Hamilton earns his place on a six-man shortlist for World Sportsman of the Year after clinching a historic third FIA Formula One World Championship crown last year. The Briton won 10 times and claimed 17 podiums en route to the title, his second in as many years.
Hamilton will compete for the award alongside Usain Bolt, who retained gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m World Championships; Stephen Curry - the NBA's Most Valuable Player of 2015; Novak Djokovic, who won three tennis Grand Slams and finished runner-up in the other in 2015; Lionel Messi, recently crowned football's World Player of the Year for a fifth time; and Jordan Spieth, who at 21 years old won two golf Majors and achieved No. 1 in the world rankings.
Hamilton is not the only F1 driver to earn a nomination, with Verstappen on a six-man shortlist for ‘Breakthrough of the Year 2015'. The Dutchman became the youngest driver to compete, and then to score points, in F1 history during a sensational rookie campaign for Toro Rosso.
Also competing for the award are golfer Jason Day, who won his first Major with a record score of 20-under in the USPGA; Tyson Fury, who unified boxing's heavyweight division after beating Wladimir Klitschko; swimmer Adam Peaty, who won three golds for Briton at the world championships; Jordan Spieth - also nominated for World Sportsman of the Year; and the Chile men's football team, who won the Copa America for the first time in their history.
Fellow Red Bull protege Daniel Ricciardo won the Breakthrough award in 2015 - the fourth F1 driver to scoop the award.
Mercedes meanwhile have made a shortlist of six for World Team of the Year 2015. NBA champions the Golden State Warriors, Rugby World Cup champions the All Blacks, La Liga and Champions League winners Barcelona, Great Britain's tennis Davis Cup winners and the United States women's football team - who won the World Cup in 2015 - are also up for the vote.
The winners will be confirmed on 18 April 2016, with Berlin hosting the Laureus Awards for the first time.