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 1990s, when a format changed called for election of male and female winners beginning in 1994. The winner is in bold face. The number behind a nominee’s name indicates the times he or she appeared on the ballot.
| Year | Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Vann Belvoir | Racing | Leading rider at Longacres race track |
| Derrike Cope | Auto Racing | Scored major upset at Daytona 500 | |
| Karen Deden | Basketball | Top player for UW women’s team | |
| Nesby Glasgow | Football | Starting safety for Seattle Seahawks | |
| Chip Hanauer (3) | Hydroplanes | National Driving Champ, Seafair winner | |
| Erik Hanson | Baseball | Went 18-9, 3.24 for Seattle Mariners | |
| Shawn Kemp | Basketball | 20-year-old SuperSonics rookie | |
| Greg Lewis | Football | UW RB won Doak Walker award | |
| Sandy Schneider | Basketball | Successful coach at Lakeside High | |
| Bob Walsh | Administrator | Oversaw planning for Goodwill Games | |
| 1991 | Michelle Akers | Soccer | Led U.S. women to World Cup win |
| Mario Bailey | Football | Leading receiver for UW Huskies | |
| Gary Boulanger (2) | Racing | Leading rider at Longacres race track | |
| Steve Emtman | Football | Won Outland and Lombardi awards | |
| Al Hairston | Basketball | Coaching legend from Garfield High | |
| Cortez Kennedy | Football | Seahawks’ Pro Bowl defensive tackle | |
| Edgar Martinez | Baseball | Hit 307 with 35 doubles for Mariners | |
| Ellen McGrath | Diving | National champion from Bellevue | |
| Ricky Pierce | Basketball | Averaged 17.5 points for Sonics | |
| LaShanna White | Basketball | Seattle U. star, NAIA All-America | |
| 1992 | Greg Barton | Kayaking | Bronze medalist at Barcelona Olympics |
| Fred Couples | Golf | Won Masters at Augusta National | |
| Shawn Kemp (2) | Basketball | 15.5 ppg, 10.4 rpg for SuperSonics | |
| Cortez Kennedy (2) | Football | Seahawk AP Defensive Player of Year | |
| Edgar Martinez (2) | Baseball | Won AL batting title with .343 avg. | |
| Ellen McGrath (2) | Diving | 7th in platform diving in Barcelona | |
| Rebecca Twigg | Cycling | Bronze medal in pursuit in Barcelona | |
| Tony Volpentest | Amputee | 2 gold medals (sprints) in Paralympics | |
| LaShanna White (2) | Basketball | Seattle U. star, NAIA All-America | |
| 1993 | Yueh-Chun Chang | Weightlifting | Natonal champion in powerlifting |
| Jason Dunn | Soccer | All-American led SPU to NCAA title | |
| Karin Grelsson | Track | SPU star won heptathlon at NCAAs | |
| Randy Johnson | Baseball | Led AL with 308 strikeouts | |
| Napoleon Kaufman | Football | UW star ran for 1,357 yards, 14 TDs | |
| Shawn Kemp (3) | Basketball | Sonics star earned 1st All-Star bid | |
| Eugene Robinson | Football | Seahawks safety earned Pro Bowl bid | |
| Rhonda Smith | Basketball | Leading UW scorer, All-Pac-10 pick | |
| Marc Weekly | Football | PLU QB led Lutes to NAIA title | |
| LaShanna White (3) | Basketball | Seattle U. star, NAIA All-America | |
| Year | Male Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
| 1994 | Dick Armstrong | Football | Snohomish coach retired with 279 wins |
| Jay Buhner | Baseball | 21 homers, 68 runs scored for Mariners | |
| N. Kaufman (2) | Football | Broke UW career rushing record | |
| Gary Payton | Basketball | Led Sonics to team-record 63 wins | |
| Chris Warren | Football | Led AFC in rushing with 1,346 yards | |
| Female Nominees | Sport | Skinny | |
| Arlys Johnson | Weight Lifter | Champion lifter set 6 national records | |
| Angie Marzetta | Softball | Hit .364, led UW to No. 10 national rank | |
| Betsy/Mary McCagg | Rowing | Kirkland twins won golds at worlds | |
| Rhonda Smith (2) | Basketball | Led UW in scoring and rebounding | |
| Cheryl Taplin | Track | Seattle sprinter led LSU to NCAA title | |
| 1995 | Male Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
| Peter Hattrup (2) | Soccer | 1st midfielder to lead A-League in scoring | |
| Lawyer Milloy | Football | UW’s consensus All-America safety | |
| Gary Payton (2) | Basketball | 20.0 ppg, NBA’s All-Defensive team | |
| Lou Piniella | Baseball | Led Mariners to first AL West title | |
| Chris Warren (2) | Football | Seahawk scored AFC-high 15 TDs | |
| Female Nominess | Sport | Skinny | |
| Stephanie Armitage | Sailing | On all-women’s crew in America’s Cup | |
| Robin Byrd-Goad | Weightlifting | Won seventh national championship | |
| Chris Gobrecht | Basketball | Coached UW women to 25-9 record | |
| McCaggs (2) | Rowing | Betsy, Mary won Pan Am gold | |
| Rebecca Twigg (2) | Cycling | Regained world record in pursuit | |
| 1996 | Male Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
| Jason Chorak | Football | Pac-10 Defensive Player of Year | |
| George Karl | Basketball | Coached Sonics to record 64 victories | |
| Alex Rodriguez | Baseball | Won AL batting title (.358) | |
| Michael Sinclair | Football | Seahawk DE voted to his first Pro Bowl | |
| Tony Volpentest (2) | Amputee | Won 2 gold medals at the Paralympics | |
| Female Nominees | Sport | Skinny | |
| Michelle Akers (2) | Soccer | Helped USA women to Olympic gold | |
| Cindy Brown | Basketball | Reign star led team in scoring, rebounds | |
| Michelle Church | Softball | UW’s All-America first baseman | |
| Aretha Hill | Track | UW discus star competed in Olympics | |
| Sarah Silvernail | Volleyball | WSU’s first-team All-American | |
| 1997 | Male Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
| Jerome Pathon | Football | Set UW mark with 1,299 receiving yards | |
| Gary Payton (3) | Basketball | All-Star averaged 21.9 ppg | |
| Mike Price | Football | Led WSU to 1st Rose Bowl since ’31 | |
| Darryl Williams | Football | Safety led AFC with 8 interceptions | |
| Dan Wilson | Baseball | Batted .270 for AL West division champs | |
| Female Nominees | Sport | Skinny | |
| Kelly Blair | Track | Won heptathlon at USA Outdoors | |
| Jan Harville | Rowing | Coached UW eight to NCAA title | |
| Sarah Pickering | Softball | 1st 2-time 1st-team All-America | |
| Kate Starbird | Basketball | Stanford All-America from Lakes | |
| Chelsea Zupan | Racing | Rode 122 winners, earned $708,716 | |
| 1998 | Male Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
| Chad Brown | Football | Seahawks’ All-Pro linebacker | |
| Joe Jarzynka | Football | UW’s special teams phenomenon | |
| Todd MacCulloch | Basketball | UW center led NCAA in FG percentage | |
| Mike Pegram | Racing | Owner of Derby winner Real Quiet | |
| David Segui | Baseball | Hit .305, 19 HR for Seattle Mariners | |
| Female Nominees | Sport | Skinny | |
| Shalonda Enis | Basketball | ABL Rookie of Year, All-Star Game MVP | |
| Aretha Hill | Track | UW discus thrower won Pac-10 title | |
| Melanie Kosoff | Weightlifting | National champ lifted twice body weight | |
| Jamie Redd | Basketball | UW’s all-time scoring leader | |
| Karen Thorndike | Sailing | 1st woman to sail solo around world | |
| 1999 | Male Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
| Vin Baker | Basketball | An All-Star in first season with Sonics | |
| Cortez Kennedy (3) | Football | All-Pro DE for Seattle Seahawks | |
| Jamie Moyer | Baseball | Went 14-8, 3.87 ERA for Mariners | |
| Jason Terry | Basketball | Franklin product starred at Arizona | |
| M. Tuiasosopo | Football | UW QB 1st with a 300/200 game | |
| Female Nominees | Sport | Skinny | |
| Lea Foreman | Weightlifting | American records in snatch, clean & jerk | |
| Barbara Hedges | Administrator | University of Washington athletic director | |
| Melanie Kosoff | Weightlifting | 3-time national champion at 53.0 Kg | |
| Becky Newbry | Softball | UW All-American and leading hitter | |
| Megan Quann | Swimming | Relay gold in Pan Pacifics |