Murray and Barlaam were among 10 winners who received their awards at a ceremony held alongside the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly and Conference currently taking place at Manama in Bahrain.

The Awards celebrate those whose efforts have contributed to strengthening the impact of Para sports worldwide.

In addition to awards for summer and winter sport athletes, there were categories for coaches, IPC members, and volunteers.

Murray, 30, had an incredible 2022 season, winning two titles at the Track World Championship and becoming the top-ranked female C5 Para cyclist in the world after earning a silver and a bronze at Road World Championships.

"It is such an honour to be here in Bahrain receiving the Best Female Summer Para Athlete Award," she said.

"I’m incredibly grateful for all the people who have come along with me on my journey as an athlete - I could not have got to this point in my career alone.

"Competing on the international stage can be a whirlwind, so I appreciate this chance to pause, reflect on the past season, and celebrate my achievements."

Barlaam also had a hugely successful 2022, during which he set his 10th career world record. 

He claimed six gold medals at the Madeira 2022 World Para Swimming Championships for a career total of 13 in the event.

Barlaam has also set four world records and two European records.

The award for the best female winter sports athlete went to United States Para Nordic skier Oksana Masters after a year in which she became the most decorated US Winter Paralympian.

Masters won medals in all seven of her events at Beijing 2022 - a record for a US athlete at one Paralympics.

Her compatriot Declan Farmer earned the accolade for best male winter sports athlete after helping lead the US Para ice hockey team at Beijing 2022 to their fourth consecutive Paralympics gold medal.

In what was his third Paralympic Games appearance, he had a tournament leading 18 points, including three in the final, setting US records for the most points and most assists in any single Paralympics.

Meanwhile the US Para ice hockey team won the best team award as they finished Beijing 2022 with a perfect 4-0 record.

Austria’s 16-year-old Alpine skier Johannes Aigner won the rising star award with his guide Matteo Fleischmann.

Aigner made his name with five medals, including two gold, on his Paralympic debut at Beijing 2022.

He also took four medals in four different events at the World Para Snow Sports Championships in 2022 and 2023 and at the Para-Ski World Cup 2022-2023 he had 16 wins in 16 World Cup starts.

Johannes' older sister Veronika and her sibling and guide Elisabeth won the breakthrough award after topping the podium at both Beijing 2022 and the World Championships.

In her Paralympic debut, Veronika won the giant slalom VI and the slalom VI competitions.

She continued her impressive run at the World Para Snow Sports Championships 2023 in Espot in Spain, topping the podium in two events.

The Citi Community Impact Award went to the Korea Paralympic Committee’s Dream Paralympic Project.

The project, launched a year after Pyeongchang hosted the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, seeks to promote awareness of Para sports among elementary and middle school students, offering a unique opportunity for those attending schools near the Icheon National Training Centre to learn and try Para sports.

The project is dedicated to engaging 2,400 students per year regardless of their abilities.

There was a second honour for New Zealand as Rebecca Foulsham won the Citi Volunteer Award.

Foulsham has spent more than three decades classifying athletes to enable them to take part at various levels of competition and has been a key contributor to Para sport development in New Zealand.

The award for best coach went to Italy’s Riccardo Vernole.

Acknowledged as the most successful coach in Italian Paralympic swimming history, he guided his swimmers to 64 medals at last year's World Para Swimming Championships, where they topped the table for second consecutive time.