ISU

How the ISU Skating Awards work

The ISU Skating Awards consists of three key phases that produce our category winners each year. 

Phase 1: Voting (11 December 2023 – 7 January 2024) 

Six out of the eight award categories create a long list compiling of up to 20 individuals/pairs – these are called candidates.  

For these six awards, the public and the media have the opportunity to vote for their favorite candidates from the long lists – the public count for 2/3 of the vote and media for 1/3.  

The three candidates with the most votes are announced as nominees and put forward to the jury who finally select the winner. 

Public and media can vote on the following categories:  

• Most Entertaining Program 
• Most Valuable Skater 
• Best Coach 
• Best Choreographer 
• Best Costume 
• Best Newcomer 

Two awards – Lifetime & Special Achievement – do not go to a public vote: winners are selected by a Selection Commission. 

Phase 2: Jury selection (10-15 January 2024) 

Candidates with the most votes in the six award categories are shortlisted and become nominees – each category shortlist includes up to three nominees. 

The shortlists are then put in front of a jury of six made up of former global Figure Skating Champions.  

The jury decides who from the lists of nominees will be crowned winners.  

 Previous jurors include:  

Phase 3: Live show (11 February 2024) 

The ISU Skating Awards is livestreamed each year through the ISU YouTube channel.  

In 2023 celebrities Johnny Weir (Figure Skater/Commentator) and Elma Smit (Journalist/TV Presenter) hosted the show together.  

For the 2024 edition, Elma Smit returns accompanied by four-time World Champion/Figure Skating legend Kurt Browning.  

During the livestream, Smit and Browning will reveal the winners and present the ISU Skating Awards trophies during a prize-giving ceremony.