“Sportsperson of the Year” Awards 2019: Coming Soon
“Winter is coming” which means it’s almost time for the most important and prestigious sports event in Bulgaria – “Sportsperson of the Year”. Preparation for the official ceremony has begun and organizers are already well in place.
The grand sports awards will be held for the 62nd time now, continuing the tradition of celebrating and awarding the achievements of Bulgarian athletes who have competed in different fields over the past year. After so many editions, “Sportsperson of the Year” Awards have turned into a tradition for the Bulgarian nation and Bulgarian sportspeople. The importance and scale of the ceremony attract people with different background – from famous Bulgarian public figures, through politicians, to all the sports enthusiasts, of course.
But let’s not forget all the journalists. Their role is tremendous as they represent the jury of the awards. More than 100 renowned journalists from various national electronic and print media channels take part in the voting every year and select nominees in several main categories. They include: “Sportsperson of the Year”, “Team of the Year”, “Athlete with Disabilities of the Year”, and “Coach of the Year”.
A PEEK AT THE PAST
At the very beginning, the awards used to have a bit more modest nature. The very first time when the survey is organized is back 1942 by “Sport” newspaper and it is the readers of the newspaper who select the best athlete at that time. Later on, in 1948 and 1955 the organizer of the poll is “Naroden Sport” newspaper and again the readers determine the winner. In 1956, the poll is carried out by “Radio Sofia”.
The first formal poll is conducted in 1958 when the basketball player Vanya Voinova becomes the first official winner and best athlete of Bulgaria.
Ever since 1994, Nove JSC Holding becomes the official organizer of “Sportsperson of the Year”. The main person behind the event is Vassil Bojkov – businessman, antique collector, and promoter of the Bulgarian sport in many ways.
From what can be observed, each following ceremony is greater than the previous one in terms of organization, program, and stage performances by some of the best Bulgarian musicians and singers. Last year’s ceremony, for instance, was hosted by two of the most recognizable and charming voices in Bulgaria – the radio and TV host Mitko Pavlov and the loved-by-everyone singer Orlin Pavlov.
As for the upcoming “Sportsperson of the Year” 2019, details will be revealed very soon.