Wright is the only Australian athlete nominated in any of the categories for the 2017 awards, having been acknowledged for her maiden world title in 2016.

The Laureus sports award nominees are as follows;

Sportswoman: Simone Biles (gymnastics), Allyson Felix (athletics), Angelique Kerber (tennis), Elaine Thompson (athletics), Laura Kenny (cycling)

Sportsman: LeBron James (basketball), Cristiano Ronaldo (football), Usain Bolt (athletics), Stephen Curry (basketball), Andy Murray (tennis), Mo Farah (athletics)

Comeback: Juan Martin del Potro (tennis), Nick Skelton (equestrian), Ruth Beitia (athletics), Fabienne St Louis (triathlon), Aksel Lund Svindal (skiing), Michael Phelps (swimming)

Team: Mercedes (F1), Real Madrid (football), Brazil (football), Chicago Cubs (baseball), Cleveland Cavaliers (basketball), Portugal (football)

Action sports: John John Florence (surfing), Tyler Wright (surfing), Pedro Barros (skateboarding), Rachel Atherton (mountain biking), Kelly Sildaru (skiing), Chloe Kim (snowboarding)

Breakthrough: Nico Rosberg (F1), Wayde van Niekerk (athletics), Almaz Ayana (athletics), Leicester City (football), Iceland (football), Fiji (rugby sevens)

Disability: Ihar Boki (swimmming), Sophie Pascoe (swimming), Omara Durand (athletics), Siamand Rahman (weightlifting), Marcel Hug (wheelchair racing), Beatrice Vio (fencing)

The 22-year-old completed one the most dominant campaigns in history with victory in the season-ending Maui Pro in Hawaii.

The win was the Australian's fifth of 2016 — matching the record of former world champion and fellow Australian Stephanie Gilmore, who won the Laureus action sportsperson of the year award in 2010.

In other categories, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, American basketballers Stephen Curry and LeBron James, British runner Mo Farah, British tennis player Andy Murray and Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo have been nominated for sportsman of the year.

In the sportswoman of the year category, Germany's Australian Open tennis champion Angelique Kerber, American gymnast Simone Biles, American runner Allyson Felix, Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson, American swimmer Katie Ledecky and British cyclist Laura Kenny are the nominees.

Fiji's men's rugby sevens team have been nominated for the breakthrough of the year award, while the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball team, which featured Australian guard Matthew Dellavedova during their championship run, have been nominated for world team of the year.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Monaco on February 14.