Minneapolis (April 23, 2019) – Nominations are open now for the third annual Minnesota Sports Awards, hosted by Sports Minneapolis, and powered by Meet Minneapolis. Sports fans from around the state are encouraged to nominate their favorite athletes and coaches who have demonstrated excellence in their sports and leadership within the community. The deadline for high school and college athlete nominations is June 21. Nominations for professional athletes, Courage Award, Coach of the year and Sports Moment of the Year close in August. Winners will be announced at the Minnesota Sports Awards on December 11 at a celebration that also features the Star Tribune’s 2019 inductees to the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame.

The Minnesota Sports Awards categories available for nomination submissions include:

High School Athlete of the Year (Girls/Boys)
Awarded to the high school athlete who has set the highest standard for excellence in their sport and in their contributions to the community during the 2018-2019 athletic season.

Collegiate Athlete of the Year (Women/Men)
Awarded to the collegiate athlete who has set the highest standard for excellence in their sport and in their contributions to the community during the 2018-2019 athletic season.

Professional Athlete of the Year
Awarded to the professional athlete who has set the highest standard for excellence in their sport and in their contributions to the community during the 2018-2019 athletic season.

Coach of the Year Award
Awarded to the coach – at the high school, collegiate or professional level – who has set the highest standard for excellence for their team, their sport and in their contributions to the community during the 2018-2019 athletic season.

Minnesota Sports Moment of the Year Award
Recognizing a single Minnesota sports moment from a game or competition in the past year that energized sports fans, displayed remarkable athletic skill or demonstrated incredible sportsmanship.

Courage Award
Awarded to an athlete or sports figure who overcame significant challenges on or off the playing field, inspiring others with their courage, perseverance and determination during the 2018-2019 athletic season.

This year’s Sports Minneapolis Minnesota Sports Awards gala dinner will take place Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot. Ticket sales will be announced in September. The evening features honorees, iconic Minnesota athletes and team representatives to share stories about their teams and sports. In addition, the award program will be carried live by FOX Sports North across multiple digital platforms and rebroadcast at a later date.

For recaps of past years’ Minnesota Sports Awards, go here.

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ABOUT SPORTS MINNEAPOLIS

Sports Minneapolis leads the region in bidding, winning and executing major professional and amateur sporting events that impact the city of Minneapolis and beyond. Sports Minneapolis, a division within Meet Minneapolis, has played a major role in securing events such as the Super Bowl, NCAA Men’s Final Four, Major League Baseball All-Star Game, USA Girls’ Jr. Volleyball, CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer, X Games and more. Amateur and professional sports events increase visitor spending and tax revenue that benefits the local community.

In addition to securing upcoming NCAA championships and major events, such as the 2020
Division I Wrestling Championships, 2021 Division I Men’s Gymnastics Championships, and the 2021 Division I Men’s Basketball Regional, Sports Minneapolis and its partners will be the local organizing committee for the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four. For more information on Sports Minneapolis, visit www.sportsminneapolis.org.

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit to the greater Minneapolis area.

Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International.

CONNECT WITH US
Online: www.sportsminneapolis.org
Twitter: @Sports_Mpls
Watch: Sports Minneapolis

MEDIA CONTACTS
Kim Insley, Meet Minneapolis Public Relations Manager, 612-767-8118, KimI@minneapolis.org
Kathy McCarthy, Meet Minneapolis Public Relations Director, 612-767-8048, KathyM@minneapolis.org
Or email MeetMinneapolisPR@Minneapolis.org