The Allstate Sugar Bowl Sports Awards Banquet, held annually at the Superdome, honors top athletes, coaches, and teams from the region as selected by the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee.
The New Orleans Sports Awards Committee came together in 1957 when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month and a variety of annual award winners.
In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class.
While adding the responsibility of selecting Hall of Famers, the committee has continued to recognize the top athlete in the New Orleans area each month as well as a range of annual awards – the honors entered their 70th year in 2026. The Committee also selects the Sugar Bowl Athletes of the Month, who are also recognized at the annual banquet.
The annual award winners for 2025-26 are as follows (click image for full stories and past winners).
