When The Padel Paper‘s Instagram algorithm started showing us something called the British Padel Awards last summer, our reaction was the same as many others’ in the industry: where on earth has this come from?
This was not an event launched or sanctioned by a governing body, brand or club, or by someone hugely well known in the industry. And yet here it was, announcing a date, location, a suite of sponsors, award categories, local media appearances and celebrity advocates.
The inaugural British Padel Awards will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Liverpool on Saturday 16 May, with 400 guests and nominees attending a black tie gala.
The man behind the awards is 35-year-old Anthony Daulphin, an ambitious Birmingham-born, Liverpool-based entrepreneur — and he admits to having been nervous when his idea first hit people’s social timelines.
“I didn’t know what the reception was going to be like,” he tells The Padel Paper. “I thought people would be asking, ‘Who’s this guy? Where has he come from?’ And they did!
“But when your mind is set on some kind of aspiration, you’ve just got to push forward and make it happen.”
Daulphin’s background is in the education sector. He taught street dance and coordinated school choirs, then integrated those skills into work as a pastoral manager, supporting schools with pupil behaviour.
He then set up his own company, Standing Ovation Project, which uses creative arts and pastoral support as vehicles to increase young people’s self-esteem and improve behaviour. The company operates in over 50 towns and cities and has received several awards.
Daulphin discovered padel on a family holiday in Rhodes. Once home, he started playing open matches on the courts of Liverpool Cricket Club. He soon began hosting local tournaments and expanded his playing circle into Manchester.
He founded a padel apparel brand, Rêve Le, and as his passion and contacts book grew, “the entrepreneurial side of me kicked in!” he says. That’s when the idea of the awards started to germinate.
“I always have a fire burning in my belly to start projects and I’m a massive advocate for people getting out there and doing something, especially if they find it daunting,” he says.
“Because I loved the sport, it seemed natural to do something in this space. I noticed a gap for the British Padel Awards because the sport was growing so rapidly, but there was no event to celebrate what was happening.”
The LTA has included two padel-specific categories in its annual tennis awards since 2023 (Male and Female Padel Player of the Year) but there is indeed a vacuum for a ceremony to recognise padel in its own right.
The British Padel Awards has announced an impressive list of sponsors and 21 award categories. Some categories appear quite specific, as if they are shaped around a pre-ordained winner. However, Daulphin’s infectious positivity soon dispels too much cynicism.
“For me, this is all about shining a light on people, clubs, coaches and pioneers shaping the sport,” he states.
“Britain has well-known pro players, coaches and iconic padel clubs, but there’s so many more people out there doing things. I’m here to look after the recognised people at the top, but also the people who are just setting off, doing scary but amazing things.
“For me, the initial aim is not about making money, it’s to build brand awareness around the British Padel Awards. It’s for people to recognise that this is a legit and genuine platform that’s here to celebrate the people in this sport.”
Follow the British Padel Awards on Instagram
