Raheem Sterling has been awarded The Integrity and Impact Award at this year's BT Sport Industry Awards.
Sterling was presented with the award by England manager Gareth Southgate at the ceremony in London on Thursday.
The Three Lions star was recognised for his fight against racism in the sport and for using his platform to call for more action to be taken.
The Manchester City and England forward has highlighted media coverage of black players on his Instagram account and called on the game's authorities to clamp down on racist abuse.
Sterling said this month that more players needed to speak out when they suffered racism to eradicate it from the game.
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The 24-year-old also signed a manifesto earlier this week where he said clubs should be handed automatic nine-point deductions and ordered to play three games behind closed doors if their supporters indulged in racist behaviour.
Dow Jones Sports Intelligence, the founder of the award, congratulated Sterling for the impact his actions had in addressing racism and other "social issues of diversity and inclusivity".
"He has given new confidence and a voice to other footballers and athletes to speak out when once they may not have done so," Dow Jones head of sport Simon Greenberg said in a statement issued on Thursday.
"He has sparked the sports media and the industry more widely to consider conscious or sub-conscious racial bias in their actions.”
Nick Keller, the chairman of the Sport Industry Group, said: "The athletes' voice continues to have a powerful impact across the field of sport and beyond, with athletes like Raheem Sterling doing so much to raise the profile of the issues that affect us.
"With such a lack of leadership in public life, we see athletes making a stand for real change as something to be recognised and rewarded.”
Southgate, along with the FA and the rest of England's 2018 World Cup squad, received the Leadership in Sport Award.
