what are the dally m awards

The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League (NRL) competition in Australia. The highlight of these awards is the Dally M Medal, given to the best and fairest player in the NRL regular season. The awards, named after rugby league pioneer Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger, also honor the premier player in each position, the best coach, the best captain, the representative player of the year, and the most outstanding rookie of the season. The Dally M Medal has been awarded since 1979 and is considered the highest individual honor in Australian rugby league. It was originally created by the Daily Mirror newspaper and became the official NRL player-of-the-year award after the formation of the NRL in 1998. The awards night has grown into a major annual ceremony, akin to the Brownlow Medal in AFL, featuring multiple categories alongside the main player-of-the-year medal. Voting is conducted by media commentators who award points after each game for the standout players, with deductions for suspensions. The results are visible only up to the midpoint of the season to maintain suspense, with final results revealed at the awards ceremony.