Lou Marsh Trophy


The Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936. It is named in honour of Lou Marsh, a prominent Canadian athlete, referee, and former sports editor of the Toronto Star. Marsh died in 1936 and the trophy was named in his honour. The trophy is made of black marble and stands around 75 centimetres high. The words "With Pick and Shovel" appear above the engraved names of the winners. The voting panel consists of sports media voters from across the country including representatives from the Toronto Star, The Canadian Press, FAN590, The Globe and Mail, CBC, Rogers Sportsnet, CTV/TSN, La Presse and the National Post.
The Trophy has been awarded 79 times and won by 62 individual athletes and three pairs; in the voting for the 2018 Lou Marsh Trophy, it was decided that in the future pairs should not be eligible for the trophy, thereby disqualifying Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir from consideration. Wayne Gretzky has won the trophy four times, more than any other athlete, while Barbara Ann Scott has won the trophy three times, more than any other woman. It was not awarded from 1942 to 1944 due to World War II. There were ties between different athletes in 1978 and 1983. The most recent winner is Bianca Andreescu, the first tennis player to win the award.

Winners

;Key
, who was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy for the Marathon of Hope rather than participation in a sport in general, is not included in this table.
WinsSport# of
Individuals
13Ice hockey9
9Figure skating7
8Swimming8
7Track and field6
6Alpine skiing5
4Rowing4
4Football4
4Baseball4
3Golf3
3Speed skating3
2Kayaking2
2Shooting2
2Wheelchair racing2
2Auto racing1
2Horse racing1
1Basketball1
1Biathlon1
1Bobsleigh1
1Equestrian1
1Harness racing1
1Marathon1
1Synchronized swimming1
1Weightlifting1
1Wrestling1
1Soccer1
1Tennis1
1Freestyle skiing1