The 2026 NBA Awards: When They're Announced, Finalists, Everything to Know

Here's what you need to know about the 2026 NBA Awards, including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man, and who votes on the NBA Awards.

NBC Insider NBC Sports The 2026 NBA Awards: When They're Announced, Finalists, Everything to Know

With the 2025-2026 NBA regular season behind us, it's time for the league to award its best players with some fresh hardware.

By Matthew Jackson Apr 21, 2026, 1:20 PM ET

2026 NBA All-Stars: Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson and More Video thumbnail

Now Playing44:31Web Exclusive2026 NBA All-Stars: Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson and More Video thumbnail

4:43HighlightThundercat: Walking on the Moon Video thumbnail

10:05HighlightDarren Criss’ Tony Win Made Glee History (Extended) Share this on Reddit Share this on Facebook Share this on X Share this by Email Share this by SMS Add us on Google

The NBA regular season is over and the 2026 NBA Playoffs are underway, which means we're just weeks away from crowning a new champion. It also means it's time for the league to start handing out hardware for the year's best players.

How to Watch

Watch NBA on NBC on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

The NBA recently announced the finalists for the seven major awards handed out to individual players each season, and this week they've begun distributing the trophies. It'll all culminate in the coming weeks with the reveal of the 2025-2026 league Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. But when can you expect these announcements, and who's up for each award? Let's take a closer look.

What are the NBA Awards? And which awards does the NBA give out each season?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots the ball against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on March 21, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Photo: Getty Images

There are seven major NBA yearly awards -- not counting individual series MVP awards, coach awards, and other special honors -- awarded by the NBA at the end of each season, all of them celebrating a different aspect of league play. The 2026 NBA Awards are:

Defensive Player of the Year
Clutch Player of the Year
Sportsmanship Award
Sixth Man of the Year
Most Improved Player
Rookie of the Year
Most Valuable Player

The NBA announced the finalists for each award on April 19, and will award them all in the coming days and weeks. Defensive Player of the Year was announced on April 20, with more announcements arriving in the coming days.

Who won Defensive Player of the Year?

Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs fist pumps.

Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the game against the Denver Nuggets on January 4, 2025 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Photo: Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

The 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, announced on April 20, is Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. In his second season in the league, Wembanyama led the Spurs to a second-place finish in the Western Conference, and as the Playoffs progress they remain a major NBA Finals contender. Wembanyama is also one of three finalists for the 2026 Most Valuable Player Award.

When will the rest of the NBA Awards be announced?

With its announcement on April 19, the NBA also provided a timetable for revealing the winners of the first five awards in this season's batch. Here are the key dates:

April 20: Defensive Player of the Year (Wembanyama)
April 21: Clutch Player of the Year (announced at 6 p.m. ET live on Peacock)
April 22: Sixth Man of the Year
April 23: Sportsmanship Award
April 24: Most Improved Player

When does the 2026 NBA MVP award get announced?

The remaining awards will be announced in the following weeks, but when does MVP get announced? The NBA hasn't offered a clear date, but last year's winner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was named MVP in late May, early in the Western Conference Finals, so expect some news closer to that date.

Who are the Finalists for all of the NBA player awards in 2026?

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets shoots the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings on November 11, 2025 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.

Photo: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

So, which players are still up for the big awards? Let's take a closer look:

Defensive Player of the Year

Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs (winner)
Chet Holmgren - Oklahoma City Thunder
Ausar Thompson - Detroit Pistons

Rookie of the Year

Cooper Flagg - Dallas Mavericks
Kon Knueppel - Charlotte Hornets
VJ Edgecombe - Philadelphia 76ers

Sixth Man of the Year

Keldon Johnson - San Antonio Spurs
Jamie Jacquez Jr. - Miami Heat
Tim Hardaway Jr. - Denver Nuggets

Most Improved Player

Nickeil Walker-Alexander - Atlanta Hawks
Deni Avdija - Portland Trail Blazers
Jalen Duren - Detroit Pistons

Clutch Player of the Year

Anthony Edwards - Minnesota Timberwolves
Jamal Murray - Denver Nuggets
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder

Sportsmanship Award

Bam Adebayo - Miami Heat
Harrison Barnes - San Antonio Spurs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
Al Horford - Golden State Warriors
T.J. McConnell - Indiana Pacers
Derrick White - Boston Celtics

MVP Award

Nikola Jokic - Denver Nuggets
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs

NBA on NBC

The NBA is officially back on NBC and Peacock, with exclusive games every week across broadcast and streaming featuring some of the biggest stars in the game.

The fun continues on NBC and Peacock with the NBA Playoffs from Round 1 starting on Sunday, April 19, and continuing through the Western Conference Finals at the end of May!

From real-time stats and predictive fun to highlight clips and immersive angles, Peacock’s suite of NBA features puts you in control of how you watch the game:

Courtside Live: An interactive, mobile-first viewing experience with new camera feeds and immersive perspectives that bring you to center court. Available weekly for select games throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Peacock Performance View: Unlock a next-level broadcast with dynamic overlays showing playing insights, heat maps, scoring probabilities, and more.
Can’t Miss Highlights: Swipeable vertical highlights on the Peacock mobile app for quick recaps of clutch moments, momentum shifts, and standout plays, wherever you are.
Peacock ScoreCard: Turn every game into an interactive experience. Pick from a range of cards and watch as your predictions come true.
Catch Up With Key Plays: Instantly revisit the most pivotal game moments with a curated playlist you can access anytime below your player controls.