2020 has come to a close, which means it’s time to vote for the best moments and athletes of the year. The fifth annual FloGrappling Awards is open for voting from Jan. 1 through Jan. 8. There are hundreds of competitors and thousands of grappling matches every year across an array of formats. Even to be nominated is a major achievement. 

But one grappler, match, or submission from each category has proven the most notable, memorable or groundbreaking.

Here are the nominees in each category for the 2020 FloGrappling Awards.

Scroll all the way to the bottom to cast your vote

Grapplers Of The Year 

The nominees male and female Grappler Of The Year are those competitors whose names we couldn't stop saying. They’re the athletes who routinely challenged the best in their divisions, consistently won, and always did so impressively.

Previous Grappler Of The Year Winners include Kaynan Duarte (2019), Bianca Basialio (2019), Mahamed Aly (2018), Beatriz Mesquita (2018, 2017) Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (2017), Mackenzie Dern (2016) and Leandro Lo (2016).

The nominees for 2020 Male Grappler The Year are:

• Victor Hugo
• Gordon Ryan
• Roberto Jimenez
• Fellipe Andrew
• Lucas Barbosa 
• Roberto Cyborg Abreu

The nominees for 2020 Female Grappler Of The Year are:

• Gabi Garcia 
• Ana Carolina Vieira
• Elisabeth Clay
• Rafaela Guedes
• Mayssa Bastos
• Nathalie Ribeiro

Breakthrough Grappler Of The Year

The Breakthrough Grappler Of The Year is someone who has earned a new level of notoriety, either because of a few key performances, or due to a year of shattering expectations. Nominees for Breakthrough Grappler Of The Year have changed the way we think about them; they’ve gone from underdog to top-contender against even the most notable opponents. Kaynan Duarte and Craig Jones have both won this award in previous years.

The nominees for 2020 Breakthrough Grappler Of The Year are:

• Tainan Dalpra
• Elisabeth Clay
• Samuel Nagai
• William Tackett
• Josh Cisneros
• Rafaela Guedes

Submission Of The Year

The submissions nominated for best of the year are those which have left us amazed. Some of the nominees and previous winners are submissions which required an incredible degree of finesse or innovation. In other instances, submission of the year candidates achieved significance because of who tapped whom.

Previous Submission Of The Year winners include Lachlan Giles heel hook against Kaynan Duarte at ADCC, Clark Gracie’s Pretzelplata, Gordon Ryan’s guillotine over Keenan Cornelius at ADCC, and Fellipe Pena’s choke against Gordon Ryan at the Studio 540 Superfight Series.

The nominees for 2020 Submission Of The Year are:

• Kaynan Duarte rear naked choke vs Rodolfo Vieira | WNO
• Fellipe Andrew triangle-armbar vs Keenan Cornelius | IBJJF Euros
• Gordon Ryan triangle-armbar vs Kyle Boehm | WNO
• Igor Tanabe gubber/canto choke | SJJIF All Japan
• Kennedy Maciel armbar vs Junny Ocasio | F2W
• Roberto Cyborg Abreu heel hook vs Kaynan Duarte | BJJ Bet

Match Of The Year 

Candidates for Match Of The Year are matches that we will remember for years to come. Previous winners include Garry Tonon vs Rousimar Palhares at Polaris, Leandro Lo vs Erberth Santos at Brasileros in 2016, and Garry Tonon vs Renato Canuto at ADCC.

Garry Tonon has a habit of earning Match Of The Year nominations, and that hasn’t changed in 2020.

The nominees for 2020 Match Of The Year are:

• Garry Tonon vs Dante Leon | WNO
• Ffion Davies vs Tayane Porfirio | Grapplefest
• Roberto Jimenez vs Keenan Cornelius | WNO
• Osvaldo “Queixinho” Moizinho vs AJ Agazarm | F2W
• Fellipe Andrew vs Murilo Santana | IBJJF Pans
• Dante Leon vs Kody Steele | WNO

Cast your votes!