Nominations are now open for the GMB Mail South Cumbria Sports Awards, which are returning for their third year to celebrate the best local sporting achievements of 2019.

The event will be taking place at Hawcoat Park Sports Club on March 26 and nominations for a variety of categories will be open until January 31.

The organisers will then whittle down the nominations into a shortlist, with the winners to be announced on the night and there have been some big achievements over the past year.

Prizes will be handed out for Senior Sportsperson of the Year, Young Sportsperson of the Year, Senior Team of the Year and Junior Team of the Year, with awards also being handed out for Services to Sport.

Footballer Georgia Stanway took the Senior Sportsperson award after helping Manchester City win the FA Women’s Super League and finishing joint-top scorer at the 2018 Under-20 Women’s World Cup.

Given Stanway’s achievements in 2019, including player of the match in the Women’s FA Cup final and being named PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year, she’ll be a strong contender for this year’s award.

She edged out cyclist Christina Wiejak and mixed martial arts fighter Ryan Thomas to win the prize.

Aimee Everett, who has since played for England-19s, took the Junior Sportsperson award in Aimee Everett after beating off competition from fellow footballer Kira Boswell, wheelchair basketball’s Tyler Baines and BMX rider Emie Seward, who won the under-11 prize.

In the team awards, roller derby’s Furness Firecrackers were named the best senior side after going through 2018 unbeaten in winning the British Tier Four championship to finish ahead of rugby league teams Furness Raiders and Roose Pioneers.

Vickerstown under-16s were the best junior team after winning a Barrow & District Junior League treble, ahead of fellow nominees Askam ARLFC under-14s and Roose Pioneers.

Furness Gymnastics Club coach Lindsey Usher won the inaugural Go For Jo Award, which honours a girl or woman in the South Cumbria area who has made an outstanding contribution to female sport or fitness.

Service to Sport accolades also went to Steve Conroy, Kevin Howarth (both football and cricket), Eric ‘Bush’ Gardner, Dave Peoples, Mike and Anne Savage (all cricket), Barbara Knagg (football), Steve Neale, Russ Walker (both rugby league) and Dave Spencer (athletics).

Send nominations via email to sport.em@cnmedia.co.uk.