Dally M Medal 2026: The NRL's night of nights

The best players and the biggest moments of the 2026 season are set to be honoured at Wednesday night's Dally M Awards ceremony.

The player of the year across the NRL and NRLW competitions headline the list of awards to be handed out at the glittering ceremony in Sydney.

The Team of the Year will also be named, while Try of the Year and Tackle of the Year will be presented.

Follow all the action from rugby league's night of nights, the 2026 Dally M Awards at The Cutaway in Barangaroo on Wednesday night on NRL.com's live blog.

Dally M Awards 2026 

6.45pm Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga is four sleeps away from the biggest game of his life as Newcastle take on the Roosters in the 2026 NRL grand final. "There's excitement about the whole week in general," Ponga told NRL.com. "Enjoy moments like this and when we have to train we train. Everyone is excited and there is definitely an energy."

Ponga was full of praise for his coach Justin Holbrook who is a leading contender for Dally M Coach of the Year. "It takes a special man to get the wooden spooners to the grand final and whether he wins it or not, he has had an unreal year."

6.30pm The stars of the NRL and NRLW are making their way along the red carpet and stopping for a chat with Sofia Bamonte from NRL.com team.

6.15pm Voting for the NRL Dally M Medallist went behind closed doors after Round 12, with Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary leading the way on 38 votes from Warriors forward Jackson Ford on 35 and Cleary's teammate Dylan Edwards on 32.

Ford played only four games in the remainder of the season after suffering a pectoral injury in Round 16 while Cleary and Edwards both played 10 of a possible 13 games for the Panthers.

In the chase for the NRLW’s highest individual honour, Broncos fullback Tamika Upton led the way on 12 votes from Raiders fullback Sheridan Gallagher and Roosters playmaker Tarryn Aiken both on 11 when voting went behind closed doors after Round 4. Upton is the only two-time winner of the Dally Medal having taken the gong in 2023 and 2025, and she will enter even more rarefied air should she secure a third.

6.00pm: Welcome to rugby league's night of nights, with the 2026 Dally M Medal winners set to be announced for the NRL and NRLW player of the year. A host of other awards will also be handed out, including the Team of the Year and the Ken Stephen and Veronica White Medals for Man and Woman of the Year. 

The stars have started arriving and made their way down the red carpet as anticipation builds towards the presentation of the NRL and NRLW Dally M Medals.