The Dally M Award is the most prestigious individual honor in the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australia. It is awarded annually to the player voted as the "Player of the Year" over the NRL regular season. The award is named after Australian former rugby league great Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger. The award has existed since 1979, but it has only been adopted as the official award for the Player of the Year in the NRL since 1998. The Dally M Medal recognizes the games best player on a 3-2-1 voting basis throughout the regular season. The player who polls the highest number of votes over the regular season is crowned the winner of the Dally M Medal. The awards evening is held in the lead-up to the NRL grand final in September. In addition to the Player of the Year award, the NRL recognizes the premier player in each position, the best coach, and the most outstanding rookie of the season. The Dally M Team of the Year recognizes the best player(s) in each position across all rounds of the regular season. The judges vote on the best player(s) in each position at regular intervals throughout the season, and a further vote is conducted at the conclusion of the regular season. The Dally M Awards night is usually attended by the Australian Prime Minister, and the medal is awarded at the ceremony. The Dally M Awards night also recognizes the positional award winners. The most recent winner of the Dally M Medal is Kalyn Ponga in 2023.