HONORING THE BEST
It seemed to many that the cancellation of the World Championships also meant the ISU Skating Awards gala would also be shelved. However, as tragedy unfolded around the world with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the ISU believed it was more important than ever to honor those who had worked so hard in what became a shortened 2019-2020 season, and quietly began planning an online awards show for July 11.
Starting in late 2019, the worldwide skating community had the opportunity to vote for their favorites in four categories: Most Valuable Skater, Most Entertaining Program, Best Newcomer and Best Costume. International media and federation officials were also able to vote for nominees in two other categories: Best Coach and Best Choreographer.
In June, the top three vote earners in all six categories were revealed. An all-star jury comprised of six former champions — Miki Ando, Surya Bonaly, Lu Chen, Todd Eldredge, Tatiana Navka and Eric Radford — were charged with deciding the ultimate winners.
The online show, produced by Swiss entrepreneur Oliver Höner (“Art on Ice”) in
