Thirty-five finalists have been announced for the highly esteemed 2023 SP Sports Awards.
Deliberations by Deloitte, auditor of the SPSA Awards, went on for a week, and the top three finalists for each of the 13 categories have now been vetted, following their respective selections being recommended by the, which was chaired by Warwick Vele.
Chair of the SP Awards Selection Panel, Warwick Vele, stated, "This year, we received a good number of high-quality nominations in each category from all over the country and abroad, which included new names and faces."
He also expressed his pleasure in receiving nominations for the categories outside of the high-profile ones, including Community Sports Initiative, Best Sportsperson with a Disability, and National Performance.
The finalists for the SP Sports Awards are:
| Male Athlete of the Year Morea Baru Weightlifting Matthew Stubbings Tennis Alwin Komolong Football | Junior Female Athlete of the Year Ida Vagi Weightlifting Dika Lohia Cricket Colita Hakena Tennis |
| Female Athlete of the Year Violet Apisah Tennis Dika Toua Weightlifting Tanya Ruma Cricket | Best Sports Person with a Disability Dorna Longbut Athletics & Badmington Steven Abraham Athletics Haoda Agari Table Tennis |
| Team of the Year PNG Lewas Cricket Women's Tennis Tennis PNG Lagatois Football | Sports Official of the Year David Yareboinen Football Barbara Stubbings Tennis Nelson Stone Rugby League & Athletics |
| National Performance of the Year Morobe Hammerheads Rugby Union 7s Lae Natives Football Benjamin Aliel Athletics | Sports Photo of the Year Jordan Sere Fidelis Wasari Charlie Dumavi |
| Community Sports Initiative Award Santos Love Cricket Program Cricket Kavieng Basketball Basketball Roland Muluyaru Football | Sports Media of the Year Rickilah Wura - SP Sports Breakfast Show Host Patricia Keamo - The National Sports Desk Charlie Dumavi - Sunday Bulletin Sports Desk |
| Junior Male Athlete of the Year John Kariko Jnr Cricket Sugar-Ray Hakena Tennis |
The announcement of the finalists also marks the start of Short Messaging Service or SMS Voting for the People's Choice Award. The winner of the People's Choice Award is chosen through a public vote through radio. The more votes a finalist receives, the greater their chances of winning.
Voting for the People's Choice Award will close on May 26, 2023.
The SP Awards Presentation Dinner, held at the traditional home of the Awards, the Crowne Hotel, will be streamed live on the SP Sports Awards Facebook page on Saturday, May 27th, 2023. This event is expected to return with all its glamour and splendor for the first time after a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.