What is the Northern Star Award? Details, history on trophy previously named after Lou Marsh

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Canada continues to produce top athletes across a multitude of sports and this week, one will be recognized as the Canadian athlete of the year as the 2022 Northern Star Award winner will be revealed Wednesday. 

Previously known as the Lou Marsh Trophy, the honor has been a part of Canadian athletics for nearly 90 years. Some of the greatest in their sports have received the hardware, including NHL stars Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby, swimmer Penny Oleksiak, soccer star Christine Sinclair and golfer Mike Weir. 

The reigning winner is Damien Warner, a track and field athlete. He won a gold medal at the 2022 Tokyo Olympics in the decathlon, his first-ever Olympic gold. 

Here is more to know about the award and its history. 

What is the Northern Star Award?

The Northern Star Award is an annual trophy awarded to Canada's top athlete of the year, male or female. It is not limited to just professionals, as amateurs are also eligible to win the honor. 

The award was created in 1936 and has been handed out 79 times to 62 individual athletes and three pairs. 

Lou Marsh Award name change

From the creation of the award in 1936 to 2022, the trophy had a number of different names, but all of them included "Lou Marsh." It was either the Lou Marsh Trophy, the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy or the Lou Marsh Award. 

However, in September of 2022, it was announced that the award's name would be changed "after concerns were raised about racist language used by Marsh, who died in 1936, during his years of sportswriting."

In November, it was decided that the new name for the award would be the Northern Star Award. 

Who votes on the Northern Star Award?

Sports journalists are the ones that vote on the award. The voting panel consists of media members from across the country, including representatives from the Toronto Sun, the Canadian Press, Sportsnet and TSN/CTV. 

Previous Northern Star Award winners

The award, created in 1936, has been handed out 79 times. The trophy was not given during 1942-1944 due to WWII. 

Gretzky has won the award the most, receiving the Northern Star Award four times in his career. Barbara Ann Scott, a figure skater, has the most wins among women with three. 

There have been ties twice. The first time came in 1978 with swimmer Graham Smith and alpine skier Ken Read each receiving the trophy, and then again in 2020 when both soccer star Alphonso Davies and NFL offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif were recognized. 

Year Winner Sports
2021 Damian Warner Track and field
2020 Alphonso Davies / Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Soccer / American football
2019 Bianca Andreescu Tennis
2018 Mikael Kingsbury Freestyle skiing
2017 Joey Votto Baseball
2016 Penny Oleksiak Swimming
2015 Carey Price Hockey
2014 Kaillie Humphries Bobsleigh
2013 Jon Cornish Canadian football
2012 Christine Sinclair Soccer
2011 Patrick Chan Figure skating
2010 Joey Votto Baseball
2009 Sidney Crosby Hockey
2008 Chantal Petitclerc Wheelchair racing
2007 Sidney Crosby Hockey
2006 Cindy Klassen Speed skating
2005 Steve Nash Basketball
2004 Adam van Koeverden Kayaking
2003 Mike Weir Golf
2002 Catriona LeMay Speed skating
2001 Jamie Sale and David Pelletier Figure skating
2000 Daniel Igali Wrestling
1999 Carolina Brunet Kayaking
1998 Larry Walker Baseball
1997 Jacques Villeneuve Auto racing
1996 Donovan Bailey Track and field
1995 Jacques Villeneuve Auto racing
1994 Myriam Bedard Biathlon
1993 Mario Lemieux Hockey
1992 Mark Tewksbury Swimming
1991 Silken Laumann Rowing
1990 Kurt Browning Figure skating
1989 Wayne Gretzky Hockey
1988 Carolyn Waldo Synchronized swimming
1987 Ben Johnson Track and field
1986 Ben Johnson Track and field
1985 Wayne Gretzky Hockey
1984 Gaetan Boucher Speed skating
1983 Wayne Gretzky Hockey
1982 Wayne Gretzky / Rick Hansen Hockey / Wheelchair racing
1981 Susan Nattrass Shooting
1980 Terry Fox  Marathon of Hope
1979 Sandra Post Golf
1978 Graham Smith / Ken Read Swimming / Alpine skiing
1977 Guy LaFleur Hockey
1976 Sandy Hawley Horse racing
1975 Bobby Clarke Hockey
1974 Ferguson Jenkins Baseball
1973 Sandy Hawley Horse racing
1972 Phil Esposito Hockey
1971 Herve Filion Harness racing
1970 Bobby Orr Hockey
1969 Russ Jackson Canadian football
1968 Nancy Greene Alpine skiing
1967 Nancy Greene Alpine skiing
1966 Elaine Turner Swimming
1965 Petra Burka Figure skating
1964 Roger Jackson and George Hungerford Rowing
1963 Bill Crothers Track and field
1962 Donald Jackson Figure skating
1961 Bruce Kidd Track and field
1960 Anne Heggtveit Alpine skiing
1959 Barbara Wagner and Bob Paul Figure skating
1958 Lucile Wheeler Alpine skiing
1957 Maurice Richard Hockey
1956 Marlene Streit Golf
1955 Beth Whittail Swimming
1954 Marilyn Bell Swimming
1953 Doug Hepburn Weightlifting
1952 George Genereux Shooting
1951 Marlene Streit Golf
1950 Bob McFarlane Canadian football, track and field
1949 Cliff Lumsdon Swimming
1948 Barbara Ann Scott Figure skating
1947 Barbara Ann Scott Figure skating
1946 Joe Krol Canadian football
1945 Barbara Ann Scott Figure skating
1944 None
1943 None
1942 None
1941 Theo Dubois Rowing
1940 Gerard Cote Marathon
1939 Bob Pirie Swimming
1938 Bobby Pearce Rowing
1937 Marsha Cleland Equestrian
1936 Phil Edwards Track and field
Author(s)
Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy is an NHL content producer at The Sporting News.