Prague, Czechia, March 30, 2026: Japan’s four-time world figure skating champion and three-time Olympian Kaori Sakamoto won the women’s prize at the ISU Figure Skating Awards in Prague on March 29.
There were also awards for Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (most entertaining programme) and Ami Nakai (best newcomer).
The awards honoured the performances, creativity and dedication that defined a remarkable year on the ice, and recognised the coaches, choreographers and costume designers whose work brought the artistry of the sport to life.
Following more than 93,000 votes cast by fans worldwide, a distinguished jury of figure skating experts helped to determine the winners of the Most Entertaining Programme, Best Costume, Best Coach and Best Choreographer categories.
The 2026 ISU Figure Skating World Champions were also recognized for their performances:
Women: Kaori Sakamoto (JPN)
Men: Ilia Malinin (USA)
Pairs: Minerva Fabienne Hase / Nikita Volodin (GER)
Ice Dance: Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA)
Speaking at the awards ceremony, ISU President Kim Jae-Youl said: “Congratulations on an incredible season of Figure Skating, a season where your stories have reached more people than ever before.
“Your performances, your sportsmanship, and the values of your actions have inspired new fans and brought new followers to the sport. For the fans, you are inspiration, but for the ISU, you are motivation.”
