Michael van Gerwen leads list of Toyo darts award nominees

Tyre manufacturer Toyo has announced the nominees for the Televised Performance of the Year Award as part of its sponsorship of the highest standard of darts. The award, which will be presented at the Professional Darts Corporation’s annual awards, represents a development of Toyo’s partnership with the PDC. Former World Number One, Michael van Gerwen (MvG) features three times in the nominations, though in two cases he was on the other side of the notable performances.

MvG’s epic nine-dart leg and 110.32 average in a huge win over Daryl Gurney in the UK Open semi-finals is joined by Dave Chisnall’s 5-0 victory over the Dutchman in the World Championship quarter-finals in December 2020. Simon Whitlock is also in the running for his World Grand Prix quarter-final win over van Gerwen.

New Portuguese star Jose De Sousa’s victory over James Wade in the Grand Slam final to win his first major title is among the list of top performances too, with colourful 2020 World Champion Peter Wright’s Premier League win in Exeter with a 110 average, the highest of the season, rounds out the nominees.

The PDC will announce nominations for its awards via its digital channels over the coming weeks. Winners will be confirmed at its live awards show, hosted on the PDC’s YouTube page at the end of January.

Toyo adds that despite a challenging few months, major darts competitions have continued. While the lack of fan presence due to social distancing restrictions has altered the character of these events, there have been some sensational sporting performances on the oche, the tyre manufacturer adds.

The Toyo brand was presented at the year-ending World Championship with every player wearing its logo on their sleeves. The PDC hosted an online predictor game on its website, with the winner receiving a set of Toyo tyres. Television viewing figures were strong throughout, Toyo said, with the final attracting 1.3 million viewers.