonite-Firebolt Open. 3rd place at King Louie Open. 1987 Reached match play in 5 events. 1988 Runner-up at Miller Lite Classic. Cashed in 10 of 15 events. 1989 Finished 4th at Showboat Atlantic City Open. Cashed in 17 events. 1990 5th place finish at Chevy Trucks Classic. Cashed in 16 events. 1991 3rd place finish at El Paso Open. Cashed in 10 events. 1992 3rd place finish at Columbia 300 Open and Quaker State Open. Led rookies in earnings and cashes. 1993 5th place finish at Tucson Open. Cashed in 9 total events. 1994 Led rookies in earnings, cashes, and match play appearances. 1995 Led rookies in earnings and average (215.70). Finished 3rd at the Brunswick Johnny Petraglia Open and 5th at the Indianapolis Open. 1996 Rolled a perfect game in his TV debut en route to winning the Columbia 300 Open. 1997 Led tour rookies in earnings (over $20,000) 1998 Reached match play in 12 events. 1999 National/Senior Tour Doubles runner-up with Dale Eagle. Led all rookies in match play appearances (6) and average (215.86). 2000 Garnered 86% of the votes. Led rookies in average (210.50) 2002 3rd place at PBA Orleans Casino OpenTop rookie in earnings ($45,440) and points. 2003 Reached match play in 18 events with a 217 average. 2004 PBA Toledo Open runner-up 2005 Not awarded 2006 Greater Omaha Classic runner-up 2007 Motel 6 Classic runner-up 2008 Won The Go RVing Classic 2009 Won The Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic 2010 Won the Earl Anthony Memorial Classic 2011 Won the World Series of Bowling - Chameleon Championship 2012 3rd place - PBA Cheetah Open presented by Ebonite 2013 4th place - Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open 2014 Won two championships (one as an amateur, one as a PBA member) 2015 Won two titles, including PBA Chameleon Championship 2016 Won U.S. Open and PBA Shark Championship 2017 Won the PBA Xtra Frame Billy Hardwick Memorial Open 2018 Finished 3rd in the Xtra Frame Gene Carter's Pro Shop Classic 2019 Runner-up at USBC Masters2020 Not awarded due to COVID-19 2021 Won the PBA Jonesboro Open. 2022 Led all first-year bowlers in earnings and average. 2023 Led all first-year bowlers in points, earnings and average. 2024 Led all first-year bowlers in points, earnings and average. 2025 Led all first-year bowlers in points and earnings. Set rookie earnings record ($113,502) and became first rookie to qualify for the PBA Playoffs since the event's 2019 inception. 2026 Won PBA Players Championship with a 300 game in the title match. Led all first-year bowlers in points, average and earnings. Broke Ryan Barnes' 2025 rookie earnings record with $163,800.

PBA Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award