Who will be crowned Irish Motorcyclist of the Year?

The Joey Dunlop Trophy, awarded annually to the Irish Motorcyclist of the Year, has become the most coveted piece of silverware which can be collected by exponents of two-wheel motorsport sport away from the racetracks.

The January gala ceremony in Belfast is a highlight of the motorcycling calendar which brings together top competitors, teams and race organisers from across Ireland and beyond to celebrate the achievements of the past 12 months.

A variety of different awards are up for grabs, but the highlight of the evening will as always be the crowning of the Irish Motorcyclist of the Year.

With the big night looming, BBC Sport NI assesses the six nominees for the main prize.

The frontrunner for the top accolade is Michael Dunlop, who clinched a remarkable fourth Isle of Man TT four-timer of his career to become the most successful rider in the history of the event with 29 wins.

The 35-year-old took victory in both Supersport races and the two Supertwins events in June 2024 to surpass the previous record tally of 26 accumulated by his revered late uncle Joey.

The Ballymoney rider has won six Supersport races in a row and a record 13 in total.

Dunlop also set a new lap record for the Superbike class, lapping the 37.73-mile Mountain Course at 135.970mph.

Dunlop was previously named Irish Motorcyclist of the Year in January 2015 after a successful 2024 season.

Glenn Irwin became the most successful Superbike rider ever at the North West 200 as his hat-trick of wins in May 2024 saw him make it 11big bikes wins in a row over the Triangle circuit.

Riding his PBM Ducati, the Carrickfergus rider overtook the former benchmark of nine Superbike successes, held jointly by Michael Rutter and the late Joey Dunlop.

Having been edged out by Tommy Bridewell by half a point in the 2023 British Superbike series, Irwin finished third in the championship last year, taking eight individual race wins in the process.

The 34-year-old's victories included a treble at the Oulton Park round in May and a double at Snetterton in July.

Irwin was named Irish Motorcyclist of the Year in each of the last two years.

Jack Kennedy collected a sensational fifth British Supersport title of his career in the colours of Honda Racing last season.

The Dubliner won 10 races on his way to lifting the crown in the middleweight class.

His triumphs included two doubles at the Brands Hatch GP circuit and one at the Knockhill circuit in Scotland as he finished 62 points ahead of nearest challenger Luke Stapleford.

By his own high standards, Jonathan Rea had an indifferent year in World Superbikes in 2024 in his first term as part of the Pata Yamaha team.

The six-time world champion however remains an outstanding ambassador for motorcycle racing and Northern Ireland sport in general on the global stage and has high hopes of bouncing back to be more competitive in the forthcoming season.

Rea's sole podium last year came courtesy of a third place finish in the UK round of the championship at Donington Park in July.

Rea has won the Irish Motorcyclist of the Year award a record nine times, including seven times in succession between 2016 and 2022.

Having achieved a number of eye-catching results on British short circuits over recent years, Scott Swann really came of age in his breakthrough year.

Swann finished third in the National Superstock 1000cc championship on his Honda, winning five races during the course of the season in a variety of track conditions.

The 22-year-old concluded a memorable season by taking a Superbike double in front of his home fans at the Sunflower Trophy meeting at Bishopscourt in October.

Swann's performances have earned him a ride in the feature Superbike class in 2025 with Team IWR.

Eugene McManus ended the highly competitive British Supersport season in a very creditable fourth position.

The Randalstown rider earned three rostrum finishes in his first season on a Ducati.

McManus was third in race two at Oulton Park in July and also occupied the final podium spot at Cadwell Park and in the final race of the campaign at Brands Hatch GP.