Canadian Premier League Awards

Set of soccer awards and ceremony

Logo of the CPL Awards

The Canadian Premier League Awards is a ceremony held annually at the end of each Canadian Premier League season. There are a total of seven individual awards given to players or coaches based on their performance in the regular season. For the majority of the awards, nominees are selected by the league and voted on by members of the media. The winner of each award receives an Inuit soapstone sculpture designed by artists from Cape Dorset, Nunavut.[1]

The CPL Awards were first held in 2019 and included five honours (Golden Boot, Golden Glove, Coach of the Year, U21 Canadian Player of the Year, and Player of the Year).[2] The awards initially took into account performance across the whole CPL season, including playoffs and finals.[1]

In 2022, two new awards were added (Defender of the Year and Players' Player of the Year) and all awards became based solely on performance in the regular season.[3] The timing of the ceremony was also shifted to be held a few days before the CPL final and in the city that is hosting the final.

Awards

Golden Boot

The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the regular season. In the even of a tie, the award is shared between all players level on goals.

Season Winner Goals Games Rate
2019 Canada Tristan Borges (Forge FC) 13[a] 27 0.48
2020 Trinidad and Tobago Akeem Garcia (HFX Wanderers FC) 6 11 0.55
2021 Brazil João Morelli (HFX Wanderers FC) 14 21 0.67
2022 Mexico Alejandro Díaz (Pacific FC) 13 18 0.72
2023 Northern Ireland Ollie Bassett (Atlético Ottawa) 11 27 0.41
New Zealand Myer Bevan (Cavalry FC) 11 26 0.42
  1. ^ Includes 1 goal scored in the CPL Finals

Golden Glove

The Golden Glove is the award for the goalkeeper of the year.

Season Winner Finalists
2019 Canada Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC) Canada Nathan Ingham (York9 FC)
Canada Connor James (FC Edmonton)
2020 Canada Triston Henry (Forge FC) Canada Christian Oxner (HFX Wanderers FC)
Canada Callum Irving (Pacific FC)
2021 Canada Jonathan Sirois (Valour FC) Canada Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC)
Canada Triston Henry (Forge FC)
2022 Canada Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC) Canada Nathan Ingham (Atlético Ottawa)
Canada Callum Irving (Pacific FC)
2023 Canada Triston Henry (Forge FC) Canada Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC)
Algeria Rayane Yesli (Valour FC)

Coach of the Year

In 2022, this award was voted on by head coaches and one assistant coach from each club.[3]

Season Winner Finalists
2019 England Tommy Wheeldon Jr. (Cavalry FC) Canada Jim Brennan (York9 FC)
Canada Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC)
2020 Trinidad and Tobago Stephen Hart (HFX Wanderers FC) Canada Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC)
Spain Mista (Atlético Ottawa)
2021 Norway Pa-Modou Kah (Pacific FC) Canada Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC)
England Tommy Wheeldon Jr. (Cavalry FC)
2022 Spain Carlos González (Atlético Ottawa) Canada Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC)
Canada James Merriman (Pacific FC)
2023 England Tommy Wheeldon Jr. (Cavalry FC) Canada Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC)
Canada Patrice Gheisar (HFX Wanderers FC)

Player of the Year

This is awarded to the league's most valuable player, as voted by the media. Since 2022, the CPL has announced five nominees rather than three.

Season Winner Finalists
2019 Canada Tristan Borges (Forge FC) Canada Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
Republic of the Congo Dominique Malonga (Cavalry FC)
2020 Canada Kyle Bekker (Forge FC) Canada Marco Bustos (Pacific FC)
Trinidad and Tobago Akeem Garcia (HFX Wanderers FC)
2021 Brazil João Morelli (HFX Wanderers FC) Canada Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
Canada Terran Campbell (Pacific FC)
2022 Northern Ireland Ollie Bassett (Atlético Ottawa) Sweden Alexander Achinioti-Jonsson (Forge FC)
Canada Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC)
Canada Sean Rea (Valour FC)
Canada Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)
2023 Netherlands Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC) Canada Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC)
Canada Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
France Lorenzo Callegari (HFX Wanderers FC)
Somalia Ali Musse (Cavalry FC)

Best Under 21 Canadian Player of the Year

The CPL requires clubs to roster a minimum of three Canadian players under the age of 21 and to play them for a minimum of 2,000 minutes in a season.[4] All under-21 Canadian players are eligible for this award.

Season Winner Finalists
2019 Canada Tristan Borges (Forge FC) Canada Diyaeddine Abzi (York9 FC)
Canada Terran Campbell (Pacific FC)
2020 Canada Mohamed Farsi (Cavalry FC) Canada Chrisnovic N'sa (HFX Wanderers FC)
Canada Julian Dunn (Valour FC)
2021 Canada Alessandro Hojabrpour (Pacific FC) Canada Max Ferrari (York United FC)
Canada Victor Loturi (Cavalry FC)
2022 Canada Sean Rea (Valour FC) Canada Osaze De Rosario (York United FC)
Canada Woobens Pacius (Forge FC)
2023 Canada Matteo De Brienne (Valour FC) Canada James Cameron (Vancouver FC)
Canada Kwasi Poku (Forge FC)

Defender of the Year

Season Winner Finalists
2022 Sweden Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge FC) Canada Amer Đidić (Pacific FC)
Canada Dominick Zator (York United)
2023 Netherlands Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC) Canada Manjrekar James (Forge FC)
Canada Daniel Nimick (HFX Wanderers FC)

Player's Player of the Year

Introduced in 2022, this is the only award is voted on by the players. All players that played in a game are eligible to vote and be voted for. Players cast three votes in a 5–3–1 scoring system and cannot vote for a teammate.[5] The top-10 players receiving votes are named as finalists prior to the awards ceremony.[6]

Season Winner Runner-up Third place
2022 Northern Ireland Ollie Bassett (Atlético Ottawa) Canada Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa) Mexico Alejandro Díaz (Pacific FC)
2023 Somalia Ali Musse (Cavalry FC) Canada Kyle Bekker (Forge FC) Netherlands Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC)

Ceremonies

Beginning in 2022, the CPL Awards have been held in the city hosting the CPL Finals.

Season Date Location Ref
2019 November 26, 2019 Toronto, Ontario [7]
2020 November 26, 2020 Held virtually [8]
2021 December 14, 2021 Toronto, Ontario [9]
2022 October 28, 2022 Ottawa, Ontario [10]
2023 October 26, 2023 Hamilton, Ontario [11]

References

  1. ^ a b Thompson, Marty (November 1, 2019). "Canadian Premier League officially unveils 2019 individual awards". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  2. ^ "2019 Canadian Premier League Awards Fact Sheet". Canadian Premier League. November 27, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.,
  3. ^ a b "CPL announces new awards, 2022 voting procedures". Canadian Premier League. September 28, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2022. The Golden Boot award is awarded to the player who scores the most goals during the CPL regular season
  4. ^ Jacques, John (April 4, 2022). "Canadian Premier League Increasing Youth Minute Requirement". Northern Tribune. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  5. ^ "Cavalry FC's Ali Musse voted 2023 CPL Players' Player of the Year". Canadian Premier League. October 26, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  6. ^ "Ten Canadian Premier League standouts shortlisted for Players' Player of the Year". Canadian Premier League. October 23, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  7. ^ "Canadian Premier League announces 2019 Award winners". Canadian Premier League. November 26, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  8. ^ "Canadian Premier League announces 2020 Award winners". Canadian Premier League. November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Canadian Premier League announces 2021 Award winners". Canadian Premier League. December 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Jacques, John (October 29, 2022). "2022 CPL Awards Roundup". Northern Tribune. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  11. ^ Jacques, John (October 27, 2023). "2023 CPL Awards Round Up: Cavalry Dominates The Show". Northern Tribune. Retrieved November 17, 2023.