The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Terry Evanshen Trophy winner from the East Division, and the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy winner from the West Division. The winner of the award is chosen by the Football Reporters of Canada.
The award was created in 1953 as the Schenley Award, named after Schenley Distillers Corporation, to honour the most outstanding player in Canadian Rugby Union, one of the forerunner leagues of the CFL; Schenley ended its sponsorship of the awards in 1988, and the awards have been unsponsored since. Broadcasters Ernie Calcutt, John Badham and Pierre Dufault were regular presenters of the Schenley Award.
CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award winners
- 2023 – Chad Kelly (QB), Toronto Argonauts
- 2022 – Zach Collaros (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 2021 – Zach Collaros (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 2020 – Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2019 – Brandon Banks (WR), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 2018 – Bo Levi Mitchell (QB), Calgary Stampeders
- 2017 – Mike Reilly (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 2016 – Bo Levi Mitchell (QB), Calgary Stampeders
- 2015 - Henry Burris (QB), Ottawa RedBlacks
- 2014 – Solomon Elimimian (LB), BC Lions
- 2013 – Jon Cornish (RB), Calgary Stampeders
- 2012 – Chad Owens (WR/KR), Toronto Argonauts
- 2011 – Travis Lulay (QB), BC Lions
- 2010 – Henry Burris (QB), Calgary Stampeders
- 2009 – Anthony Calvillo (QB), Montreal Alouettes
- 2008 – Anthony Calvillo (QB), Montreal Alouettes
- 2007 – Kerry Joseph (QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- 2006 – Geroy Simon (SB), BC Lions
- 2005 – Damon Allen (QB), Toronto Argonauts
- 2004 – Casey Printers (QB), BC Lions
- 2003 – Anthony Calvillo (QB), Montreal Alouettes
- 2002 – Milt Stegall (SB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 2001 – Khari Jones (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 2000 – Dave Dickenson (QB), Calgary Stampeders
- 1999 – Danny McManus (QB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 1998 – Mike Pringle (RB), Montreal Alouettes
- 1997 – Doug Flutie (QB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1996 – Doug Flutie (QB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1995 – Mike Pringle (RB), Baltimore Stallions
- 1994 – Doug Flutie (QB), Calgary Stampeders
- 1993 – Doug Flutie (QB), Calgary Stampeders
- 1992 – Doug Flutie (QB), Calgary Stampeders
- 1991 – Doug Flutie (QB), BC Lions
- 1990 – Mike "Pinball" Clemons (RB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1989 – Tracy Ham (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1988 – David Williams (WR), BC Lions
- 1987 – Tom Clements (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
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- 1986 – James Murphy (WR), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 1985 – Mervyn Fernandez (WR), BC Lions
- 1984 – Willard Reaves (RB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 1983 – Warren Moon (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1982 – Condredge Holloway (QB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1981 – Dieter Brock (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 1980 – Dieter Brock (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 1979 – David Green (RB), Montreal Alouettes
- 1978 – Tony Gabriel (TE), Ottawa Rough Riders
- 1977 – Jimmy Edwards (RB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 1976 – Ron Lancaster (QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- 1975 – Willie Burden (RB), Calgary Stampeders
- 1974 – Tom Wilkinson (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1973 – George McGowan (WR), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1972 – Garney Henley (WR), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 1971 – Don Jonas (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 1970 – Ron Lancaster (QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- 1969 – Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders
- 1968 – Bill Symons (RB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1967 – Peter Liske (QB), Calgary Stampeders
- 1966 – Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders
- 1965 – George Reed (RB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- 1964 – Lovell Coleman (RB), Calgary Stampeders
- 1963 – Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders
- 1962 – George Dixon (RB), Montreal Alouettes
- 1961 – Bernie Faloney (QB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 1960 – Jackie Parker (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1959 – Johnny Bright (RB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1958 – Jackie Parker (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1957 – Jackie Parker (RB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1956 – Hal Patterson (DB/OE), Montreal Alouettes
- 1955 – Pat Abbruzzi (RB), Montreal Alouettes
- 1954 – Sam Etcheverry (QB), Montreal Alouettes
- 1953 – Billy Vessels (RB), Edmonton Eskimos
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CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award runners up
Note: Prior to 1973 the runner up for this award was not the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy or Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy winners. Finalists were first announced in 1953 and during the first years there were multiple runners-up.
- 1972 – Mack Herron (RB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- 1971 – Leon McQuay (RB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1970 – Tommy Joe Coffey (WR), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 1969 – George Reed (RB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- 1968 – George Reed (RB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- 1967 – Tommy Joe Coffey (WR), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 1966 – Ron Lancaster (QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- 1965 – Garney Henley (DB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 1964 – Dick Shatto (RB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1963 – Joe Kapp (QB), BC Lions
- 1962 – Tommy Joe Coffey (WR), Edmonton Eskimos
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- 1961 – Jackie Parker (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1960 – Cookie Gilchrist (RB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1959 – Bernie Faloney (QB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- 1958 – Dick Shatto (RB), Toronto Argonauts
- 1957 – Hal Patterson (DB/OE), Montreal Alouettes
- 1956 – Jackie Parker (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- 1955 – Jackie Parker, Edmonton; Dick Shatto, Toronto; Ken Carpenter, Saskatchewan
- 1954 – Rollie Miles, Edmonton & Alex Webster, Montreal
- 1953 – Tex Coulter, Montreal; John Henry Johnson, Calgary, Gene Roberts, Ottawa
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See also
- Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
- Terry Evanshen Trophy
- Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy
