Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Farah have both reacted to their Laureus world sports awards nominations, which came after a ballot from the world's media.
The awards, which include eight categories, harness the power of sport to promote social change, and celebrate sporting excellence from the previous calendar year - with plenty of presence from British athletes, as well as the biggest stars in world sport.
Ronaldo is in the frame for the World Sportsman of the Year Award following a brilliant 2017 in which he won the Champions League and La Liga, scored 53 goals for club and country, equalled Lionel Messi's tally of five Ballon d'Ors and broke a number of records along the way.
Reflecting on his year, he said:
"I am so pleased to be nominated again for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award. We had a fantastic year at Real Madrid and I know I wouldn't have been nominated if it wasn't for our great team effort. I want to thank all my team-mates and also the world's media for having placed me among the candidates to win this very special award. Obrigado!"
The Portuguese superstar is joined by an esteemed list of names for the award, with Farah also in the mix. Britain's most decorated athlete had another great year in 2017 and hopes to scoop the prize this time around after previous nominations.
"I've been nominated a few times for a Laureus Award, but haven't quite managed to get this one over the line yet! 2017 was an incredible year for me and I'm overwhelmed with the support and recognition I've already received but winning a Laureus Statuette would be amazing. It would be even more special given the super talented sportsmen I'm up against - like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lewis Hamilton and Roger Federer! The winner is announced next month but whatever happens, thanks to Laureus and to the world's media, who voted to nominate me."
Like the men's award, the Sportswoman of the Year Award is stacked with competitors who experienced incredible success in 2017.
19-year old American swimming sensation Katie Ledecky has been nominated after a stunning year where she won five gold medals and one silver at the world championships.
She expressed he admiration for the Laureus foundation and congratulated her fellow nominees:
"I wish to thank the world's media and Laureus for the honour of this nomination. It was a great privilege for me to compete this year for both Team USA and Stanford University. I have great admiration for the Laureus Foundation and all of its ambassadors for the work they do around the world. I also wish to offer my congratulations and best wishes to all of the nominees, with special congratulations to my fellow Team USA swimmer Caeleb Dressel for his nomination in the Breakthrough of the Year Category."
Moreover, the world team of the year category sees the likes of Real Madrid, the New England Patriots and Golden State Warriors tussle it out.
Spearheaded by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Boras, Mercedes' AMG Petronas Formula One time won the constructors world championship and individual world championship for the fourth year on the trot in 2017 and are well in with a shout for the team of the year accolade.
Commenting on the nomination, Toto Wolff, Executive Director of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, said:
"It's an honour to be nominated for this prestigious Award after our team enjoyed another incredible season in 2017. Every single person in the team - from the guys on the factory floor to Lewis and Valtteri in the cockpit - made a significant contribution to the success we enjoyed on track. We were stretched to the maximum by Ferrari and it was our strength as a team that brought us victory. We are now hard at work for 2018 and we hope to be fighting for the title once again."
Another one of the eagerly-anticipated awards is the world sportsmen of the year with a disability award, which will be given to the Paralympic athlete who demonstrates "excellent athletic achievement and strong leadership".
Swiss wheelchair racer Marcel Hug excelled on the track and in marathons in 2017 and is one of the leading contenders for the award.
"I am so grateful and delighted that I have been nominated for this Laureus Award," he said.
"For me, 2017 was an unforgettable year with successes in the World Championship and in marathons around the world."
Here are the rest of the categories and nominees:
The winners, as voted for by members of The Laureus World Sports Academy, will be revealed in Monaco on February the 27th. For more information about the Laureus World Sports Awards, visit thttps://awards.laureus.com/
Topics: Formula One, SPORT, Football, swimming, Athletics, Cristiano Ronaldo