31.03.2025
The International Skating Union (ISU) celebrated the pinnacle of Figure Skating excellence on Sunday evening at the ISU Figure Skating Awards 2025. Following a thrilling ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, the global figure skating family came together to honor the extraordinary athleticism, artistry and talent that shaped this season.
“To all our treasured skaters - you are the heart and soul of our sport. Thank you for everything you do to make figure skating so loved around the world,” ISU President Jae Youl Kim said as he opened the ceremony. “Tonight, we also honor the talent and dedication behind each magical moment of brilliance on the ice. To all the coaches, choreographers, and costume designers working behind the scenes – thank you for sharing your vision, your talent, and your heart.”
For the first time, the awards embraced a bold new format and were livestreamed globally, allowing fans worldwide to experience the glamour, emotion, and excitement. Hosted by Olympic Champion Tara Lipinski and ISU World Figure Skating Championships medalist Johnny Weir, the night was filled with star-studded commentary, heartfelt speeches, and well-deserved recognition.
A legendary lineup of presenters, including Vera Wang, Brian Boitano, Katarina Witt, Gracie Gold, Kirsten Moore-Towers, took the stage to honor the sport's finest. The evening served as a tribute to the remarkable talent and creativity that continue to inspire audiences worldwide.
Among the standout winners, Ilia Malinin (USA), Olivia Smart/Tim Dieck (ESP), and Ekaterina Geynish/Dmitri Chigirev (UZB) claimed top honors in the athlete categories. Shae-Lynn Bourne was recognized as Best Choreographer, while Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov received the Best Coach award. The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to figure skating legend Scott Hamilton (USA). The evening concluded with Ilia Malinin (USA) earning the coveted Skater of the Year title, while Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA) were honored as Skaters of the Year.
Ilia Malinin’s (USA) Short Program to “Running” by NF stands out because of its contemporary and innovative style. The program is highly dynamic, entertaining and expressive. The choreographer is Shae-Lynn Bourne.
“This definitely wouldn't be possible without Shae-Lynn (Bourne). She's just an incredible choreographer,” Malinin acknowledged.
The other nominees for Most Entertaining Program were Junhwan Cha (KOR) with his Free Skating to “Balada para un loco” by Astor Piazzolla and Milva and Olivia Smart/Tim Dieck (ESP) their Free Dance to “Dune”.
Pair Skaters Ekaterina Geynish/Dmitri Chigirev (UZB) competed in their first international season and immediately made an impact. They claimed the silver medal in their very first ISU Grand Prix event Skate Canada 2024. The couple went on to win the Asian Winter Games and placed 8th at the ISU Four Continents Championships 2025. In their World debut in Boston, they came 10th and secured an Olympic quota place.
“We really enjoyed that moment. This is a big honor for us,” Chigirev noted. “It is really nice to be recognized with such an award for our debut season. Nevertheless, we need to continue to work hard and improve for the future,” Chigirev said.
“For me it was unexpected that we were nominated at all. I didn’t think that we would win,” Geynish commented.
The other nominees for Best Newcomer were Sarah Everhardt (USA) and Anna Pezzetta (ITA).
A Figure Skating costume is more than just an attire athletes wear when performing. It is part of the performance and sets the stage for the Skaters and the audience. Figure Skating costumes are creative, original and unique. A lot of thought goes into their creation.
Olivia Smart/Tim Dieck’s (ESP) Free Dance costumes flawlessly capture their theme, giving the impression that they stepped straight out of the movie “Dune.” Olivia Smart’s costume was designed by fellow Ice Dancer Madison Chock (USA) while Tim Dieck’s costume was created by Mathieu Caron.
“The costume really flourished and worked with the program and the storytelling aspect of what we wanted to portray,” Smart said. “I had a vision in my mind but I couldn't get it on paper and I couldn't get it out of my mind. Maddie (Madison Chock) had the same vision I did, we clicked in fashion and she knew exactly what I wanted. She was able to draw it out on paper for me and really helped me just make it come to life in terms of colors and materials. The process of it was so casual but it ended up being really a real masterpiece.”
“It's amazing. It really shows all the work we put into this free dance,” Dieck commented.
The other nominees for Best Costume were Junhwan Cha (KOR) for his Free Skating costume designed by Kyongsool Bae and Ilia Malinin (USA) for his Free Skating costume designed by Satomi Ito.
Behind each Skater is a coach or team of coaches, guiding them to reach their full athletic potential and inspiring audiences worldwide.
Tatiana Malinina and her husband, Roman Skorniakov, are former Olympic athletes. Malinina is the 1999 ISU Four Continents Champion and ISU Grand Prix Final Champion and the first to win any titles for Uzbekistan. They have been coaching their son Ilia Malinin from childhood and led him to the World title in 2024 and 2025 They also coach Sarah Everhardt among others.
“We didn’t expect this. There were so many nominees on the long list and we got into the final,” Tatiana Malinina said. “It was a big surprise for us to win. All coaches are working hard and they are all great. To win among all those great coaches is an even bigger victory for us,” she added.
The other nominees for Best Coach were Mie Hamada and Michael Huth.
The masterminds behind the spectacular programs of the Figure Skaters are the choreographers. They create these one-of-a-kind programs that captivate millions of spectators around the world.
Shae-Lynn Bourne (CAN), a former competitive Ice Dancer and the 2003 ISU World Champion with partner Victor Kraatz, has choreographed the programs of Ilia Malinin and Junhwan Cha this season, among others. Bourne has won the Best Choreographer award in 2020 and 2023. She was also nominated in 2024.
“Thank you so much for this huge honor and for the recognition of my work,” Shae-Lynn Bourne said in a video message. “It's truly a privilege to get to work with such a broad range of skaters and to do what I'm most passionate about each and every day - and that's really being on the ice with the skaters and creating for them and with them.
“A big thank you to each skater I've worked with for your openness, your trust, and your willingness to try this move and that move and no matter how crazy it may feel or seem, it's really what brings me the most joy is getting to know each of the skaters I've worked with and to try to bring that out in their skating and to remind them of the joy of skating.”
The other nominees for Best Choreographer were Stéphane Lambiel and Benoît Richaud.
Scott Hamilton (USA) was the 1984 Olympic Champion and won four consecutive ISU World titles 1981 to 1984. Following his competitive career, Mr. Hamilton enjoyed a career as a professional show skater and worked as a Figure Skating analyst for TV.
He founded the Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation, which supports cancer patients, and he served as a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics.
Actively involved in charitable work, he founded the Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation which supports cancer patients. He also served as a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics.
Mr. Hamilton’s achievements and impact on the sport of Figure Skating and beyond have made him a role model for the figure skating world.
“It's all about opportunity,” Mr. Hamilton said. ”It's about the opportunity to skate and the opportunity to learn how to get up. Life throws everything it can at us. The second you understand that this sport teaches us how to get up, the better we can face anything the world throws at us.”
The previous Lifetime Achievement Awards winners are Kurt Browning (2020), Tamara Moskvina, Alexei Mishin and Jayne Torvill/Christopher Dean (2021), Katarina Witt (2023) and Brian Orser (2024).
Ilia Malinin (USA) was undefeated this whole season and earned the Skaters of the Year Award.
“I want to thank my coaches and my parents for making me do all the hard work and to really push me to not be lazy on the ice every day and to really just try to make the best out of me and push my own limits,” Malinin said.
“I'm really blessed to have them. I would say that a few years ago I don't think I'd be seeing myself here even on the senior stage but being here in front of all of you incredible people with this award here just means so much to me. I'm really thankful for all of you for making skating what it truly is.”
Madison Chock / Evan Bates (USA) are the Skaters of the year following an excellent season. They won gold at the ISU World Championships, ISU Grand Prix Final and ISU Grand Prix NHK Trophy.
“We are so delighted and surprised,” Bates said. “This week has been so special and to just finish it off with this award is just a cherry on top of an incredible week here in Boston.”
Chock agreed. “It's been the most magical week. We couldn't have asked for a more special World Championships and then to finish it off with this ISU award is really special and it means so much to us.”
The ISU introduced the “Skater of the Year” and “Skaters of the Year” awards this year, recognizing outstanding performances throughout the season.
Winners were determined based on a points system that rewards skaters who secured podium finishes at major ISU events this season. The single skater (man or woman) and the team (Ice Dance or Pair Skating) with the highest total points, representing the most successful competitive season, were awarded this prestigious new title.
Fans worldwide can watch the Awards on YouTube.
For more information, visit the ISU Figure Skating Awards webpage.