Championship PFA Players' Player of the Year nominees: England goalkeeper James Trafford and Leeds star Dan James make six-man shortlist after inspiring Premier League promotions

The nominees for the award have been announced after a 2024-25 campaign that saw Leeds and Burnley win automatic promotion from the Championship with 100 points each. The two teams account for four of the six shortlisted players, with Sheffield United and Norwich also represented.

Trafford is joined on the list by his club team-mate Josh Brownhill, while James and midfielder Ao Tanaka are the Leeds players up for the prize. Sheffield United's Gustavo Hamer and Borja Sainz of Norwich make up the six players aiming to scoop the award.

Trafford is shortlisted after a superb individual season, during which his Burnley team conceded a record-breaking 16 goals in 46 league matches. Only Leeds' Joel Piroe scored more goals in the division than Clarets midfielder Josh Brownhill, meanwhile. James is nominated after registering 21 goals involvements in 36 appearances, with Tanaka a hugely impressive performer from midfield for the league champions after his summer move from Fortuna Dusseldorf. Hamer was instrumental in Sheffield United's run to the Championship play-off final, where they lost to Sunderland, while Sainz bagged 18 goals for 13th-place Norwich.

The prestigious prize will be awarded during a ceremony at the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, August 19. On the same night, the PFA will dish out awards to the best players in the Premier League, WSL, League One and League Two, as well as honouring some of the game's most talented youngsters.