NBA awards 2026: Complete list of winners for MVP, Most Improved, Sixth Man, Rookie of the Year and more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.With the 2026 NBA playoffs underway, all the stars of the regular season will soon be recognized.It's award season in the NBA, with the league releasing the winners of the MVP, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year and more throughout the third week of April.While some races have been viewed as tighter than others — Victor Wembanyama secured the first-ever unanimous DPOY award for the San Antonio Spurs — the game's best players will soon be adding to their trophy cases.Who won this year's NBA awards?
Here is a running list of each 2026 award winner as they are revealed.NBA PLAYOFFS HQ:Live NBA scores | NBA playoff schedule | NBA playoff bracket2025-26 NBA awards(Winners will be denoted in bold.)Rookie of the YearThe voting for this award is expected to be a toss-up, potentially the closest of any award. And while 76ers guard V.J. Edgecombe had a terrific rookie season (16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds per game), it's been anticipated as a race between two former Duke teammates.Cooper Flagg's all-around impact shined for the Mavericks as a rookie, with the No. 1 pick averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
However, Kon Knueppel also provided elite scoring for the Hornets, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for a Play-In Tournament team.FinalistsVJ Edgecombe, 76ersCooper Flagg, MavericksKon Knueppel, HornetsDefensive Player of the YearFor the first time in NBA history, the league had a unanimous selection for the Defensive Player of the Year award.Neither Ausar Thompson nor Chet Holmgren received a single first-place vote as finalists, with Victor Wembanyama securing his first DPOY after contending for the award in his first two NBA seasons. Over 64 games this season, the 7-4 center averaging a league-high 3.1 blocks, his third consecutive season of at least three blocks per game, also with 1.0 steal per game.
He led San Antonio to 62 wins and the NBA's third-best defensive rating.At 22 years old, Wembanyama is the youngest player to win the award, and he's the Spurs' first DPOY since Kawhi Leonard in 2015-16.FinalistsVictor Wembanyama, SpursChet Holmgren, ThunderAusar Thompson, PistonsMORE: What's next for the Warriors after Play-In Tournament exit?Clutch Player of the YearWas there every any doubt?Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won Clutch Player of the Year going away, receiving 96 of the possible 100 first-place votes.SGA, renowned for his historic consistency after breaking Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record of consecutive 20-point games, delivered as far and away the NBA's best player down the stretch in time games. Not only did he finish first overall in clutch scoring, he did so while shooting over 51% from the field and also finished with the best clutch-time plus-minus of any player in the league.OKC didn't play many close games, but when they did, were lights out.
The Thunder had a 24-10 record in games within five points in the final five minutes and boasted the league's best scoring margin during clutch situations.FinalistsAnthony Edwards, TimberwolvesShai Gilgeous-Alexander, ThunderJamal Murray, NuggetsSixth Man of the YearThe finalists for the 2025-26 Sixth Man of the Year award feature two key members of playoff teams and a young forward who emerged for the Miami Heat.Tim Hardaway Jr. averaged 13.5 points per game off the bench for Denver this season, helping guide one of the NBA's best offenses, while Keldon Johnson helped lead the Spurs to 62 wins with 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game off the bench.Jaime Jaquez Jr. was also named a candidate from the Heat after putting up a career-high 15.4 points per game.The Sixth Man of the Year winner is set to be announced by the NBA on Wednesday, Apr. 22.FinalistsTim Hardaway Jr., NuggetsJaime Jaquez Jr., HeatKeldon Johnson, SpursMORE: Complete NBA playoff picks, predictionsMost Valuable PlayerThe MVP race was so tightly-packed this season that some notable candidates, including Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham, were not even finalists.Gilgeous-Alexander is eyeing his second-straight MVP award, potentially adding even more hardware to a quickly-growing Hall of Fame case someday. He averaged 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game this season over 68 games.
The Thunder claimed the NBA's best record at 64-18.Nikola Jokic is also a regular in MVP talks, averaging a triple-double this season with 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game. He became the first player to ever lead the NBA in both rebounds per game and assists per game, doing so in the same season.Finally, the youngest candidate is the 22-year-old Wembanyama, who put up 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game as the Spurs emerged for the West's No. 2 seed.FinalistsShai Gilgeous-Alexander, ThunderNik