The NHK Trophy is an annual

figure skating competition A figure skating competition is a judged sports competition in figure skating. Types of figure skating competitions International International competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) are governed by the union's rules ...

sanctioned by the

International Skating Union The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international sport governing body, governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded ...

(ISU), organized and hosted by the

Japan Skating Federation The Japan Skating Federation () is the sports governing body of Japan for figure skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in 1929. The current president (since 2019) is Akihisa Nagashima, a member of the House of Rep ...

. The first NHK Trophy was held in 1979 in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. When the ISU launched the Champions Series (later renamed the Grand Prix Series) in 1995, the NHK Trophy was one of the five qualifying events. It has been a Grand Prix event every year since. Medals may be awarded in men's singles, women's singles,

pair skating Pair skating is a figure skating discipline defined by the International Skating Union (ISU) as "the skating of two persons in unison who perform their movements in such harmony with each other as to give the impression of genuine Pair Skating ...

, and

ice dance Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...

. Skaters earn points based on their results at the qualifying competitions each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to then compete at the

Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final – originally known as the Champions Series Final – is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). It is the culminating event of the Grand Prix Series. Meda ...

Daisuke Takahashi is a retired Japanese figure skater ( men's singles and ice dance) and ice show producer. As a singles skater, he is the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2010 World champion, the 2012–13 Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time (2008, 2011) ...

of Japan holds the record for winning the most NHK Trophy titles in men's singles (with six), while

Midori Ito is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 1989 World champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist. She is the first woman to land a triple Axel in competition. At the 1988 Calgary Olympics, she became the first woman to land seven t ...

of Japan holds the record in women's singles (also with six).

Shen Xue Shen Xue (; born 13 November 1978) is a Chinese retired pair skater. With her husband Zhao Hongbo, Shen is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2002 & 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time World champion (2002, 2003 and 2007), a three-time ...

and

Zhao Hongbo Zhao Hongbo (; born 22 September 1973) is a Chinese retired pair skater. With his wife Shen Xue, Zhao is the 2010 Figure skating at the Olympics, Olympic champion, the 2002 & 2006 Figure skating at the Olympics, Olympic bronze medalist, a three ...

of China hold the record in pair skating (with four), while

Marina Anissina Marina Vyacheslavovna Anissina (; born 30 August 1975) is a Franco-Russian ice dancer. Competing with Gwendal Peizerat for France, she is the 2002 Olympic champion, the 1998 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2000 World champion, and a six-time ...

and

Gwendal Peizerat Gwendal Peizerat (born 21 April 1972) is a French former competitive ice dancer. With Marina Anissina, he is the 2002 Olympic champion, the 1998 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2000 World champion, and a six-time French national champion. Pe ...

of France hold the record in ice dance (with five).

History

The inaugural competition – the 1979 NHK Trophy – was held in

Robin Cousins Robin John Cousins MBE (born 17 August 1957) is a British former competitive figure skater who was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1980. He was the 1980 Olympic champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist (1978– ...

of Great Britain won the men's event,

Emi Watanabe , is a Japanese former competitive figure skater who is the 1979 World bronze medalist and an eight-time Japanese national champion. She was the first skater to medal for Japan in ladies' singles at the World Championships. Personal life ...

of Japan won the women's event,

Irina Vorobieva Irina Nikolayevna Vorobieva (; 30 June 1958 – 12 April 2022) was a Russian pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union. With her then-husband Igor Lisovsky, she was the 1981 World champion and the 1981 European champion. They were coached ...

and

Igor Lisovsky Igor Olegovich Lisovsky (; born on 25 June 1954) is a former Soviet pair skater. With his then-wife Irina Vorobieva, he is the 1981 World champion and the 1981 European champion. They were coached by Tamara Moskvina. He currently coaches in ...

of the Soviet Union won the pairs event, and Irina Moiseeva and Andrei Minenkov, also of the Soviet Union, won the ice dance event. Beginning with the 1995–96 season, the

(ISU) launched the Champions Series – later renamed the Grand Prix Series – which, at its inception, consisted of five qualifying competitions and the Champions Series Final. This allowed skaters to perfect their programs earlier in the season, as well as compete against the same skaters whom they would later encounter at the World Championships. This series also provided the viewing public with additional televised skating, which was in high demand. The five qualifying competitions during this inaugural season were the 1995 Nations Cup, the

1995 NHK Trophy The 1995 NHK Trophy was the final event of five in the 1995–96 ISU Champions Series, a senior-level international invitational competition series. This was the inaugural year of that series. It was held in Nagoya on December 7–10. Medals were ...

, the

1995 Skate America The 1995 Skate America was the first event of five in the 1995–96 ISU Champions Series, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan on October 17–22. Medals were awarded i ...

, the 1995 Skate Canada, and the

1995 Trophée de France The 1995 Trophée de France was the third event of five in the 1995–96 ISU Champions Series, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held in Bordeaux on November 14–17. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of ...

. Skaters earned points based on their results in their respective competitions and the top skaters or teams in each discipline were then invited to compete at the Champions Series Final. Due to the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, a number of modifications were made to the structure of the

2020 NHK Trophy The 2020 NHK Trophy was the sixth event in the 2020–21 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Osaka Prefectural Kadoma Sports Center ( Towa Pharmaceutical Ractab Dome) in O ...

. The competitors consisted initially only of skaters from Japan, although

You Young You Young (; born May 27, 2004) is a South Korean figure skater. She is the 2020 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2020 Four Continents silver medalist, a four-time ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, Grand Prix bronze medalist, a f ...

of South Korea was added to the roster once her travel to Japan was approved. The

event was also cancelled. The

2025 NHK Trophy The 2025 NHK Trophy is a figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). Organized and hosted by the Japan Skating Federation, it is the fourth event of the 2025–26 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: a senior-leve ...

is scheduled to be held November 7–9 in

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

Medalists

Men's singles

Women's singles

Pairs

Ice dance

Records

Cumulative medal count

Men's singles

Women's singles

Pairs

Ice dance

Total medals

References

External links

Japan Skating Federation

ISU Grand Prix

NHK Trophy
at Skating Scores {{Grand Prix Figure skating ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating

Trophy A trophy is a tangible, decorative item used to remind of a specific achievement, serving as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most commonly awarded for sports, sporting events, ranging from youth sports to professional level athlet ...

International figure skating competitions hosted by Japan Recurring sporting events established in 1979 1979 establishments in Japan