The glamour of sport and storytelling came together at the Sportel Awards Gala, held on Monday evening at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, in the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II…
The evening celebrated the world’s best sports documentaries and productions, while paying tribute to one of motorsport’s greatest figures, Jacky Ickx, who received the prestigious Legend Award.
Athletes and filmmakers graced the event’s trademark blue carpet, marking the finale of Sportel Monaco, which gathers global sports and media professionals each year. Among this year’s winners were NBC Sports, awarded for Best Slow Motion, and Neo Studio, whose hit documentary series Welcome to Wrexham, following the Welsh football club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, won Best Series. The Peace and Sport Documentary Prize was awarded to Alfonso Algara for Las Diosas del Yaksuma, highlighting indigenous women footballers in Mexico who challenge gender barriers through sport.
The evening’s emotional highlight came as Prince Albert II presented Jacky Ickx with the Legend Award, recognising his extraordinary career, six Le Mans victories, eight Formula 1 wins, and his pioneering spirit in endurance racing. “Nothing in life is due,” Ickx reflected. “This honour reminds me that everything I achieved was thanks to those around me, the people who built the cars, supported the races, and believed in me.”
Now a proud Monaco resident, Ickx paid tribute to the Principality, calling it “beautifully run, perfectly administered, and full of wonderful people.” His words closed an evening defined by gratitude, inspiration, and the enduring power of sport to unite across generations.