The Aura Sport & Cultura Award is entering its second edition. Created by Undici to celebrate the best of Italian sport, the award will be presented on 28 September 2026 at an evening event at Milan’s Triennale. The first edition ended on 30 September last year, when the jury, chaired by Federica Pellegrini and made up of active and former athletes, sports executives, journalists and figures from Italy’s sporting institutions, awarded the prize to Miryam Sylla, one of the faces of the women’s national volleyball team.
For the 2026 edition, with OMEGA and Gruppo FS as Main Partners, the jury is chaired by Gregorio Paltrinieri and is about to begin voting. The candidates reflect the six pillars of the Aura Sport & Cultura Award: transformation, emotion, storytelling, innovation, impact and vision. Around these ideas, the Undici editorial team selected the stories and figures that have defined Italian sport across 2025 and 2026. Here is the full list, in alphabetical order:
- Nadia Battocletti — Middle-distance runner, Olympic silver medallist in the 10,000 metres at Paris 2024 and European champion over 5,000 and 10,000 metres at Birmingham 2026.
- Dariya Derkach — Triple jumper, winner of Italy’s first women’s gold medal in the event at the Birmingham 2026 European Championships.
- Kelly Doualla — 16-year-old sprinter, winner of the 100 metres at the 2026 European Under-18 Championships in Rieti, where she set a European age-group record, and bronze medallist at the 2026 World Junior Championships in Eugene.
- Leonardo Fabbri — Shot putter, world silver medallist at Budapest 2023 and European champion in 2024 and 2026.
- Sarah Fahr — Middle blocker for the Italian women’s national volleyball team, Olympic champion at Paris 2024 and world champion in 2025, European silver medallist in 2026.
- Sofia Fiorini — Race walker, winner of the marathon race walk at the Birmingham 2026 European Championships, where she also set a world record.
- Arianna Fontana — Short-track speed skater and winner of 14 medals at the Winter Olympics, making her the most decorated Italian athlete in Olympic history.
- Mattia Furlani — Long jumper, world champion in Tokyo in 2025 and Olympic bronze medallist at Paris 2024.
- Simone Giannelli — Setter and captain of the Italian men’s national volleyball team, world champion in 2022 and 2025 and European champion in 2021.
- Larissa Iapichino — Long jumper, European champion at Birmingham 2026 and European indoor champion in 2025.
- Daniele Lavia — Outside hitter for the Italian men’s national volleyball team, world champion in 2022 and European champion in 2021.
- Francesca Lollobrigida — Speed skater, winner of two Olympic gold medals at Milano-Cortina 2026, in the 3,000 and 5,000 metres.
- Filippo Macchi — Fencer, Olympic silver medallist in both the individual and team foil events at Paris 2024 and individual silver medallist at the 2026 World Championships in Hong Kong.
- Nicolò Martinenghi — Swimmer, Olympic champion in the 100-metre breaststroke at Paris 2024 and European champion in the 50 and 100 metres breaststroke at Paris 2026.
- Alessia Orro — Setter for the Italian women’s national volleyball team, Olympic champion at Paris 2024 and world champion in 2025.
- Chiara Pellacani — Diver, world champion in the mixed synchronised 3m event at Singapore 2025 and winner of five gold medals at the 2026 European Championships in Paris.
- Benedetta Pilato — Swimmer, world champion in the 50-metre breaststroke in 2022 and the 100-metre breaststroke in 2024.
- Simona Quadarella — Middle-distance swimmer, winner of the 400, 800 and 1,500 metres freestyle at the 2026 European Championships in Paris and Olympic bronze medallist in the 800 metres freestyle at Paris 2024.
- Matilde Villa — Point guard for Reyer Venezia and the Italian national basketball team, selected in the 2024 WNBA draft.
- Dorothea Wierer — Biathlete, Olympic silver medallist in the mixed relay at Milano-Cortina 2026.
