The BWF Player of the Year award is the highest individual honor in badminton, presented annually by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to recognize the sport’s most dominant and impactful athletes.
Contents
Starting in 1998, the award began as a single trophy (the Eddy Choong Player of the Year), but it has since expanded into a multi-category gala event held during the BWF World Tour Finals each December.
BWF Player of the Year – Male Winners
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Peter Gade (Denmark) |
| 2000 | Candra Wijaya (Indonesia) |
| 2002 | Kim Dong-moon (South Korea) |
| 2003 | Kim Dong-moon (South Korea) |
| 2004 | Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) |
| 2005 | Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) |
| 2006 | Lin Dan (China) |
| 2007 | Lin Dan (China) |
| 2008 | Lin Dan (China) |
| 2009 | Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) |
| 2010 | Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) |
| 2011 | Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) |
| 2012 | Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng (China – Men’s Doubles) |
| 2013 | Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) |
| 2014 | Chen Long (China) |
| 2015 | Chen Long (China) |
| 2016 | Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) |
| 2017 | Marcus F. Gideon & Kevin S. Sukamuljo (Indonesia – Men’s Doubles) |
| 2018 | Marcus F. Gideon & Kevin S. Sukamuljo (Indonesia – Men’s Doubles) |
| 2019 | Kento Momota (Japan) |
| 2020–2021 | Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) |
| 2022 | Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) |
| 2023 | Seo Seung-jae (South Korea) |
| 2024 | Shi Yuqi (China) |
| 2025 | Shi Yuqi (China) |
Also Read: BWF Player of the Year Awards 2025 List Of Winners: Who Won Big
BWF Player of the Year – Female Winners
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Camilla Martin (Denmark) |
| 2001 | Gao Ling (China) |
| 2003 | Ra Kyung-min (South Korea) |
| 2008 | Zhou Mi (Hong Kong, China) |
| 2009 | Wang Yihan (China) |
| 2010 | Wang Xin (China) |
| 2011 | Wang Xiaoli & Yu Yang (China – Women’s Doubles) |
| 2012 | Wang Yihan (China) |
| 2013 | Li Xuerui (China) |
| 2014 | Zhao Yunlei (China) |
| 2015 | Carolina Marín (Spain) |
| 2016 | Misaki Matsutomo & Ayaka Takahashi (Japan – Women’s Doubles) |
| 2017 | Chen Qingchen (China) |
| 2018 | Huang Yaqiong (China) |
| 2019 | Huang Yaqiong (China) |
| 2020–2021 | Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei) |
| 2022 | Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) |
| 2023 | An Se-young (South Korea) |
| 2024 | An Se-young (South Korea) |
| 2025 | An Se-young (South Korea) |
