The Women’s Football Awards has announced a major partnership with Women in Football ahead of its flagship 2024 gala in London.
The Women’s Football Awards is the biggest awards event in women’s football and the first to encapsulate the players, people, brands and organisations contributing to the phenomenal growth of the sport from grassroots greatness to superstar players.
Women in Football aims to improve women’s representation at all levels of the game by challenging discrimination and lobbying for change in the sport industry, eliminating negative attitudes towards women working in football and championing female talent, addressing the gender imbalance in the industry.
The partnership will see Women in Football promote the nomination and voting process of the Women’s Football Awards to its networks, while a Women in Football representative will join the judging panel alongside star names such as Caroline Weir, Nikita Parris, Toni Duggan, Sue Smith, Micah Richards and Conor Coady.
Women in Football will also sponsor the 2024 Football Business Trailblazer Award at the Women’s Football Awards, which will recognise an individual working behind the scenes to grow the sport. The new partnership will also see the Women’s Football Awards investing in Women in Football’s campaigns to promote access to football for women across the country.
The 2024 Women’s Football Awards, hosted by Lionesses legend Eni Aluko MBE and Champions League-winning Liverpool defender and Sky Sports presenter Jamie Carragher, will take place in London on May 30th.
At the 2023 Women’s Football Awards, Alessia Russo scooped the prestigious Player of the Year Award before her high-profile transfer to Arsenal, while Barcelona’s Keira Walsh and Chelsea and England star Lauren James also took home major accolades.
Former England captain Carol Thomas BEM was also awarded a special recognition award for her efforts advancing the game after the FA ban on women’s football was lifted in 1971 after 50 years. Broadcaster Karen Carney MBE won the Lifetime Achievement Award.
As the 2024 awards return, with nominations now open to the public, other key categories include Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Women’s Football Broadcaster and Journalist of the Year, Football Business of the Year and the Off The Pitch award.
The public can nominate their heroes and women’s football game-changers, including Unsung Hero and Women’s Football Champion, at www.womensfootballawards.com.
Eni Aluko MBE, host of the 2024 Women’s Football Awards, said:
“I am absolutely thrilled by the partnership with Women in Football.
“Women in Football does so much amazing work for our game and I am delighted the Women’s Football Awards can support its outreach.
“Yvonne Harrison and the team there are truly inspirational and this partnership can only help promote women’s football.
“I am so excited for the Women’s Football Awards on May 30th. It is going to be a fantastic night which again shines a light on the people raising the game for women’s football.”
Yvonne Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Women in Football, said:
“As the leading organisation driving gender equality in the world’s most popular sport, it’s fitting for Women in Football to join up with the biggest awards event in the women’s game.
“Sponsoring the 2024 Football Business Trailblazer Award is especially pleasing for us, as we’re here to support women both on and off the pitch, and with Barclays as our wonderful lead partner, we appreciate the importance of commercial growth to drive professionalism and develop the game still further.
“We’re greatly impressed with the work being done by the Women’s Football Awards to give due recognition to a sport that’s seen a spectacular growth of interest in recent years, and we’re looking forward to the prizegiving event with huge excitement.”