Australians Daniel Ricciardo and Stephanie Gilmore are in the running for gongs at April’s Laureus Sports Awards in Shanghai.

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo was nominated for Breakthrough Performance of the Year after winning three grand prix events in his debut season.

• Daniel Ricciardo: Top Gear’s new top dog
• Globetrotter: Stephanie Gilmore’s surfing safari

The 25-year-old will vie with German footballer Mario Gotze, World Cup Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez, US Open winner Marin Cilic, US alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin and the Switzerland Davis Cup team.

Gilmore, 26, has a chance to claim her second World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award after winning her sixth world surfing championship.

Stephanie Gilmore also won the Target Maui Pro at Honolua Bay, Hawaii in 2014. Photo: AAP

She won the award in 2010 and will come up against male world surfing champion Gabriel Medina, US skydiver Alan Eustace, skateboarder Nyjah Huston, snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg and cyclist Danny MacAskill.

Novak Djokovic, Lewis Hamilton, Rory McIlroy, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marc Marquez and pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie are on the shortlist for Sportsman of the Year.

Tennis stars Serena Williams and Li Na, shot putter Valerie Adams, Norwegian skier Marit Bjorgen, Ethiopian runner Genzebe Dibaba and alpine skier Tina Maze will contest the Sportswoman of the Year category.

The awards will be announced in Shanghai on April 15.

-AAP