Jamie Carragher and Toni Duggan have praised the continued expansion of the Women's Football Awards as the fourth edition prepares to take place in London tonight. Launched in 2022 in partnership with Metro, the event has quickly established itself as a major and influential awards ceremony for women's football across Britain and Europe.
The flagship event will once again celebrate the brightest stars, trailblazers, and game-changers in the sport, both on and off the pitch, in a star-studded evening featuring many of the biggest names in women's football. Former Liverpool defender Carragher will return to co-host the night for the fourth consecutive year and expressed his delight at how rapidly the awards have grown.
Carragher on the Awards' Growth
"This night has just continued to flourish, hasn't it?" Carragher told Metro ahead of this year's awards. "Over the last decade or so, women's football feels like it's getting bigger and bigger each year, and it's been great to play my part with this night. Once I got involved with it, I enjoyed it, and kept doing it. And as with the women's game, each year the awards are growing and getting bigger and better."
The rapid growth of the Women's Super League (WSL) in recent years means players from six different countries have been shortlisted for the two main awards. Carragher believes that "international flavour" will only help the league become the standout product in women's domestic football.
"It's similar to the men's Premier League – you want the best of everything," he added. "You want the best players in the world, the best managers, but also a pathway for young English players and obviously young English girls as well. So it's always about striking that right balance between the two. I don't think you can probably ever get that perfect with lots of people's eyes because we're all probably want slightly different things. But I think you do have to have that international flavour in a league. We've seen the strength of the Premier League and that definitely only helps the WSL."
Bunny Shaw Headlines Player of the Year Shortlist
Headlining the shortlist for the standout individual honour is Bunny Shaw, who has enjoyed another prolific season in front of goal for Manchester City. The Jamaica international won Player of the Year back in 2024, and former Lionesses star Duggan, an ambassador for the Women's Football Awards, would not be surprised to see the 29-year-old claim it again tonight.
"She's been absolutely incredible," Duggan told Metro. "I love Bunny as a player. I met with her recently for an interview, and even off the pitch, I think her enthusiasm and her ability to want to achieve more is so impressive. She's had so much success as well due to the players around her, and I think she would say that herself. Her and Viv [Miedema] staying fit has helped Man City so much, and when you add in the likes of Lauren Hemp supplying her to get those goals. I think City as a whole have had a fantastic season but Bunny is just unstoppable when she gets those opportunities. If she wins, it wouldn't be a surprise to me. She'd definitely have my vote."
Celebrating Behind-the-Scenes Figures
Thursday's event will also look to celebrate the important figures and organisations that work behind the scenes to help drive the sport forward, which represents a vital part of the awards for Duggan.
"I think that's what makes me the most proud with these awards," she added. "I came through in a generation where we actually had a lot of success compared to those who came before us when the game wasn't professional, when there weren't the opportunities that I have. So it's kind of to thank those people, to recognise those people, to also recognise the people behind the scenes that people aren't too familiar with. Because there's people putting in so much effort behind the scenes in women's football, whether it be brands, whether it be partnerships, kit men, people in the canteen. There are so many trailblazers that need to deserve to be recognised. So the Women's Football Awards brings that opportunity to recognise these people, and not just the footballers on the pitch."
The awards ceremony will feature a wide range of categories, including Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, International Player of the Year, Club of the Year, Media Figure of the Year, and many more, reflecting the diverse contributions to the women's game.
