The awards, partnered by Allianz, are due be presented here on Thursday (September 7) during the IPC General Assembly.

The five categories are best male, best female, best team, best male debut and best female debut.

On the shortlist for the best male category are Belarusian swimmer Ihar Boki, Swiss wheelchair racer Marcel Hug and Iranian powerlifter Siamand Rahman.

Boki left Rio 2016 as the most decorated Paralympian following a glittering performance, winning six golds and one bronze. 

At his second Paralympics, the 23-year-old also set two world records in the men's 100 metres butterfly S13 and 100m breaststroke SB13.

Hug, meanwhile, finally topped a podium at his fourth Paralympic Games with wins in the men's 800m and marathon T54. 

By the time he ran the 800m T54 final, it was his 19th attempt at winning Paralympic gold. 

Hug followed that up with a silver medal in the 1500m and 5,000m T54.

As for Rahman, he claimed his second consecutive Paralympic powerlifting title by clearing the bar at an astonishing 310 kilograms and breaking his own world record.

Cuban sprinter Omara Durand, the world’s fastest female Paralympian, is among the nominees for the best female category.

She won three gold medals at Rio 2016, smashing her own world records in the 100m and 400m T12 with times of 11.40 and 51.77sec respectively. 

Durand also set a Paralympic record of 23.05 in the 200m T12.

The United States' Tatyana McFadden is also a contender for the best female award.

Arguably the greatest wheelchair racer of all-time, McFadden medalled in all six of her events at Rio 2016 with golds in the women’s 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5,000m T54 and silvers in the 100m and marathon T54.

Completing the list of nominees for the best female accolade is Sarah Storey, who became the most decorated British Paralympian after winning a hat-trick of cycling titles on the road and at the velodrome during Rio 2016. 

Storey, a former swimmer, topped the podium in the women’s road race C4-5, time trial C5 and 3,000m individual pursuit C5.

The shortlist for the best team category includes Australia's wheelchair rugby side, who defeated the US 59-58 in double overtime to become the first team to win back-to-back Paralympic titles in the sport at Rio 2016.

Brazil's football-five-a-side outfit are also on the list after claiming a fourth consecutive Paralympic gold medal at Rio 2016 and maintaining a 100 per cent record at Paralympic Games.

Turkey's women’s goalball side complete the list having upset favourites and three-time Paralympic silver medallists China 4-1 to claim their maiden Paralympic title at Rio 2016.

It was their first appearance at a Paralympic Games.

Those shortlisted for best male debut include 16-year-old Belgian Laurens Devos, who became the youngest Paralympic champion in table tennis after winning the men’s singles class nine without dropping a single set.

Great Britain's Alfie Hewett is another contender having won silver in both men's singles and doubles  tennis, beating a number of higher-ranked players along the way.

New Zealand's Liam Malone, a T43 blade runner, completes the list after medalling in all his races.

He took gold in the 200m and 400m and silver in the 100m.

Among the best female debut nominees are Italy's Beatrice Vio, the only quadruple-amputee in international wheelchair fencing, winner of the women's individual foil category B gold and led her nation to a bronze medal in the foil team event.

Britain's Kadeena Cox is also in contention having claimed gold in both cycling and athletics, as well as setting a world record in the women's 400m T38.

Dutch swimmer Lisette Bruinsma, winner of medals in five of the six events in which she competed at Rio 2016, completes the list.

Her medal haul included gold in the women’s 400m freestyle S11 and 200m individual medley SM11.