This is a list of both active and inactive ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' awards which are voted on by ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...

'' (''PWI'') readers every year from 1972 onwards, expanding to more categories in later years. Unlike other wrestling magazines and websites, ''PWI'' is largely a magazine written within the

fictional realm A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

and the awards recognize this.

Active awards

Wrestler of the Year

The ''PWI'' Wrestler of the Year award recognizes the best professional wrestler of the year.

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...

has won the award a record six times, and remains the only wrestler with more than three wins; he also established the record for most consecutive wins with three from 1984 to 1986, with

AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...

later tying that record in 2016-2018. Since 2020, female wrestlers have been included in this category.

Woman of the Year

The ''PWI'' Woman of the Year award recognized the best female professional wrestling personality of the year. Originally known as Girl Wrestler of the Year, it was rendered defunct in 1976 and its history would be subsumed into the current award when women have again bestowed their category in 2000. It was again abandoned in 2020, and several female wrestlers were nominated for Wrestler of the Year but the award was again reinstated in 2021.

Trish Stratus Patricia Anne Stratigeas (; born December 18, 1975) better known by the ring name Trish Stratus is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and yoga instructor. She is currently signed to WWE. Often regarded as one of the greatest Women's Per ...

has won this award a record four times.

AJ Lee April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wom ...

is the only wrestler to win the award three times consecutively.

Mickie James Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American professional wrestler and country singer. She is currently signed to Impact Wrestling. She has also had tenures in WWE and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA ...

is the only wrestler to have won the award competing for two different organizations.

Tag Team of the Year

The ''PWI'' Tag Team of the Year award recognizes the best

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...

of the year.

The Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in th ...

(

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

Hawk Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...

) have won a record four times. The New Day is the only trio to win the award.

Faction of the Year

The ''PWI'' Faction of the Year award recognized the best faction of the year. This award made its debut in 2021.

Match of the Year

The ''PWI'' Match of the Year award recognizes the best match of the year.

Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one of ...

has won the award a record eleven times; he had a four-year win streak from 1993 to 1996 and then a seven-year win streak from 2004 to 2010.

Feud of the Year

The ''PWI'' Feud of the Year award recognizes the best rivalry of the year, normally between two wrestlers but also between groups as well.

vs.

Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and football player. In 2011 he began working with WWE on its wellness policy. He is best known for ...

is tied with

Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...

vs.

Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...

, each winning twice. Ric Flair, Vince McMahon, and

Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as on ...

have won this award four times individually.

The Four Horsemen The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos. Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand th ...

, The Authority, The Nexus, and

Aces & Eights Aces & Eights are an American Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable, stable in the Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), initially consisting of a group of Wrestling mask, masked wrestlers bef ...

are the only

stables A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

to win the award.

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year

The ''PWI'' Most Popular Wrestler of the Year award recognizes the best face or heroic professional wrestler of the year.

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

and

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...

have won this award a record four times.

Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...

is the only wrestler to win the award as a

heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...

(villain). In 2019,

Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and ...

became the first woman to win the award.

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year

The ''PWI'' Most Hated Wrestler of the Year award typically recognizes the most effective

(villainous) professional wrestler of the year.

has won this award a record five times, with his fourth win as part of The Authority. In 2010, the award was given to a

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

, The Nexus for the first time.

Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former American football, football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WW ...

is the only wrestler to win this award while presented as a

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

(heroic character).

Comeback of the Year

The ''PWI'' Comeback of the Year award, given yearly since 1992, recognizes the most impressive comeback by a professional wrestler during the year.

and

Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...

have won this award a record three times each (Hardy's third win is shared with his brother Matt as part of the

Hardy Boyz The Hardys, also known as The Hardy Boyz, are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy, who are currently appearing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The team is currently inactive due to Jeff ...

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year

The ''PWI'' Most Improved Wrestler of the Year award recognizes the most improved professional wrestler of the year.

Indie Wrestler of the Year

The ''PWI'' Indie Wrestler of the Year award recognizes the best wrestler who competes on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...

Inspirational Wrestler of the Year

Alfred Hayes - 27 December 1975 - St Louis Wrestling Club p

The ''PWI'' Inspirational Wrestler of the Year award recognizes the most inspirational professional wrestler of the year. The award has been given yearly since 1972, and in this time,

Bob Backlund Robert Louis Backlund (born August 14, 1949) is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation from 1976 to 1984 and in the 1990s, wher ...

Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...

Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero is ...

Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Apr ...

, Bayley, and

are the only people to have won the award more than once, with all six winning twice. Generally, the award is meant to go to a wrestler who overcomes great odds to achieve success in the ring, although it has also been awarded to wrestlers who overcome real-life hardships and struggles.

Rookie of the Year

The ''PWI'' Rookie of the Year award recognizes the best professional wrestler of the year who, in that year, had their first year in the business. As it is a rookie award, wrestlers can qualify only once.

Stanley Weston Award (Lifetime Achievement)

The ''PWI'' Stanley Weston Award recognizes lifetime achievement by a professional wrestling personality. It has been given yearly since 1981, and was originally known as the ''PWI'' Editor's Award. Beginning with the March 2003 year-end edition, the award was renamed in memory of ''PWI'' founder and longtime publisher

Stanley Weston Stanley Weston (né Weinburger; September 25, 1919 – April 11, 2002) was an American publisher, sportswriter, artist and photographer. He promoted the sport of boxing and professional wrestling throughout his career. Weston started ''Pro Wrestl ...

, who died in 2002. In 2020, PWI announced it would begin naming two winners per year.

Decade awards

2000s

2010s

Defunct awards

Midget Wrestler of the Year

The ''PWI'' Midget Wrestler of the Year award recognized the best midget wrestler of the year. This award became defunct in 1976.

Manager of the Year

The ''PWI'' Manager of the Year award recognized the best

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

of the year.

Bobby Heenan Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 – September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation ...

won a record four times.

Lou Albano Louis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009) was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor, who performed under the ring/stage name "Captain" Lou Albano. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1 ...

J. J. Dillon James Morrison (born June 26, 1942) is an American retired professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, J. J. Dillon. Professional wrestling career J. J. Dillon had an extensive wrestling career. He broke into wrestling at th ...

, and

Jim Cornette James Mark "Jim" Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author and podcaster who has previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, promoter, trainer, and occasional prof ...

each won three times.

Announcer of the Year

The ''PWI'' Announcer of the Year award recognized the best announcer of the year. This award was only given in 1977.

Notes

References

;General * ;Specific {{DEFAULTSORT:Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards

Awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award ...

Professional wrestling-related lists Professional wrestling awards Awards established in 1972