List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
This is a list of both active and inactive Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards created by professional wrestling and mixed martial arts journalist Dave Meltzer. The first fourteen awards were created in 1980 as an informal poll between Meltzer and his friends and others he corresponded with on the subject of professional wrestling at the time. After starting the Wrestling Observer in 1982, the awards took on a greater life, with an increasing number of awards given out every year.
The awards were created to recognize the individual achievements of a select few wrestlers who exemplified a specified criterion. The awards are given every year in various categories such as [|Wrestler of the Year], Most Outstanding Wrestler, [|Tag Team of the Year], [|Most Improved], [|Pro Wrestling Match of the Year], etc.; there are also a handful of awards to recognize the dubious distinctions in the business during that year such as [|Most Overrated] and [|Worst Match]. There are currently forty-five categories that are actively assessed every year and twenty that are no longer active. The awards are voted for by the newsletter's paying readership, primarily wrestling fans, although it is claimed that some industry workers also vote.
The awards are organized into two categories. For "Category A" awards, voters indicate their top three choices. First choices are awarded five points, second places three points, and third places two points. The choice with the most points overall wins. For "Category B" awards, voters simply indicate their top choice. For the "Category B" [|Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award], the recipients are chosen by a committee headed by Meltzer.
Over the years, various MMA promotions or individual mixed martial artists were deemed eligible to win some awards when it seemed as though they were more deserving to win than the conventional wrestler or wrestling promotion. This led to, in 1997, the creation of [|Shootfighter of the Year] and [|Shoot Match of the Year] to recognize MMA achievement specifically. Still, some primarily professional wrestling-focused awards remained intact for MMA promotions/fighters to win, due to the similar business aspect between both sports. In the December 3, 2007 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was announced that from that year onwards, mixed martial artists are no longer eligible for the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award, thus reserving it for professional wrestlers only. Shootfighter of the Year was renamed to Most Outstanding Fighter and Shoot Match of the Year was renamed to MMA Match of the Year to match a new award called [|Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable], which is similar to the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award except it is for mixed martial artists.
Current awards
"Category A" awards
Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion |
| 1980 | Harley Race | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1981 | Ric Flair | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1982 | Ric Flair | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1983 | Ric Flair | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1984 | Ric Flair | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1985 | Ric Flair | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1986 | Ric Flair | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1987 | Riki Choshu | New Japan Pro-Wrestling All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1988 | Akira Maeda | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1989 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1991 | Jumbo Tsuruta | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1992 | Ric Flair | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1993 | Big Van Vader | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | Toshiaki Kawada | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1995 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1996 | Kenta Kobashi | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1997 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1998 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Triple H | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Keiji Muto | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2002 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | Kenta Kobashi | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2004 | Kenta Kobashi | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2005 | Kenta Kobashi | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2006 | Místico | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2007 | John Cena | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2008 | Chris Jericho | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2009 | Chris Jericho | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2010 | John Cena | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2011 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2012 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2013 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2014 | Shinsuke Nakamura | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2015 | AJ Styles | New Japan Pro-Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2016 | AJ Styles | WWE |
| 2017 | Kazuchika Okada | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2018 | Kenny Omega | New Japan Pro-Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2019 | Chris Jericho | New Japan Pro-Wrestling All Elite Wrestling |
| 2020 | Jon Moxley | New Japan Pro-Wrestling All Elite Wrestling |
| 2021 | Kenny Omega | All Elite Wrestling Impact Wrestling |
| 2022 | Jon Moxley | All Elite Wrestling |
| 2023 | Will Ospreay | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2024 | Cody Rhodes | WWE |
Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable
| Year | Fighter | Promotion |
| 2007 | Randy Couture | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2008 | Brock Lesnar | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2009 | Brock Lesnar | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2010 | Brock Lesnar | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2011 | Georges St-Pierre | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2012 | Anderson Silva | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2013 | Georges St-Pierre | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2014 | Ronda Rousey | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2015 | Ronda Rousey | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2016 | Conor McGregor | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2017 | Georges St-Pierre | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2018 | Conor McGregor | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2019 | Jorge Masvidal | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2020 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2021 | Kamaru Usman | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2022 | Israel Adesanya | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2023 | Jon Jones | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2024 | Alex Pereira | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
Most Outstanding Wrestler
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion |
| 1986 | Ric Flair | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1987 | Ric Flair | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1988 | Tatsumi Fujinami | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 1989 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Jushin Thunder Liger | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 1991 | Jushin Thunder Liger | New Japan Pro-Wrestling World Championship Wrestling |
| 1992 | Jushin Thunder Liger | New Japan Pro-Wrestling World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Kenta Kobashi | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1994 | Kenta Kobashi | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1995 | Manami Toyota | All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling |
| 1996 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Extreme Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling |
| 1997 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1998 | Koji Kanemoto | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 1999 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Chris Benoit | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2002 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2003 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2004 | Chris Benoit | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2005 | Samoa Joe | Ring of Honor Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2006 | Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan | Ring of Honor |
| 2007 | Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan | Ring of Honor |
| 2008 | Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan | Ring of Honor |
| 2009 | Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan | Dragon Gate USA Ring of Honor |
| 2010 | Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan | Chikara Dragon Gate USA Evolve World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2011 | Davey Richards | Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Ring of Honor |
| 2012 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2013 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2014 | AJ Styles | New Japan Pro-Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2015 | AJ Styles | New Japan Pro-Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2016 | AJ Styles | WWE |
| 2017 | Kazuchika Okada | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2018 | Kenny Omega | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2019 | Will Ospreay | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2020 | Kenny Omega | All Elite Wrestling Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide |
| 2021 | Shingo Takagi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2022 | Will Ospreay | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2023 | Will Ospreay | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2024 | Will Ospreay | New Japan Pro-Wrestling All Elite Wrestling |