The Canadian Premier League (CPL) announced Wednesday that Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson has been nominated for this year’s Defender of the Year award honouring the best defender during the 2024 CPL regular season. Achinioti-Jönsson is one of three nominees alongside Valour FC’s Themi Antonoglou, and Cavalry FC’s Daan Klomp.

Achinioti-Jönsson, 28, continues to cement his reputation as one of the best centre-backs in CPL history by once again anchoring Forge’s backline in 2024. The Forge FC assistant captain finished the season as the only outfield player in the league to play every minute of his team’s campaign and played an essential role in carrying CPL Shield winners Forge FC to the second-best defensive record in the league across 28 games. Achinioti-Jönsson was on the field for Forge’s 10 clean sheets, the most by any player in the CPL. He led the league in successful passes (1,533), finished second among CPL players in blocks (22) and ranked fifth among his peers in aerial duels won (51). This is Achinioti-Jönsson’s second nomination for Defender of the Year since the award was introduced by the league in 2022. He won the inaugural honour that season.

The winner of the Defender of the Year award will receive a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, conceived and carved by artist Ruben Komangapik. The Walrus statue was chosen to honour the CPL’s best defender because the animal is one of the ocean’s toughest creatures, feared even by polar bears and killer whales, like a tenacious defender who is a true guardian of the gates for his squad.

The winner will be decided through voting by technical leadership from all eight CPL clubs as well as by select media members, representing local and national outlets, who consistently covered the 2024 CPL regular season. The winner will be revealed at an in-person ceremony in Calgary, Alberta on Thursday, November 7 as part of the 2024 CPL Final festivities.

The 2024 CPL Awards ceremony will be streamed on CBC Gem and cbcsports.ca and broadcast live on dedicated soccer channel OneSoccer, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT. The show will be hosted by Andi Petrillo with appearances by current and former CPL players and coaches, as well as special guests from the Canadian soccer community.

Voting for the CPL’s Defender of the Year award is based on performances during the 2024 CPL regular season, not including the Canadian Championship, Concacaf Champions Cup or 2024 CPL Playoffs action.