Japanese figure skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu, a two-time Olympic champion, won the International Skating Union (ISU) Award for Most Valuable Skater of the season on Sunday.

The ISU Skating Awards, which were originally scheduled on the last day of the Montreal worlds in March, was held through a digital show on the ISU official website as the Montreal event was cancelled.

In the "Most Valuable Skater" category for the 2019-20 season, Hanyu was up against two-time world champion Nathan Chen of U.S. and French ice dance duo of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron.

The prize honors the single skater or pair of ice dance couple who best helped increase the level of popularity of figure skating with their fan base, media attention and sponsor appreciation, said the ISU.

Phenomenal skating and popularity

"Yuzuru Hanyu is the first Japanese male skater to win Olympic gold and the first man since 1948 and 1952 Olympic Champion Dick Button (U.S.) to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals. He is the first skater to perform a clean quadruple Loop in competition and surpass a total score of 300 points," the ISU wrote on its website.

"He is a two-time Olympic Champion, two-time ISU World Figure Skating Champion, ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Champion, four-time ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Champion and four-time Japanese national Champion. He even won ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships and ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final titles, making him one of the most decorated skaters in the world."

Winning speech

"In almost every moment of daily life, I'm constantly thinking of figure skating and I'm always hoping to become better and stronger. I spend every day trying to become better at something that I couldn't do the day before," Hanyu said.

Hanyu was also one of the nominees for the Best Costume Award, which was bagged by American free dance duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates to honor their costumes that reflect creativity, contemporary implementation, fashion, style and originality.

Full list of ISU Skating Awards 2020

Most Valuable Skater: Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan

Best Costume: Madison Chock/Evan Bates of the U.S. 

Most Entertaining Program: Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron of France

Best Newcomer: Alena Kostornaia of Russia

Best Choreographer: Shae-Lynn Bourne of Canada

Best Coach: Eteri Tutberidze of Russia

Lifetime Achievement Award: Kurt Browning of Canada

The online ceremony was presented by Olympic ice dance champion Charlie White and Olympic ice dance silver medalist Tanith White.

Six former figure skating champions, including China's Chen Lu, composed the Jury panel that had the final say and voted for the winners.

(With input from Xinhua)