ST PETERSBURG and the Grand Hotel Europe will host the ninth annual Laureus World Sports Awards is to be held in St Petersburg, Russia, on February 18, 2008.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is recognised as the premier honours event in the international sporting calendar and the Awards Ceremony provides a high profile focus as stars of the sporting world come together to salute the finest sportsmen and sportswomen of the year.

The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 43 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the greatest athletes of today. 

The 2008 Awards Ceremony, which will be televised to a worldwide TV audience, will be staged at The Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. 

Olympic legend Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “I am thrilled that the 2008 Laureus World Sports Awards is to be staged in Russia. This is an important and exciting step for Laureus.  St Petersburg is one of the most fascinating and attractive cities in the world and I know that we are ensured a unique event."

There is a two-part voting process to find the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards.  Firstly, a Selection Panel of the world’s leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters from over 120 countries votes to create a shortlist of six nominations in various categories including Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Laureus World Team of the Year, Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year.
The 43 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy then vote by secret ballot to select the Award winners. 

The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy are: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Severiano Ballesteros, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Yaping Deng, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, David Douillet, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Indurain, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Dan Marino, John McEnroe, Edwin Moses (Chairman), Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Vivian Richards, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.