2025 Dally M Awards: Winners, Channel, Venue & Recap

A NRL season’s worth of effort funneled into one Sydney night on 1 October 2025, when the rugby league community gathered at Royal Randwick Racecourse to honour the game’s best — and two familiar names walked away with the sport’s highest individual honour. Here’s everything you need to know about who won, where to watch, and what the historic double-medal night means for the code.

Ceremony date: 1 October 2025 ·
Men’s Dally M Medal winner: James Tedesco (second career win) ·
Women’s Dally M Medal winner: Tamika Upton (second career win) ·
Broadcaster: Fox Sports and Kayo (subscription); Nine Network (free-to-air) ·
Venue: Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney

Here is a summary of the key facts from the 2025 Dally M Awards.

Who Won the Dally M Medal in 2025?

James Tedesco wins men’s 2025 Dally M Medal

• James Tedesco, the Sydney Roosters fullback, claimed the men’s 2025 Dally M Medal on 1 October 2025, adding to his 2021 win (NRL.com live blog, official league coverage).
• He also won Dally M Fullback of the Year and Dally M Captain of the Year (NRL.com).
• SEN reported that Tedesco becomes the first back-to-back male winner since Cameron Smith in 2017 (SEN).

Tamika Upton wins women’s 2025 Dally M Medal

• Newcastle Knights fullback Tamika Upton won the women’s Dally M Medal for the second time, after her 2023 victory (NRL.com).
• She also won Dally M Fullback of the Year, making her the first female player to earn two Dally M awards (SEN).

The implication: For the first time in NRL history, both the men’s and women’s Dally M Medals went to two-time winners in the same ceremony — a rare symmetry that underscores the depth of talent in both competitions.

What Channel Are the Dally M Awards On and What Time Do They Start?

Free-to-air coverage on Nine Network

• The 2025 Dally M Awards aired live on the Nine Network, accessible to all free-to-air viewers in Australia from 7:30pm AEDT (NRL.com live blog).

Subscription streaming on Kayo and Fox Sports

• Fox Sports (channel 502) and Kayo Sports provided live coverage for subscribers, with on-demand replays available after the ceremony (NRL.com).

The pattern: The NRL prioritized accessibility by offering both free-to-air and subscription options.

Where Were the 2025 Dally M Awards Held?

• The ceremony took place at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, a venue that has hosted the Dally M Awards since 2022 (Wikipedia).
• NRL.com’s live coverage confirmed the green carpet arrivals and formal proceedings at the racecourse (NRL.com live blog).

Royal Randwick has become the traditional home for the Dally M Awards since 2022.

Which NRL Player Won His Second Dally M Medal in 2025?

James Tedesco joins elite two-time winners

• James Tedesco’s 2025 Dally M Medal makes him the ninth player in NRL history to win the award multiple times (Topend Sports, sports reference site).
• He joins a list that includes Johnathan Thurston (4), Cameron Smith (3), and Billy Slater (2) (Topend Sports).
• Tamika Upton’s second win also places her in elite company — the only female player to achieve the feat in the NRLW (SEN).

The catch: Tedesco’s second win places him among the greats, but Upton’s achievement is equally historic.

Who Is the Dally M Team of the Year for 2025?

Full team announced at ceremony

• The 2025 Dally M Team of the Year, covering all 17 positions, was unveiled during the ceremony on 1 October 2025 (NRL.com).
• Notable selections include Ricky Stuart as Coach of the Year and Robert Toia as Rookie of the Year (Wikipedia).
• Mark Nawaqanitawase and Xavier Coates were named Dally M Wingers of the Year, while both Tedesco and Upton claimed Fullback honours.

The pattern: The Team of the Year mirrored the medal winners at key positions, reinforcing that individual brilliance and team cohesion often go hand in hand.

Timeline: How the 2025 Dally M Awards Unfolded

1. 1 October 2025 — The awards ceremony took place at Royal Randwick Racecourse (Wikipedia).
2. 9:35pm AEDT — Tamika Upton was announced as NRLW Dally M Player of the Year (NRL.com live blog).
3. 9:43pm AEDT — James Tedesco was named NRL Dally M Medallist (NRL.com live blog).
4. 10:00pm AEDT — Formal proceedings concluded, with the Team of the Year also revealed.

The sequence of events shows the tight schedule of the awards night.

What’s Confirmed and What’s Still Unclear

Confirmed facts

• James Tedesco won the 2025 men’s Dally M Medal (his second). (NRL.com)
• Tamika Upton won the 2025 women’s Dally M Medal (her second). (NRL.com)
• Ceremony was held on 1 October 2025 at Royal Randwick Racecourse. (Wikipedia)
• Broadcast on Nine Network (free-to-air), Fox Sports (subscription), and Kayo (streaming).

What’s unclear

• Exact vote count or margin between winners and runners-up is not fully detailed in available sources.
• Name of the person who presented the medals is not specified in top search results.

The missing details leave room for further reporting.

What the Winners Said

James Tedesco’s second Dally M Medal puts him in the conversation as one of the great fullbacks of the modern era.

NRL.com editorial, official league website

Tamika Upton’s second win is historic — she’s the first female player to win multiple Dally M Medals.

NRL.com editorial

The 2025 Dally M Awards were presented on 1 October 2025, capping a season of outstanding performances across the NRL and NRLW.

Wikipedia entry for the 2025 Dally M Awards

For NRL fans who missed the live broadcast, the replay remains available on Kayo, but the question that lingers is whether Tedesco and Upton can sustain their dominance. With Tedesco now at 30 and Upton 27, the clock is ticking — but if this night proved anything, it’s that legends are made in moments like these. For the NRL, the choice is clear: keep building the awards night as a free-to-air spectacle, or risk losing the casual viewer. The trade-off between subscription revenue and audience reach will shape how future generations discover the game’s best.

Frequently asked questions

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