Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist/editor Royal Brougham created the Man of the Year sports award in early 1936. The Man of the Year became the Sports Star of the Year in 1977, and currently honors the Professional Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year and Sports Story of the Year.
In the beginning, men and women were lumped together on one ballot. Starting in 1977, the Sports Star of the Year replaced the Man of the Year.
These were the nominees from the 1980s (winner in bold face). The number behind a nominee’s name indicates the times he or she appeared on the ballot.
| Year | Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Bruce Bochte | Baseball | Hit .300 with 78 RBIs for Mariners |
| Carol Brown | Rowing | Seattle rower made 1980 Olympic team | |
| Roger Davies | Soccer | NASL MVP tallied league-high 25 goals | |
| Craig Fronk | Skydiving | First to skydive at the North Pole | |
| Efren Herrera | Football | Seahawks popular placekicker | |
| Don James | Football | Coached his second Rose Bowl team | |
| Jack Sikma | Basketball | Sonics’ two-time All-Star center | |
| Bill Stewart | Softball | USA Softball Hall of Fame member | |
| 1981 | Fred Brown | Basketball | Averaged 21.9 ppg for SuperSonics |
| Clete Casper | Football | WSU QB directed an 8-3-1 team | |
| David Halpern | Canoeing | Rising star on USA Canoe team | |
| Alan Hudson | Soccer | Star midfielder for NASL Sounders | |
| Michael Jackson | Football | Leading tackler for the Seahawks | |
| Don James (2) | Football | Capped year with Rose Bowl victory | |
| Jim Martinson | Wheelchair | Won wheelchair race at Boston Marathon | |
| Kristi Norelius | Rowing | Oarswoman on UW national champs | |
| Tracie Ruiz | Synch. Swim | Won first of six national championships | |
| Rosalyn Sumners | Figure Skating | Edmonds skater 4th at U.S. nationals | |
| Richie Zisk | Baseball | Designated hitter for Seattle Mariners | |
| 1982 | Butch Batt | Softball | All-America fastpitch performer |
| Gary Baze (3) | Racing | Rode Trooper Seven to Mile win | |
| Don Bennett | Climbing | First amputee to climg Mount Rainier | |
| Bill Caudill | Baseball | Mariners closer saved 26 games | |
| Bob Ernst | Rowing | Coached UW women to national title | |
| Chip Hanauer | Hydros | Won 5 races, including APBA Gold Cup | |
| Edean Ihlanfeldt | Golf | Coached UW women’s golf team | |
| Chuck Nelson | Football | UW consensus All-America kicker | |
| Mark Peterson | Soccer | Key contributor to Seattle Sounders | |
| Keith Simpson | Football | Nominated in year NFL went on strike | |
| Cody Webster | Baseball | Led Kirkland in LLWS | |
| Gus Williams | Basketball | Averaged 23.4 points for SuperSonics | |
| 1983 | Chinook Pass | Racing | Eclipse Award as nation’s best sprinter |
| Candie Costie | Synch. Swim | Pan Am gold medalist in duet | |
| Regina Joyce | Running | 7th in marathon at world championships | |
| Karen Mohling | Rowing | Top oarswoman for Washington women | |
| Cliff McCrath (3) | Soccer | Coached Seattle Pacific to Div. II title | |
| Steve Pelluer | Football | Pac-10’s Offensive Player of the Year | |
| Tracie Ruiz (2) | Synch. Swim | Pan Am gold medalist, solo duet | |
| R. Sumners (2) | Figure Skate | Won 1983 World Championship | |
| Zoillie Volchok | Basketball | Long time Sonics front-office executive | |
| Curt Warner | Football | Seahawk rookie 1,449 yards, 13 TDs | |
| Matt Young | Baseball | Mariners rookie won 11 games | |
| 1984 | Debbie Armstrong | Skiing | Olympic gold medal in Sarajevo |
| Betsy Beard | Rowing | UW rower won gold in 8 at Olympics | |
| Bill Buchan (2) | Sailing | Won Olympic goll in yachting | |
| Tom Chambers | Basketball | Sonics forward averaged 18.1 ppg | |
| Alvin Davis | Baseball | American League Rookie of Year | |
| Ron Holmes | Football | UW’s All-America defensive tackle | |
| Chuck Knox | Football | Coached Seahawks to 12-4 record | |
| Traciz Ruiz (3) | Synch. Swim | Won 2 golds, 1 silver in Olympic Games | |
| Detlef Schrempf | Basketball | Led UW to NCAA Tournament berth | |
| Gary Stevens | Racing | Won Longacres riding title, 232 wins | |
| Mary Wayte | Swimming | Won 200 freestyle gold at Olympics | |
| 1985 | Gary Baze (4) | Racing | Won Longacres Mile on Chum Salmon |
| Phil Bradley | Baseball | Belted 26 home runs for Mariners | |
| Chip Hanauer (2) | Hydros | Gold Cup winner, national driving champ | |
| Peter Hattrup | Soccer | Scored record 26 goals for Seattle Pacific | |
| G. Henderson | Basketball | Sonic averaged 13.4 points, 7.1 assists | |
| Leteia Hughley | Basketball | No. 4 all-time on UW scoring list | |
| Joe Kelly | Football | UW’s All-Pac-10 linebacker | |
| Steve Largent (2) | Football | Pro Bowl year for Seahawks WR | |
| Jimmy Moore | Softball | Pitched Peterbilt to national title | |
| Mike Ramos | Track | UW’s record-setting decathlete | |
| 1986 | Vicky Aragon | Racing | One of leading riders at Longacres |
| Jacob Green | Football | Seattle Seahawks defensive end | |
| Xavier McDaniel | Basketball | Sonics rookie averaged 17.1 ppg | |
| Cliff McCrath (4) | Soccer | Coached SPU to 4th national title | |
| Jim Presley | Baseball | Mariners 3B hit .265 with 27 home runs | |
| Reggie Rogers | Football | All-Coast defensive tackle for Huskies | |
| Tom Wagner | Softball | Coached Pay ‘N Pak to national title | |
| Chris Welp | Basketball | All-Pac-10 center for the Huskies | |
| Steve Zungul | Soccer | Tacoma Stars scoring leader | |
| 1987 | Duncan Atwood | Track | NCAA javelin champion — 280-8 |
| Bernie Bickerstaff | Basketball | Coach of the Seattle SuperSonics | |
| Bruce Beard | Softball | Led Pay’N Pak to national softball title | |
| Chris Gobrecht | Basketball | Coach of the UW women’s team | |
| Mark Langston | Baseball | Went 19-13 (3.84 ERA) for Mariners | |
| Bente Moe | Running | SPU runner won Houston Marathon | |
| Yumi Mordre | Gymnastics | Won vault, beam at NCAAs | |
| Preki | Soccer | All-Star winger for the Tacoma Stars | |
| David Rill | Football | Leading tackler for UW Huskies | |
| Fredd Young | Football | Pro Bowl linebacker for Seahawks | |
| 1988 | Yvette Cole | Basketball | Scoring, rebounding star for UW women |
| Dale Ellis | Basketball | Averaged 25.8 points for SuperSonics | |
| Greg Haugen | Boxing | Won 3 defenses of IBF lightweight title | |
| John Olerud | Baseball | Hit .464, had 15-0 record for WSU | |
| Harold Reynolds | Baseball | Became AL All-Star for second time | |
| Tracie Ruiz (4) | Synch Swim | Won silver medal at Seoul Olympics | |
| Mike Utley | Football | 1st-team All-America OL for WSU | |
| O.D. Vincent | Golf | Led UW to Pac-10 golf championship | |
| Laurie Wetzel | Volleyball | Led UW to huge upset of No. 2 Stanford | |
| John L. Williams | Football | Seahawks No. 2 rusher, No. 1 WR | |
| 1989 | Don Bies (3) | Golf | First time on ballot since 1975 |
| Bern Brostek | Football | UW’s first-team All-Pac-10 center | |
| Gary Boulanger | Racing | Leading jockey at Longacres | |
| Michael Cage | Basketball | 10.3 ppg in first year with Sonics | |
| Glen Goodall | Hockey | Scored 52 goals for Seattle T-Birds | |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | Baseball | 19-year-old finished 3rd in ROY vote | |
| Shannon Higgins | Soccer | Kent native starred for North Carolina | |
| Ed Pepple | Basketball | Longtime coach at Mercer Island | |
| Rufus Porter | Football | Two-time Pro Bowler for Seahawks | |
| Lisa Weidenbach | Marathon | State resident won Chicago Marathon |