The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP) in 1931.
At a time when women in sports were not given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to either a professional or amateur athlete.
The awards are voted on annually by a panel of AP sports editors from across the United States, covering mainly American sports.
As a result, a large majority of the winners have been Americans.
However, non-Americans are also eligible for the honor and have won on a few occasions.