How to vote for NBA Awards: Can fans vote for MVP?

The NBA playoffs are well underway. We’ve already seen starring Game 1 performances from the likes of Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, both of whom have been nominated for the NBA Awards.

The league’s top performers will be honoured in a series of awards to be announced starting this week, with the iconic NBA Most Valuable Player up for grabs.

There are two distinct types of prize: the NBA Awards and the NBA Fan Favorites. The former is decided by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters while the latter, as the name suggests, is the result of a fans’ poll.

How does NBA Awards voting work?

The league’s MVP award is part of the NBA Awards and is bestowed upon the individual who is adjudged to be the best across the regular season. Alongside the MVP award there are six other categories: Clutch Player, Defensive Player, Most Improved Player, Rookie, Sixth Man and Coach of the Year.

The winners in each category are decided by a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. The voting takes place at the end of the regular season and voters must submit ranked voting ballots with their top five picks for each award.

Points are assigned for each selection, with the top pick receiving 10 points and the subsequent selections receiving 7, 5, 3 and 1. For the 2023/24 season, players must have played at least 65 regular season games to qualify.

How to vote for the NBA Fan Favorites awards

Fans do not have any say in the MVP and other NBA Awards. They do, however, get to make their voices heard in the NBA Fan Favorites awards.

Supporters can cast their votes in six categories: Dunk of the Years, Style of the Year, Handle of the Year, Assists of the Year, Photo of the Year and Block of the Year. Votes can be cast on the NBA Fan Favorites webpage with all seven categories now open.

These awards will be decided exclusively by fans and offer supporters the chance to have their say. The likes of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving are in the running for these awards, alongside NBA MVP candidates Doncic, Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Last year’s winners were announced on 11 May.