Coventry's Lampard and Boro's Hackney win at EFL Awards
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Coventry City boss Frank Lampard and Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney have been named the Championship manager and player of the season at the EFL Awards.
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Lampard led the Sky Blues back to the Premier League after a 25-year absence in his first full season in charge.
Hackney, 23, has been an influential figure in Boro's promotion bid, with five goals and eight assists, as well as being a commanding presence in the middle of the park.
Lincoln City's Michael Skubala won the League One manager of the season after guiding the Imps to the second tier for the first time in 65 years, while Leyton Orient's Dom Ballard won the division's player of the season award.
Bromley boss Andy Woodman and Swindon Town striker Aaron Drinan were named manager and player of the season for League Two.
The young player of the season awards in each division went to Jordan James (Leicester City), Ballard and Daniel Kanu (Walsall).
Swansea City's Josh Tymon won the EFL goal of the season for his left-footed volley into the top right-hand corner, from just outside the penalty area, against Oxford United in December.
Championship: Sky Blues honoured
Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth is on loan at Coventry from Brighton & Hove Albion [Getty Images]Former Chelsea and England midfielder Lampard took charge of Coventry in November 2024, with the club 17th in the Championship.
He guided them to the play-offs that season, suffering a last-gasp semi-final defeat by Sunderland, but the Sky Blues have used that disappointment as fuel for this campaign, and sealed automatic promotion with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn on Friday.
Lampard beat Millwall's Alex Neil, Hull City's Sergej Jakirovic and Middlesbrough's Kim Hellberg to the manager of the season award.
"I got emotional in the moment for sure [after sealing promotion at Blackburn]," Lampard told BBC Football Daily's 72+ EFL podcast.
"I think sometimes when you work so hard for something, when you manage to achieve it, you think about the players that you work with and you think about the fanbase and what they've gone through. I'm very proud."
Four of Lampard's team were named in the Championship team of the season: goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, wing-back Milan van Ewijk, captain Matt Grimes and striker Haji Wright.
Swansea's Zan Vipotnik, the Championship's leading scorer, was nominated for player of the season alongside Rushworth, but both missed out to Hackney.
EFL Championship manager of the season: Frank Lampard (Coventry City)
Player of the season: Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough)
Young player of the season: Jordan James (Leicester City)
Apprentice of the season: Louis Page (Leicester City)
Team of the Season: Carl Rushworth (Coventry City), Tristan Crama (Millwall), Callum Doyle (Wrexham), Josh Tymon (Swansea City), Milan van Ewijk (Coventry City), Matt Grimes (Coventry City), Sorba Thomas (Stoke City), Femi Azeez (Millwall), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Haji Wright (Coventry City), Zan Vipotnik (Swansea City).
League One: Ballard doubles up
Dom Ballard has been prolific in front of goal for Leyton Orient [Shutterstock]Leyton Orient striker Ballard, who turned 21 this month, won both the player and young player of the season awards for League One after scoring 22 goals in 38 matches so far this term.
It is a dramatic improvement from last season, when he netted three times in 35 League One appearances during loan spells at Blackpool and Cambridge United while a Southampton player.
It is perhaps no surprise that Skubala won the manager of the season award for League One after his Lincoln team earned promotion to the Championship.
They have conceded just 38 goals in 43 matches, reflected by the fact that their goalkeeper George Wickens and defenders Tendayi Darikwa and Sonny Bradley were three of their four representatives in the team of the season.
And it is those "unbelievable players" combined with "hard work, mentality, good leaders and desire" that Skubala puts the success down to.
"Some people have called it machine-like, they've been a well-oiled machine every week," he said.
Lincoln are unbeaten in their past 26 league games and have won 20 of those, drawing the other six, on their way to going up.
"I think there's a belief you can go and get promoted but the way we've done it, is unbelievable," added Skubala. "I don't think you'd ever dream of that."
EFL League One manager of the season: Michael Skubala (Lincoln City)
Player of the season: Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient)
Young player of the season: Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient)
Apprentice of the season: Sulyman Krubally (Burton Albion)
Team of the Season: George Wickens (Lincoln City), Tendayi Darikwa (Lincoln City), Charlie Goode (Stevenage), Sonny Bradley (Lincoln City), Joel Bagan (Cardiff City), Ollie Norwood (Stockport County), Owen Bailey (Doncaster Rovers), Jack Moylan (Lincoln City), Amario Cozier-Duberry (Bolton Wanderers), Kyle Wootton (Stockport County), Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient).
League Two: Ravens recognised
Andy Woodman's only previous role in management was with Whitehawk in National League South [Getty Images]When Wigan Athletic won the FA Cup in 2013, Bromley finished 15th in National League South. Next season, they will meet as equals in League One after the Ravens were promoted to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history.
Manager Andy Woodman, a former Arsenal goalkeeper coach, has been at the helm since March 2021, and has been honoured for his work by winning the manager of the season award for League Two.
Woodman described Bromley's rise through the divisions as "absolute madness" and said he was "very proud".
"I'm a little bit humbled but it's a really nice award for all the work we've done," he said.
"We've just got to keep building on what we've put here. We know it's going to be tough and we need to make sure we bring the right culture and right ingredients of players in with the money we've got available."
Omar Sowunmi and Mitch Pinnock have also been named in the team of the season, which features players from eight different clubs.
Both Bromley men were also nominated for player of the season, but that went to Swindon's Drinan for his 22 goals.
EFL League Two manager of the season: Andy Woodman (Bromley)
Player of the season: Aaron Drinan (Swindon Town)
Young player of the season: Daniel Kanu (Walsall)
Apprentice of the season: Ollie Dewsbury (Bristol Rovers)
Team of the Season: Mathew Hudson (Oldham Athletic), Kelland Watts (Cambridge United), Jack Sanders (Milton Keynes Dons), Omar Sowunmi (Bromley), Harvey Rodgers (Grimsby Town), Mitch Pinnock (Bromley), Liam Kelly (Milton Keynes Dons), Isaac Hutchinson (Cheltenham Town), Sammy Braybrooke (Chesterfield), Aaron Drinan (Swindon Town), Callum Paterson (Milton Keynes Dons).
Other EFL Awards winners
Community club of the season: Plymouth Argyle
Community project of the season: Blackburn Rovers (Dads FC)
Player in the community: Will Vaulks (Oxford United)
Diversity award: Bristol City (We Are City)
Environmental award: Bradford City (Greener Bantams)
Fan engagement award: Huddersfield Town (Terriers Together Travel)
Club employee award: Wendy Thomas (Middlesbrough)
Sir Tom Finney award: Dean Lewington
Contribution to league football award: Brenda Spencer (chair of trustees, Wigan Athletic Community Trust)