Federation of Irish Sport Announces Renewal of KPMG Sponsorship for Women in Sport Award
1st April 2026; The Federation of Irish Sport is pleased to announce the renewal of its partnership with KPMG as the official sponsor of the Women in Sport Award at the Irish Sport Industry Awards, taking place next month in Dublin.
Now in its ninth year, the Irish Sport Industry Awards celebrate the vital relationship between business and sport across Ireland. The continued sponsorship marks the fourth consecutive year of KPMG’s support for the Women in Sport category, underlining a shared commitment to recognising excellence, leadership and innovation among women working across the sports industry.
First introduced in 2023, the Women in Sport Award honours sustained excellence by female professionals operating in business roles related to sport, sports administration, or the delivery of professional services within the sector. The award recognises achievements in areas such as strategic leadership, innovation, governance, community engagement, research, and high-performance sport.
Previous recipients of the award include:
· 2023: Professor Fiona Chambers, recognised for her extensive leadership in higher education and her contributions to sport and innovation over more than three decades. In March 2026 Professor Chambers was appointed to the Board of Sport Ireland under the Digital Transformation/Technology criteria.
· 2024: Sarah Keane, acknowledged for her outstanding leadership at Swim Ireland and her significant contributions to governance and gender equality, including her role as President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland. Sarah has recently continued her leadership journey and taken over the reins as CEO at Cricket Ireland.
· 2025: Neasa Russell, honoured for her transformative leadership at Paralympics Ireland, where she has driven innovation, strengthened high-performance structures, and championed athlete welfare and gender equity. Following two terms at Chef de Mision at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Paralympic Games Neasa was appointed COO of Paralympics Ireland in 2025.
Entries for the 2026 Women in Sport Award and all other 10 open categories are now open, and due to high demand, the deadline for submissions to the Irish Sport Industry Awards has been extended to Wednesday, 8th April. Submissions should demonstrate significant achievement in advancing sport and physical activity through innovation, leadership, collaboration, or service excellence.
Speaking on the announcement, Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor said: “The Federation is delighted to continue this partnership with KPMG in supporting and celebrating Women in Sport. This award highlights the exceptional contributions of women whose leadership and innovation are shaping the future of the sports industry in Ireland.”
The 2026 Irish Sport Industry Awards will take place in Dublin on Tuesday, 19th May, and will be hosted by broadcaster and journalist Sean O’Rourke.
Ireland’s sports industry continues to play a significant role in the national economy, supporting approximately 64,000 jobs, generating €3.3 billion in household spending, and contributing €3.7 billion in gross value added (GVA).
For further information, a full list of categories, and to submit an entry, visit: https://irishsportindustryawards.ie/
ENDS