In a historic turn of events, the PFA Scotland Premiership Player of the Year nominations do not feature any players from Celtic or Rangers for the first time since 2013. Instead, the spotlight falls on Hearts duo Claudio Braga and Lawrence Shankland, Motherwell's Elijah Just, and Tawanda Maswanhise. This prestigious award is determined by votes from players across the top tier of Scottish football. Currently, Hearts are leading the Premiership, three points ahead of Celtic, with Rangers trailing further behind after their recent loss to Motherwell.
Braga, who joined Hearts in the summer, has been a standout performer, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists in all 34 league games. Captain Shankland, despite missing some games due to injury, has scored 13 goals in 25 appearances, following his award win in 2024. New Zealand's Just has made a significant impact at Motherwell, with seven goals and eight assists in 31 matches, contributing to the team's fourth-place standing. Maswanhise leads the league in scoring with 17 goals in 31 games, thriving under the new management of Jens Berthel Askou after a modest five goals last season.
Other notable nominees include Barney Stewart of Falkirk, Arbroath's Findlay Marshall, Dundee's Luke Graham, and on-loan Rangers winger Mikey Moore, who, at 18, is the youngest contender. In the women's league, Glasgow City's Lee Gibson and Nicole Kozlova are nominated for the SWPL Player of the Year award, alongside Georgia Timms of Hearts and Rangers' Katie Wilkinson. The Young Player shortlist features Rangers' Laura Berry and May Cruft, Hibernian's Rosie Livingstone, and Lisa Forrest of Glasgow City. As the 2025/26 season approaches its climax, fans also have the opportunity to vote for the Scottish Premiership goal of the season, with 12 outstanding goals to choose from.