The S. Rae Hickok Professional Athlete of the Year award, commonly known as the Hickok Belt, is a trophy awarded to the top professional athlete of the year in the United States. First awarded from 1950 to 1976, it was dormant until being revived in 2012. The most recent recipient is 2024 winner Shohei Ohtani.

History The award was created by Ray and Alan Hickok in honor of their father, Stephen Rae Hickok, who died unexpectedly in December 1945. The elder Hickok had founded the Hickok Jewelry Manufacturing Companyhttps://jlryid.com/hickok-jewelry-manufacturing-company-history/ accessedate=June21,2026 of Rochester, New York, which made belts—hence the choice of a belt for the trophy. The first recipient was baseball player Phil Rizzuto, who received the award for 1950 during a charity dinner event in Rochester on January 22, 1951. He narrowly bested golfer Ben Hogan. Rizzuto's belt is now in the collection of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

News reports indicate that the Hickok family had previously awarded other belts to boxers, independent of the annual athlete of the year award. Examples include the presentation of "a solid gold and jewel-studded championship belt" to Jake LaMotta in June 1949 at the conclusion of a bout at Detroit's Briggs Stadium, and a belt given to a Rochester-area boxer named Mike Conroy in 1927.

The annual award winner received an alligator skin belt with a solid gold buckle, an encrusted diamond, and 26 gem chips. It was valued at $10,000 in 1951 , and its presentation was a major event in sporting news of the day. A simpler alligator skin belt with an engraved buckle of 10 karat gold was apparently awarded to monthly winners—examples include one presented to Otto Graham in recognition of his December 1954 monthly award, which was sold at auction in April 2001, and one presented to Elgin Baylor in recognition of his March 1959 award, which was sold at auction in 2013.

A group of 200 sportswriters throughout the U.S. selected monthly winners, with an athlete of the year selected from those honorees. For the first 21 years, from 1950 to 1970, the belt was awarded in Rochester at the annual Rochester Press-Radio Club dinner. After the Hickok company was taken over by the Tandy Corporation, the award was presented in larger cities such as Chicago or New York. After the 1976 annual award was presented, monthly awards were issued through October 1977 (naming a winner for the prior month), then halted. The award remained dormant until being revived in 2012.

During the first 27 years the annual award was presented, it was won 15 times by baseball players, five times by football players, four times by boxers, and three times by golfers. The only two-time winner was Sandy Koufax, in 1963 and 1965.

Revival In 2010, Tony Liccione, the president of the Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame, announced plans to reinstate the Hickok Belt starting in 2012. The mold for the belt used from 1951 onward was found and planned to be used again. Liccione invited the 18 surviving belt winners (except O. J. Simpson, who at the time was incarcerated in Nevada) to a "comeback dinner", which was held on October 16, 2011, at St. John Fisher College in Rochester. Attendees included Johnny Antonelli, Carmen Basilio (1957 winner), Jim Brown (1964 winner), George Chuvalo, Meadowlark Lemon, and Bob Turley (1958 winner).

Upon being re-established in 2012, the award was based on a vote by the National Sports Media Association; however, there were no public award ceremonies or belt presentations. A 20-member panel selected one athlete each month, with the 12 monthly winners being eligible for the annual award.

For the 2012–2024 belts, five winners have been basketball players, five have been baseball players, two have been football players, and one has been a swimmer. There have been three two-time winners: LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and Shohei Ohtani.

Tony Liccione died in February 2025. Monthly awards since that time are lacking, leaving the future of the annual award uncertain.

Winners

1950–1976 The following athletes won the award during its original term. Contemporary newspaper reports indicate that monthly winners were also named, only some of whom are included in this table.

Year Winner Sport Monthly winners1950 Baseball Ben Hogan, Johnny Longden, George Mikan, Jimmy Demaret, Stan Musial, Ben Hogan, Johnny Mize, Jim Konstanty, Ezzard Charles, George Ratterman & Phil Rizzuto (tie), Joe Culmone, Lou Groza1951 Baseball Babe Didrikson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Maurice Richard, Ben Hogan, Conn McCreary, Irish Bob Murphy, Jersey Joe Walcott, Bob Feller, Allie Reynolds, Rocky Marciano, Otto Graham, Charlie Burr1952 Boxing George Mikan, Chico Vejar, Willie Hoppe & Jackie Burke (tie), Sal Maglie, Bobby Shantz, Jersey Joe Walcott & Julius Boros (tie), Rocky Marciano, Virgil Trucks, Rocky Marciano, Mickey Mantle, Anthony DeSpirito, Anthony DeSpirito1953 Golf Lloyd Mangrum, Kid Gavilán, Gordie Howe, Ben Hogan, Roy Campanella, Ben Hogan, Ben Hogan, Eddie Mathews, Ted Williams, Billy Martin, Otto Graham, Bobby Layne1954 Baseball Ezzard Charles, Neil Johnston, Paddy DeMarco, Sam Snead, Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Joe Adcock, Johnny Antonelli, Dusty Rhodes, Willie Shoemaker, Jimmy Carter, Otto Graham1955 Football 1956 Baseball 1957 Boxing 1958 Baseball 1959 Boxing Elgin Baylor (March)1960 Golf 1961 Baseball 1962 Baseball 1963 Baseball 1964 Football 1965 (2)Baseball 1966 Baseball 1967 Baseball 1968 Football 1969 Baseball 1970 Baseball 1971 Golf 1972 Baseball Gene Tenace (Oct)1973 Football 1974 Boxing 1975 Baseball 1976 Football 1977 Steve Cauthen, Steve Cauthen, Jimmy Young, Tom Watson, A. J. Foyt, Bill Walton, Tom Watson, Lou Brock, Guillermo Vilas, not issued (Oct–Dec) Source:

2012–present

Year Winner Sport Monthly winners2012LeBron JamesBasketball Eli Manning Jeremy Lin Lindsey Vonn Bubba Watson Josh Hamilton LeBron James Serena Williams Usain Bolt Serena Williams Pablo Sandoval Brad Keselowski Adrian Peterson2013LeBron James Basketball Colin Kaepernick Joe Flacco LeBron James LeBron James Miguel Cabrera LeBron James Phil Mickelson Miguel Cabrera Peyton Manning David Ortiz Jimmie Johnson Peyton Manning2014Baseball Kevin Durant Carey Price Tuukka Rask Bubba Watson Nelson Cruz Clayton Kershaw Rory McIlroy Rory McIlroy Jordan Zimmermann Madison Bumgarner Aaron Rodgers Marshawn Lynch2015Stephen CurryBasketball Tom Brady James Harden Jordan Spieth Bryce Harper LeBron James Carli Lloyd Jake Arrieta Jordan Spieth Daniel Murphy Stephen Curry2016Michael PhelpsSwimming Novak Djokovic Stephen Curry Jason Day Jake Arrieta Clayton Kershaw LeBron James Serena Williams Michael Phelps Rory McIlroy Corey Kluber Ben Zobrist Aaron Rodgers2017Jose AltuveBaseball Serena Williams Tom Brady Russell Westbrook Sergio García LeBron James Kevin Durant José Altuve Giancarlo Stanton Corey Kluber José Altuve George Springer James Harden2018Patrick MahomesFootball Nick Foles LeBron James Kevin Durant Matt Carpenter Brooks Koepka Christian Yelich Steve Pearce Simone Biles Patrick Mahomes2019Kawhi LeonardBasketball Tom Brady Julian Edelman Kyle Busch Tiger Woods Brooks Koepka Kawhi Leonard Novak Djokovic Rory McIlroy Gerrit Cole Stephen Strasburg Lamar Jackson Jimmy Garoppolo2020 Patrick Mahomes Football Patrick Mahomes Tyson Fury No award (March–May) Dustin Johnson Jon Rahm Donovan Mitchell Bryson DeChambeau LeBron James Dustin Johnson Josh Allen2021 Shohei Ohtani Baseball Patrick Mahomes Naomi Osaka Luka Dončić Hideki Matsuyama Phil Mickelson Shohei Ohtani Caeleb Dressel Athing Mu Emma Raducanu Eddie Rosario Jorge Soler Joe Burrow2022 Aaron Judge Baseball Cooper Kupp Cooper Kupp Giannis Antetokounmpo Scottie Scheffler Justin Thomas Stephen Curry Novak Djokovic Rory McIlroy Aaron Judge Bryce Harper Luka Dončić Lionel Messi2023 Nikola Jokić Basketball Mikaela Shiffrin Damian Lillard Mikaela Shiffrin Jon Rahm Nikola Jokić Nikola Jokić Carlos Alcaraz Simone Biles Coco Gauff Simone Biles and Adolis García (tie) Dak Prescott Joel Embiid2024 Shohei Ohtani Baseball Jannik Sinner Patrick Mahomes Mikaela Shiffrin Scottie Scheffler Luka Dončić Simone Biles Simone Biles Katie Ledecky Shohei Ohtani Freddie Freeman Joey Logano Saquon Barkley2025 Saquon Barkley

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Notes

References

Further reading

External links as of March 2025 via Wayback Machine