Vote until: 15 Jan 2026
Live awards: 8 Feb 2026
Welcome to the IJF Judo Awards 2025!
Congratulations to all the nominees for their exceptional achievements in 2025!
Voting Process:
- Voting opens on 15th December and closes on 15th January.
- Each participant can cast one vote per category during the voting period.
- Votes are final once submitted and cannot be changed.
- Winners will be announced during the IJF Judo Awards 2025.
- The IJF Judo Awards Committee will select the final winners from the shortlist.
The winners will be announced during the live Judo Awards 2025 ceremony at the Paris Grand Slam 2026.
Thank you for celebrating excellence in Judo with us!
Judo for Children Project of the Year
7candidates
Top 3
Judo and School Skills
A pioneering project proving that judo can enhance cognitive and school performance.
Top 3
The Diyora Keldiyorova Judo Club
A newly opened club already training around 300 children.
Top 3
Judo at School Programme
A nationwide programme bringing judo into schools and welcoming 22,000 new members.
Mala Šola Juda
Slovenia’s long-running school judo programme, engaging over 1,000 children yearly.
'First Step into Judo' ('Cüdoya İlk Addım')
A nationwide project introducing 3,000 children to the benefits of judo.
HiRO
A judo-based SEL programme helping schools build strong, connected groups.
IJF Judocraft
A digital judo world in Minecraft, teaching values through immersive play.
Judo for Peace Project of the Year
5candidates
Top 3
Regional Judo for Peace Programme
A regional programme using judo to empower refugee communities across Southern Africa.
Top 3
Julien Brulard - The Judo Nomad
A global traveller sharing judo values in more than 50 countries.
Top 3
World Judo Day - Peace
Azerbaijan celebrated World Judo Day with nationwide events promoting peace.
Franz Kofler - The Road to Peace
A 6th dan judoka cycling across Europe to spread judo values and peace.
Rwanda Builds a Peaceful Future Through Judo
A memorial judo tournament honouring victims and promoting unity.
Moment of the Year
5candidates
Top 3
Eteri Liparteliani - First female Georgian World Champion
Eteri Liparteliani: the first female world champion in Georgian judo history.
Top 3
Mary Dee Vargas Ley - History for Chile
First-ever World Tour gold for Chile, an historic breakthrough.
Top 3
Kids vs Champions Tokyo Edition
A joyful Tokyo event bringing children and champions together on the tatami.
The Judo Show - World Expo Osaka 2025 - France Judo and AJJF
A spectacular Expo event uniting champions and children through judo’s values.
Kaju wins in Tokyo to go unbeaten
Five events, five golds; a flawless year for Haruka Kaju.
Coaching Achievement of the Year
5candidates
Top 3
Georgian coaching team, World Mixed Teams Champions
Guided Georgia to its first world mixed team gold in 12 years.
Top 3
Polish coaching team, Cadet World Mixed Teams bronze
Poland earns its first ever team medal at a world-level cadet event.
Top 3
Italy's womens coaches
Coaches behind Italy’s two female world champions in Budapest.
Aurelian Fleisz, Uzbekistan national cadet team coach
Led Uzbekistan to the best cadet results in the nation’s history.
Japanese Coaching team
A record-breaking performance: 6 world champions and 14 medals in 2025.
Rising Star of the Year
5candidates
Top 3
Muhiddin ASADULLOEV (TJK)
Junior World Champion in Lima.
Top 3
Celia CANCAN (FRA)
Junior World & European champion, rising quickly in senior ranks.
Top 3
Irakli GOGINASHVILI (GBR)
Junior European champion and Junior World bronze medallist.
Hyeonji LEE (KOR)
World No.1 at just 18, with major wins across the IJF World Tour.
Xinran HUI (CHN)
From junior world champion to consistent senior contender.
Female Judoka of the Year
7candidates
Top 3
Uta ABE (JPN)
Japanese -52 kg star who became a five-time world champion with gold in Budapest 2025.
Top 3
Eteri LIPARTELIANI (GEO)
Georgian -57 kg judoka who became her country’s first ever female world champion in 2025.
Top 3
Alice BELLANDI (ITA)
Olympic champion who went on to claim the world championship title in 2025.
Assunta SCUTTO (ITA)
Italian -48 kg judoka who completed her world medal set with gold in Budapest 2025.
Haruka KAJU (JPN)
Won gold in her first-ever senior world championship appearance in 2025.
Shiho TANAKA (JPN)
2025 world champion; continuing Japan’s dominance.
Hayun KIM (KOR)
From Paris Olympic bronze to world championship gold in 2025.
Male Judoka of the Year
7candidates
Top 3
Joan-Benjamin GABA (FRA)
A long-awaited world title for one of France’s most exciting judoka.
Top 3
Timur ARBUZOV (RUS)
Returned stronger after 2024 silver, capturing world gold in 2025.
Top 3
Sanshiro MURAO (JPN)
Olympic silver medallist who powered his way to world gold in 2025.
Ryuju NAGAYAMA (JPN)
Olympic bronze medallist who rose to capture the 2025 world title.
Takeshi TAKEOKA (JPN)
A rising force at –66 kg who transformed silver in 2024 into world gold in 2025.
Matvey KANIKOVSKIY (RUS)
A rising star who stunned the field on his way to world gold.
Inal TASOEV (RUS)
A dominant heavyweight who reclaimed the world title in 2025.
Ippon of the Year
18candidates
Top 3
Kenny Komi Bedel (ITA)
A breathtaking O-soto-gari to Ko-soto-gari combination from Italy's Kenny Komi Bedel.
Top 3
Eteri Liparteliani (GEO)
What a way to reach a world final. Liparteliani latches on and takes flight!
Top 3
Kazbek Naguchev (UAE)
A back and forth exchange sees Naguchev give us one of the wildest ippons of 2025.
Mascha Ballhaus (GER)
A brilliant twitch and change of direction from Mascha Ballhaus at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.
Luis Barroso Lopez (ESP)
Out of nowhere Luis Barroso Lopez launches a huge attack for a picture perfect iipon.
Ida Eriksson (SWE)
Persistence and power from Eriksson as she scores ippon with Ura-nage.
Minjong Kim (KOR)
Incredible speed from Kim, as he shows his technical brilliance at the World Championships.
Hyeonji Lee (KOR)
A textbook Harai-goshi from Lee. She is a rising star of the +78kg,
Rafael Macedo (BRA)
It doesn't much better than this Ashi-guruma from Brazil's Macedo.
Uranbayar Odgerel (MGL)
A lightning fast Seoi-otoshi from Odgerel, as he dissapears underneath his opponent.
Blandine Pont (FRA)
A pure Ippon-seoi-nage from Pont of France.
Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO)
Seven minutes into golden score Georgia's Shavdatuashvili musters up a Sasae-tsurikomi-ashi to send Tbilisi wild.
Rafaela Silva (BRA)
Incredible improvisation from the veteran Rafaela Silva.
Yudai Tanaka (JPN)
A smooth stylish Uchi-mata from Tanaka.
Inal Tasoev (RUS)
Finesse, precision, timing. A seeminlgy effortless O-uchi-gaeshi from world champion Tasoev.
Adam Tsechoev (RUS)
Tsechoev quickly switched sides with this explosive Seoi-nage.
Nanako Tsubone (JPN)
Tsubone drives through an epic Ko-soto-gari!
