The NBA has announced the winners of its 2026 awards, including MVP, Most Improved Player, and more. Notably, Victor Wembanyama won the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year award for the San Antonio Spurs.
Key points
NBA awards announced for the 2026 season
Victor Wembanyama won unanimous DPOY award
Awards include MVP, Most Improved Player, and more
With the 2026 NBA playoffs underway, all the stars of the regular season will soon be recognized.
It's award season in the NBA, with the league releasing the winners of the MVP, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year and more throughout the third week of April.
While some races have been viewed as tighter than others — Victor Wembanyama secured the first-ever unanimous DPOY award for the San Antonio Spurs — the game's best players will soon be adding to their trophy cases.
Who won this year's NBA awards? Here is a running list of each 2026 award winner as they are revealed.
The voting for this award is expected to be a toss-up, potentially the closest of any award. And while 76ers guard V.J. Edgecombe had a terrific rookie season (16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds per game), it's been anticipated as a race between two former Duke teammates.
Q&A
Who won the MVP award in the 2026 NBA season?
The MVP award winner for the 2026 NBA season has been announced as part of the league's awards ceremony.
What notable award did Victor Wembanyama win in 2026?
Victor Wembanyama won the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year award in 2026.
When are the NBA awards announced for the 2026 season?
The NBA awards for the 2026 season are typically announced during the third week of April.
What categories are included in the NBA awards for 2026?
The 2026 NBA awards include categories such as MVP, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year.
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Cooper Flagg's all-around impact shined for the Mavericks as a rookie, with the No. 1 pick averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. However, Kon Knueppel also provided elite scoring for the Hornets, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for a Play-In Tournament team.
Finalists
VJ Edgecombe, 76ers
Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
Kon Knueppel, Hornets
Defensive Player of the Year
For the first time in NBA history, the league had a unanimous selection for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Neither Ausar Thompson nor Chet Holmgren received a single first-place vote as finalists, with Victor Wembanyama securing his first DPOY after contending for the award in his first two NBA seasons.
Over 64 games this season, the 7-4 center averaging a league-high 3.1 blocks, his third consecutive season of at least three blocks per game, also with 1.0 steal per game. He led San Antonio to 62 wins and the NBA's third-best defensive rating.
At 22 years old, Wembanyama is the youngest player to win the award, and he's the Spurs' first DPOY since Kawhi Leonard in 2015-16.
The finalists for the 2025-26 Sixth Man of the Year award feature two key members of playoff teams and a young forward who emerged for the Miami Heat.
Tim Hardaway Jr. averaged 13.5 points per game off the bench for Denver this season, helping guide one of the NBA's best offenses, while Keldon Johnson helped lead the Spurs to 62 wins with 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game off the bench.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. was also named a candidate from the Heat after putting up a career-high 15.4 points per game.
The Sixth Man of the Year winner is set to be announced by the NBA on Wednesday, Apr. 22.
The MVP race was so tightly-packed this season that some notable candidates, including Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham, were not even finalists.
Gilgeous-Alexander is eyeing his second-straight MVP award, potentially adding even more hardware to a quickly-growing Hall of Fame case someday. He averaged 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game this season over 68 games. The Thunder claimed the NBA's best record at 64-18.
Nikola Jokic is also a regular in MVP talks, averaging a triple-double this season with 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game. He became the first player to ever lead the NBA in both rebounds per game and assists per game, doing so in the same season.
Finally, the youngest candidate is the 22-year-old Wembanyama, who put up 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game as the Spurs emerged for the West's No. 2 seed.
Three players who became elite-level scoring talents headline the finalists for the Most Improved Player award.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker became more than just a defender for the Hawks, posting a career-high 20.8 points per game as the team's top guard. In Portland, Deni Advija continued to become one of the NBA's best young talents, slashing his way to career-highs with his 24.2 points and 6.7 assists per game.
Finally, in Detroit, center Jalen Duren helped the Pistons earn the Eastern Conference's best record by emerging with 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, averaging a double-double.
The Most Improved Player winner is set to be announced by the NBA on Friday, Apr. 24.
The pool of candidates for Coach of the Year features a mix of coaches whose squads outperformed relative expectations heading into 2025-26.
J.B. Bickerstaff, the coach of the East-leading Pistons, helped his squad break out to become one of the NBA's best squads after returning to the playoffs last year, winning 60 games.
In Boston, the Celtics faced some doubts due to their offseason subtractions and Jayson Tatum's injury, but Joe Mazzulla led them to 56 wins anyway as another Finals contender. And finally, the Spurs made their official return to the playoffs not just thanks to Wembanyana, but also a Mitch Johnson-coached unit that provided some of the best depth across the league.
