[1] The awards are presented by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global organisation involved in more than 150 charity projects supporting 500,000 young people.

[4] The first ceremony was held on 25 May 2000 in Monte Carlo, at which Nelson Mandela gave the keynote speech.

[5] As of 2020[update], a shortlist of six nominees for the award comes from a panel composed of the "world's leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters".

[6] The awards are considered highly prestigious and are frequently referred to as the sporting equivalent of "Oscars".

[11] Sportswomen from athletics are the most successful overall, with eight wins and thirty-one nominations (excluding Jones' rescissions).