Fan Favorite Award

The Fan Favorite Award (later called Sprint Player of the Season for sponsorship purposes) is a special title earned by a contestant for being the most popular of his/her season. This contestant receives an extra prize that is separate from their talent fee from appearing from the show.

About
Before the finale, viewers vote for their favorite contestant of the season. At the Reunion Show, the winner is revealed, and he/she will receive an extra prize, apart from his/her Survivor winnings and appearance at the live show. The winner of the season is also eligible to win this award, which would increase his/her winnings further.

Survivor: America's Tribal Council
Please see, Survivor: America's Tribal Council.

The first fan favorite award was revealed during the Survivor: All-Stars reunion show, where the viewers voted for the most popular All-Star contestant. They also got the chance to vote for their favorite moments of the first eight seasons.

After a voting period which lasted for a week, a second reunion show was held, where Rupert Boneham was awarded the fan favorite award, earning himself $1,000,000, even though he technically did not win the actual competition. This format generated controversy among fans, calling it "unfair," for Boneham to merely win a popularity contest, while he failed to win the title of Sole Survivor in both of his seasons.

Survivor: Panama and Cook Islands
Starting from Survivor: Panama, viewers can vote for their favourite castaway for a chance to win a car. This award was also used in Survivor: Cook Islands before being replaced by the Reward car challange in Survivor: Fiji.

Sprint Player Of The Season
Starting from Survivor: China, viewers can vote for their favorite castaway to win an extra $100,000 sponsored by telecommunications company ''Sprint. ''

Trivia

 * Ever since Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, all the contestants who have won the Fan Favorite Award have either been first-time playing females or male returning players.
 * Lisa Whelchel is the first first-time castaway in a season with returning players to win the Fan Favorite Award.
 * Philippines is the only season featuring both the Fan Favorite Award and returning players where a returning player didn't win the award; a returning player wasn't even announced as one of the closest opponents against Lisa.
 * Malcolm Freberg is the lowest placing castaway to win the Fan Favorite Award, as he finished in 9th when he won the award.
 * Malcolm Freberg is the first castaway to be a runner-up and win the award in back-to-back seasons.
 * Lisa & Malcolm are the only known players to have won with a voting difference of less than 1%.
 * Ozzy Lusth, Russell Hantz, and James Clement are the only people to win the award twice.
 * Russell and James are the only castaways to be win the award in back-to-back seasons.
 * Bob Crowley is the oldest person, and the oldest male, to win the award. Jane Bright is the oldest female to win the award. J.T. Thomas is the youngest person, and ergo the youngest male, to win the award. Kim Spradlin is the youngest female to win the award.
 * Bob, J.T., Kim, and Rob Mariano are the only players to win both the title of Sole Survivor and the Fan Favorite Award in the same season.