NBL Awards 2025: Nominees for MVP, every NBL Award revealed
Twelve of the NBL’s best are in the running to win this season’ league MVP award, as Wildcats star Bryce Cotton chases a fifth Andrew Gaze Trophy. EVERY AWARD NOMINEE REVEALED
Twelve of the NBL’s finest players are in the running to win this season’ league MVP award.
Code Sports can exclusively reveal minor premier Illawarra has three players in contention for the league’s top individual award in Trey Kell, Tyler Harvey and Sam Froling, while both Adelaide (Kendric Davis, Montrezl Harrell) and Sydney (Xavier Cooks, Jaylen Adams) have multiple nominees.
SEE THE NOMINEES: MVP | SIXTH MAN | DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR | MOST IMPROVED PLAYER | NEXT GENERATION
Perth Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton is the odds on favourite to win a fifth Andrew Gaze Trophy, while Brisbane’s Casey Prather and New Zealand’s Parker Jackson-Cartwright are the only chances on teams who will not appear in the postseason.
South East Melbourne big man Matt Hurt and United’s shooting maestro Chris Goulding, who was in the top-three finalists last season, are also in the running.
An NBL-appointed panel selects the candidates, which are then circulated to clubs who are required to return their votes - last year cast by captains and coaches - by midnight on Saturday, following the final game of the season (United-Phoenix).
Last year, coaches and captains from all 10 teams and a panel selected by the NBL voted for the MVP, while the head coach, assistant coach and captain of each team voted for the Coach of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Next Generation Award and All-NBL Teams.
Despite a rollercoaster season, Kings import Cam Oliver has won nomination for Best Sixth Man, an award teammate Kouat Noi remains a raging favourite to win.
Cooks is also up for Defensive Player of the Year and Noi Most Improved.
The Kings duo is joined by Hawks pair Will Hickey (DPOY, 6MOY) and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (DPOY, Next Gen), Phoenix’s Owen Foxwell (DPOY, MIP), Cairns’ Taran Armstrong (MIP, Next Gen) and United’s Marcus Lee (DPOY, 6MOY) among players with nominations in more than one award.
Lee is one of three United players with guards Shea Ili and Matthew Dellavedova up for DPOY.
Four Next Stars: Alex Toohey (Sydney), Izan Almansa (Perth), Karim Lopez (New Zealand) and Malique Lewis (SEM) are among the eight nominations for the Next Gen award.
The NBL will announce the top three finalists for each on Sunday, with the winners presented at ‘The Gazey’s’ MVP Awards night in Melbourne on Monday.
TELL US WHO YOU THINK WAS UNLUCKY TO MISS OUT IN THE COMMENT BOX BELOW
NBL25 AWARD NOMINATIONS
Andrew Gaze Trophy for the Most Valuable Player – 12 Players
B. Cotton (Perth)
C. Goulding (Melbourne)
C. Prather (Brisbane)
J. Adams (Sydney)
K. Davis (Adelaide)
M. Harrell (Adelaide)
M. Hurt (SEM)
P. Jackson-Cartwright (New Zealand)
S. Froling (Illawarra)
T. Harvey (Illawarra)
T. Kell (Illawarra)
X. Cooks (Sydney)
Best Sixth Man – 6 Players
C. Oliver (Sydney)
I. Clark (Melbourne)*
K. Noi (Sydney)
M. Lee (Melbourne)
O. Foxwell (SEM)
W. Hickey (Illawarra)
*Eligibility contingent on whether he qualifies as of the conclusion of Round 20
Damian Martin Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year – 7 Players
M. Dellavedova (Melbourne)
M. Lee (Melbourne)
M. Norton (Brisbane)
S. Ili (Melbourne)
W. Magnay (Tasmania)
W. Swaka Lo Buluk (Illawarra)
X. Cooks (Sydney)
Most Improved Player – 7 Players
B. Henshall (Perth)
K. Noi (Sydney)
O. Foxwell (SEM)
S. Waardenburg (Cairns)
T. Armstrong (Cairns)
T. Harrison (Brisbane)
W. Hickey (Illawarra)
Next Generation Award – 8 Players
A. Toohey (Sydney)
B. Henshall (Perth)
I. Almansa (Perth)
K. Lopez (New Zealand)
L. Olbrich (Illawarra)
M. Lewis (SEM)
T. Armstrong (Cairns)
W. Swaka Lo Buluk (Illawarra
More Coverage
NBL: Taipans star ends Bullets’ season with stunning triple-double
Taipans star Taran Armstrong has claimed his first NBL triple-double in his game for Cairns, and closed the curtains on the Brisbane Bullets’ season. See the latest NBL news.
‘Last game in Adelaide’: Sixers’ star’s cryptic Insta post explained
Out-of-contract Adelaide star Kendric Davis’ cryptic social media post sent the NBL rumour mill into overdrive. But captain Dejan Vasiljevic says there’s a simple explanation.