FEVO Sport Industry Awards 2023

Gareth Bale won the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award at this year’s FEVO Sport Industry Awards on Thursday 27th April in front of an audience consisting of 1,600 sporting stars and industry executives at a sold-out Evolution London.

The Welshman, who recently announced his retirement from professional football, was recognised for his incredible achievements during a truly special career within the male professional game, which has seen him lift five Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, and help Wales to reach semi finals of UEFA Euro 2016 and to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since since 1958.

On receiving the award, Bale, who was introduced by former Wales national team captain Ashley Williams, said, “During my career it was difficult to look back and see what you’ve achieved but now, having spent a bit of time away from it, and reflecting, it’s nice to look back with good memories and see what you’ve done and know that you’ve made a positive impact on football and Wales itself.”

Hosted by sports presenter Laura Woods and TV personality Mark Durden-Smith, the star-studded FEVO Sport Industry Awards celebrates the immense work done around the sector, whether it’s delivering world-leading events of all formats and scale, or using sport as a platform to drive social change, to those campaigns with an ingenious creative spark that reverberates throughout the industry and beyond.

There was a football theme throughout the night for the winners in the 18 main award categories with The FA picking up two coveted trophies. The first was Event of the Year in association with FEVO for an unforgettable UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament which culminated in the Lionesses winning at Wembley. 

Representatives from the national governing body also took to the stage earlier in the evening to claim the Tessa Jowell Community Award in association with CSM Live for #LetGirlsPlay, a campaign to redistribute government funding in order to give all girls equal access to football by 2024. 

The Premier League took home the Original Content Award in association with Shutterstock trophy for a viral episode of its ‘Fan Mail’ series which saw Manchester City and England star Jack Grealish surprise a young football fan with cerebral palsy and promise to perform his special goal celebration at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 

In addition to Bale’s win, it was a great night for the Welsh contingent present at the red carpet event as The Football Association of Wales also walked away with the Sport Organisation of the Year. The award was won in part for the national team’s incredible achievement in reaching the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, in addition to its excellent leadership, culture and commitment to grassroots initiatives.

Sportswear brand adidas was another organisation to take home two trophies on the night, the first in the Branded Content Award in association with SmartFrame for its film that celebrates legendary Manchester United players who have worn the number seven shirt. The second in the Purpose Driven Sponsorship Award, a new category for 2023, for its work with Arsenal and the ‘No More Red’ campaign, which aims to tackle the root causes of youth violence, and provide safe spaces and more opportunities for young people.

The Professional Triathletes Organisation was awarded Best On Social, the other new award introduced this year, while Hilton’s ‘A Stay On The Green’ golf experience at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai won the Experiential Marketing Award, a category re-introduced for 2023 following a two-year, Covid-related hiatus. 

In another hotly contested award category, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment added another accolade to its trophy cabinet by claiming an eighth Agency of the Year win, narrowly beating entries from Ear To The Ground and Fifty Digital. In a year which also saw the agency rewarded for award-winning work with The FA on the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament and Heineken’s ‘Cheers To All Fans’, winner of the International Campaign of the Year in association with RPC, the judges ultimately gave M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment the nod for a combination of outstanding financials, impressive new business results, a tremendous culture and some real creativity in its output.

Bale was one of the three winners of the Judges’ Awards, which recognise individuals and organisations within sport who have contributed at the highest level through personal and professional achievements. 

Baroness Sue Campbell, Head of Women’s Football at the FA, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Olympian Dame Denise Lewis and Lioness Jill Scott MBE for a 50-year career that has seen her work tirelessly to develop sports in the United Kingdom and to break down barriers and increase opportunities for female athletes at all levels of the game. 

On receiving the award, Campbell said, “I think you heard my emotion when I got up on stage. I care so deeply about sport and it means so much that other people have recognised the journey that I’ve been on and the battles I’ve fought and maybe some of the victories that I’ve managed to achieve.”

The final Judges’ Award recipient saw John Amaechi OBE receive the Integrity & Impact Award in association with InsightX as recognition of his impact in educating the sport industry about discrimination in society and for his efforts to encourage athletes to use their voice for good.

“I’ve presented this award and it never occured to me that I’d be in contention to win it,” said John Amaechi OBE on receiving the Award. “I was an average NBA player, so I’m unlikely to pick up sporting awards that are related to actually being good at sport. So it’s quite nice to pick up an award that sits in the sweet spot of my values, principles and ethics,” Amaechi added.

Reflecting on an incredible evening, Sport Industry Group Chairman, Nick Keller, said, “After 23 years I still come away from the Awards invigorated by the scope and breadth of our industry and its impact – last night we started to see that the doors to sport and our industry are opening wider to embrace its true power of inclusion, which in turn will ensure growth for the future.”