We take a look at the much anticipated EFL Awards 2026 winners list, which was revealed throughout Sunday evening.
With the regular season of the 2025/26 season coming to an end in a few weeks, it’s that time to which players, staff, volunteers, fans and clubs has picked up an award.
Earlier this month, the English Football League announced the official shortlist for their awards, and now the winners are announced live at the League’s annual ceremony in London on the 19th of April, also being televised on Sky Sports Football from 8:30pm.
2026 EFL Awards shortlists and winners in full
EFL Championship Manager of the Season
Frank Lampard – Coventry City
Alex Neil – Millwall
Sergej Jakirovic – Hull City
Kim Hellberg – Middlesbrough
EFL League One Manager of the Season
Graham Alexander – Bradford City
Michael Skubala – Lincoln City
Brian Barry-Murphy – Cardiff City
Alex Revell – Stevenage
EFL League Two Manager of the Season
Andy Woodman – Bromley
Paul Warne – Milton Keynes Dons
Micky Mellon – Oldham Athletic
Neil Harris – Cambridge United
EFL Championship Player of the Season
Hayden Hackney – Middlesbrough
Carl Rushworth – Coventry City
Femi Azeez – Millwall
Zan Vipotnik – Swansea City
EFL League One Player of the Season
Dom Ballard – Leyton Orient
Owen Bailey – Doncaster Rovers
Jack Moylan – Lincoln City
Sonny Bradley – Lincoln City
EFL League Two Player of the Season
Aaron Drinan – Swindon Town
Mitch Pinnock – Bromley
Callum Paterson – Milton Keynes Dons
Omar Sowumni – Bromley
EFL Championship Young Player of the Season
Jordan James – Leicester City
Ashley Phillips – Stoke City
Sydie Peck – Sheffield United
Bobby Clark – Derby County
EFL League One Young Player of the Season
Dom Ballard – Leyton Orient
Amario Cozier-Duberry – Bolton Wanderers
Dylan Lawlor – Cardiff City
Jenson Metcalfe – Bradford City
EFL League Two Young Player of the Season
Matty Young – Salford City
Daniel Kanu – Walsall
Sam Gale – Gillingham
Tom Iorpenda – Notts County
EFL Championship Apprentice of the Season
WINNER – Louis Page – Leicester City
Leo Pecover – Bristol City
Sheldon Kendall – Millwall
The EFL said as per their live blog: Page joined the Foxes academy at under-9 level and has so far registered 16 appearances in the second-tier.
EFL League One Apprentice of the Season
WINNER – Sulyman Krubally – Burton Albion
Ryan Doherty – Stevenage
Tegan Finn – Plymouth Argyle
The EFL said as per their live blog: The 17-year-old joined the academy as an under-14 and has made 15 appearances in League One this season. He made his debut aged 16 and became the Club’s youngest ever player in the process.
EFL League Two Apprentice of the Season
WINNER – Ollie Dewsbury – Bristol Rovers
Mamadou Diallo – Cheltenham Town
Rian Silver – MK Dons
The EFL said as per their live blog: He joined the academy at Under-9’s and signed his first contract in February 2025 after making his first team debut aged 15 in an FA Cup match in 2023/24.
EFL Community Club of the Season
Blackburn Rovers
WINNER – Plymouth Argyle
Bristol Rovers
The EFL said as per their live blog: Operating across some of the city’s most deprived neighbourhoods, the Club’s charitable arm, Plymouth Argyle Community Trust, delivers high-impact programmes addressing food poverty, education and employability, isolation, disability and autism.
EFL Community Project of the Season
WINNER – Blackburn Rovers – Dads FC
Plymouth Argyle – Argyle4Autism
Notts County – Baby Remembrance Wall
EFL Player in the Community
WINNER – Will Vaulks – Oxford United
Hamish Douglas – Rotherham United
Taylor Moore – Bristol Rovers
"I just don't want families to go through what mine's been through."
The EFL Championship Player in the Community award winner, Will Vaulks 👏#EFLintheCommunity pic.twitter.com/IJ9c74d5YU
— EFL (@EFL) April 16, 2026
EFL Diversity Award
WINNER – Bristol City – We Are City
Huddersfield Town – Menopause & Menstruation Friendly Pioneers
Southampton – Deaf Inclusion
The EFL said as per their live blog: ‘We are City’ is exactly what it says on the tin: together, anyone in Bristol can get involved in football, the Club and their benefits.
We are all Bristol City, no matter our background or circumstances. The project celebrates the strength in diversity and works to enable inclusivity across opportunities, often bringing people together who may not otherwise interact.
EFL Environmental Award
Birmingham City – Blues Go Green
WINNER – Bradford City – Greener Bantams
Harrogate Town – HarryGator Walk to School
The EFL said as per their live blog from the awards night: Greener Bantams is the sustainability arm of Bradford City and their Community Foundation. It ensures they play their part in creating a greener, cleaner planet for future generations.
EFL Fan Engagement Award
Bristol Rovers
Cardiff City – Bluebirds Uncaged
WINNER – Huddersfield Town – Terriers Together Travel
The EFL said as per their live blog: The award was introduced two years ago and aims to provide recognition to a Club who can demonstrate how it specifically involves and liaises with supporters.
The Terriers Together Travel campaign is Huddersfield Town’s targeted initiative to remove transport barriers and improve matchday accessibility for supporters in South Kirklees.
EFL Club Employee Award
Rae Walker – Grimsby Town
WINNER – Wendy Thomas – Middlesbrough
Alan Long – Lincoln City
The EFL said as per their live blog: Wendy has dedicated 29 years of exceptional service to Middlesbrough, playing a pivotal role in shaping its Academy into the Category 1 model it is today.
Appointed Academy Secretary in 1996/97, Wendy was instrumental in guiding the Club through its original Academy licence application, laying the foundations for decades of youth development success.
Contribution to League Football Award
WINNER – Brenda Spencer, the first female Chief Executive in the Football League, and the Chair of Trustees for Wigan Athletic Community Trust.
Sir Tom Finney Award
WINNER – Dean Lewington
👏🏆 Captain Dean! @MKDonsFC legend Dean Lewington is this year’s recipient of the Sir Tom Finney Award, presented to a recently retired player who has had an outstanding career in the #EFL
Watch the #EFLAwards live on @SkyFootball tomorrow night from 8.30pm! pic.twitter.com/xP9CYTwQxy
— EFL (@EFL) April 18, 2026
EFL Championship Team of the Season
Carl Rushworth (Coventry), Milan Van Ewijk (Coventry), Tristan Crama (Millwall), Callum Doyle (Wrexham), Josh Tymon (Swansea), Femi Azeez (Millwall), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Matt Grimes (Coventry), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Haji Wright (Coventry), Zan Vipotnik (Swansea)
EFL League One Team of the Season
George Wickens (Lincoln), Tendayi Darikwa (Lincoln), Charlie Goode (Stevenage), Sonny Bradley (Lincoln), Joel Bagan (Cardiff), Amario Cozier-Duberry (Bolton), Ollie Norwood (Stockport), Owen Bailey (Doncaster), Jack Moylan (Lincoln), Kyle Wootton (Stockport), Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient)
EFL League Two Team of the Season
Mathew Hudson (Oldham) Jack Sanders (MK Dons), Omar Sowunmi (Bromley), Kelland Watts (Cambridge), Harvey Rodgers (Grimsby), Isaac Hutchinson (Cheltenham), Liam Kelly (MK Dons), Sammy Braybrooke (Chesterfield), Mitch Pinnock (Bromley), Aaron Drinan (Swindon), Callum Paterson (MK Dons)
EFL Goal of the Season
The 2025/26 EFL Goal of the Season goes to Swansea City’s Josh Tymon, vs Oxford United.
☄️ Five complete stunners!
Take a look at the shortlisted goals for the #EFL Goal of the Season, sponsored by Hawk-Eye Innovations.
Watch the #EFLAwards live on @SkyFootball this Sunday from 8.30pm.
Read more 👉 https://t.co/fSWbWUPb8h pic.twitter.com/XbeixybfSy
— EFL (@EFL) April 17, 2026
⚽️ The @Hawkeye_view 2025/26 #EFL Goal of the Season goes to @SwansOfficial's Josh Tymon! 🏆
Watch the #EFLAwards LIVE on @SkyFootball or here: https://t.co/pt2TxRZ40b 📺 pic.twitter.com/WJqvBJPTWG
— EFL (@EFL) April 19, 2026
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EFL STATEMENT:
Frank Lampard (Coventry City), Alex Neil (Millwall), Sergej Jakirovic (Hull City) and Kim Hellberg (Middlesbrough) have been shortlisted for the EFL Championship Manager of the Season Award.
Lampard has taken The Sky Blues to within touching distance of the Premier League during his first full season in charge.
Meanwhile, Kim Hellberg has had an incredible start to life at Middlesbrough since taking over back in November.
Also in his debut season, Sergej Jakirovic has guided Hull City into contention against all odds, and Alex Neil has helped ensure Millwall remain firmly in the hunt for an automatic rise.
The EFL Championship Player of the Season award is being contested by three players who have played pivotal roles in their Clubs’ promotion pushes, as well as the division’s top scorer.
Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney has led by example for his boyhood Club, consistently delivering all-round performances from the heart of midfield.
Elsewhere, Coventry City goalkeeper Carl Rushworth has been exceptional between the sticks for the league leaders, whilst Millwall wide-player Femi Azeez has had an impressive season for the Lions, scoring eight and assisting seven.
The shortlist is completed by Swansea City striker Zan Vipotnik who is currently the top scorer in the division with 20 goals.
In League One, the Manager of the Season award will be contested by four managers, including Michael Skubala, who has already guided Lincoln City to promotion, alongside Graham Alexander (Bradford City), Brian Barry-Murphy (Cardiff City) and Alex Revell (Stevenage).
Meanwhile, Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient), Owen Bailey (Doncaster Rovers), Jack Moylan (Lincoln City) and Sonny Bradley (Lincoln City) are up for the Player of the Season award.
In League Two, Andy Woodman (Bromley), Paul Warne (MK Dons), Micky Mellon (Oldham Athletic) and Neil Harris (Cambridge United) have been shortlisted for Manager of the Season.
The Player of the Season accolade will be contested by Bromley pair Mitch Pinnock and Omar Sowumni, alongside Aaron Drinan (Swindon Town) and Callum Paterson (Milton Keynes Dons).
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