The inaugural BBC Football Awards have cast a spotlight on the standout performers of the 2025-26 season, with a panel of expert pundits and journalists voting across the Premier League, Women’s Super League, Scottish Premiership and the English Football League. The list of voters reads like a who’s who of football knowledge, including Chris Sutton, Ellen White, Danny Murphy, Dion Dublin, Fara Williams and Theo Walcott, ensuring the winners reflect both statistical excellence and intangible match influence.
Declan Rice was named Premier League Player of the Season after his transformative role in Arsenal’s first title triumph since 2004. The England midfielder’s set-piece delivery became a lethal weapon, contributing directly to numerous goals, while his leadership and consistency allowed Mikel Arteta’s side to hold off persistent challengers. Rice’s performances have also propelled the Gunners to the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, underlining a campaign of historic proportions. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, who set a new single-season assists record, pushed him close, while Brentford striker Igor Thiago’s 22-goal haul placed him third.
Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly claimed the Premier League Young Player award after a breakout year in which his attacking surges from full-back became a key component of both club and country’s play. Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi and Arsenal teenager Max Dowman also received votes, signalling a bright future for English football.
In the managerial category, Arteta was the clear choice after guiding Arsenal from October’s summit all the way to the title, ending a 22-year wait and reaching the Champions League final. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Brentford’s Keith Andrews and Sunderland’s Regis Le Bris also drew commendation, but none could match the scale of Arteta’s achievement.
The goal of the season belonged to Fulham’s Harrison Reed, whose extraordinary 25-yard swerver in the dying moments against Liverpool salvaged a draw and left Alisson helpless. Reed’s strike edged out team-mate Harry Wilson’s inventive effort and Rayan Cherki’s solo run. In the season’s other Premier League distinctions, Granit Xhaka’s £17 million move to Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen was voted signing of the season. Tottenham’s unexpected relegation battle was deemed the shock of the season, while Ange Postecoglou’s sacking at Nottingham Forest was the most predictable departure. The worst widely held prediction? Liverpool to successfully defend their title.
In the Women’s Super League, Khadija Shaw won Player of the Season in a landslide, capturing more than 80% of the vote. The Jamaican striker’s 21 goals—and four assists—in just 22 matches powered Manchester City to their first WSL title in a decade, a feat made even more remarkable by the squad’s consistency after breaking Chelsea’s recent dominance. Shaw has since signed a new contract with the champions, ensuring her future remains in Manchester. City boss Andree Jeglertz was nearly a universal pick for manager of the year, with his only rival vote failing to dent the recognition for a potential double-winning campaign. Meanwhile, Veerle Buurman was named breakthrough player of the season.
North of the border, Hearts forward Claudio Braga was voted Scottish Premiership Player of the Season. The tenacious Portuguese attacker scored 14 times and set up three more, his energy almost carrying Hearts to a historic title before a final-day defeat to Celtic crushed those dreams. Motherwell winger Elijah Just and Hearts team-mate Lawrence Shankland—who will join Rangers next season—rounded out the top three. In a managerial vote decided by a single ballot, Derek McInnes of Hearts pipped Motherwell’s Jens Berthel Askou, who has since left to take over at Toulouse. McInnes’s side ran Celtic agonisingly close, the narrow margin a testament to his tactical acumen. Celtic’s Martin O’Neill, who steadied a club in turmoil after two managerial departures to secure a fifth straight title, came third. Youssef Chermiti’s acrobatic overhead kick for Rangers against Celtic won goal of the season, while Falkirk’s Barney Stewart and Kilmarnock’s Findlay Curtis shared the breakthrough player prize.
In the Championship, Hayden Hackney’s all-action midfield displays for Middlesbrough earned him Player of the Season, though injury probably cost Boro a Premier League return. Coventry City’s Matt Grimes was the runner-up. The managerial award was shared by Frank Lampard and Alex Neil: Lampard ended Coventry’s 25-year top-flight exile with a dominant title win, while Neil’s Millwall remained in promotion contention until the play-off semi-finals. League One saw Leyton Orient’s Dom Ballard claim Player of the Season after his 23-goal heroics almost single-handedly preserved the club’s third-tier status. Lincoln City manager Michael Skubala was the unanimous choice for boss after masterminding an unexpected title triumph against far wealthier rivals. Finally, in League Two, Aaron Drinan’s 22 goals for Swindon Town secured the player gong despite the Robins missing the play-offs, while Andy Woodman was the unanimous managerial winner after steering Bromley to a second consecutive promotion, from the National League to League One.
The BBC Awards provide a comprehensive acknowledgment of those who shaped the 2025-26 football calendar. From Rice’s midfield mastery to Shaw’s goal-scoring onslaught and McInnes’s near-miss with Hearts, the winners reflect resilience, tactical brilliance and individual flair. Voted on by some of the most respected minds in the game, these honours capture the essence of a season filled with narrative twists and record-breaking feats. Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
