There are five awards available at the glittering Ceremony, including best male athlete, best female athlete and best team performance, as well as best Paralympic Games debut and exemplary Paralympic Games official.

The Ceremony is due to take place in November of this year and the closing date for nominations is February 27.

All members of the Paralympic Movement - such as National Paralympic Committees, Regional Paralympic Committees, International Federations and International Organisations of Sports for the Disabled - can nominate one person in each category.

The eventual winners will be decided by the Awards Committee.

Previous winners of the prestigious prize include Great Britain's David Weir - who won four gold medals at London 2012 and two in Beijing - in the best male category.

David Weir won best male at the 2013 Paralympic Sports Awards after winning four golds at London 2012 ©Getty Images



In the best female category, Canada's Chantal Petitclerc and The Netherlands' Esther Vergeer have both been given the award in the past.

The last time the Ceremony had a Winter Olympic flavour was back in 2011 following the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Germany claimed both best male and female as Gerd Schoenfelder, a winner of four golds and a silver medal in Vancouver in men's Alpine skiing, and Verena Bentele scooped the prize after winning five golds across two events.

Japan, who claimed a surprise ice sledge hockey silver medal, were the recipients of the best team and Ukraine's Oleksandra Kononova was awarded best Games debut for winning three golds and a silver in Nordic skiing.

The awards are given out every two years, with the first one taking place in 2005.

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