Johnny Sexton and Josh van der Flier shortlisted for World Rugby Player of the Year and are among eight Irish nominations for recognition when the awards ceremony takes place in Monaco on Sunday.
Out-half Sexton, who won the award in 2018, has been an inspirational skipper as Ireland find themselves at the top of the world rankings with Saturday's final Test to be played against Australia, while flanker van der Flier is currently Ireland's Player of the Year.
The Leinster pair are up against French superstar Antoine Dupont and South Africa's Lukhanyo Am for the coveted gong.
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Meanwhile, Ireland boss Andy Farrell has been nominated for the World Rugby Coach of the Year award.
Mack Hansen and Dan Sheehan have also been shortlisted for Breakthrough Player of the Year award, while Linda Djougang's try for Ireland against Wales in the Women's Six Nations is in contention for Try of the Year.
Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe and Terry Kennedy have been nominated in the Sevens' Player of the Year categories.
Having secured a tour victory in New Zealand for the first time and maintained the top ranking in the world by beating South Africa and Fiji so far this month, Ireland will be in contention to be named Team Of The Year at the star-studded ceremony.
Farrell, who succeeded Schmidt after the last Rugby World Cup, has been at the heart of Ireland's rise as the men in green have adopted a more attacking style of play that has made them the current team to beat.
However he has formidable opposition for the award, with Fabien Galthié, the Grand Slam-winning France coach, also in contention, along with World Cup-winning New Zealand women’s coach Wayne Smith and Simon Middleton, who is in charge of the beaten finalists England.
Leinster's Sheehan, 24, has 15 caps and made his debut in the summer of 2021 before stepping neatly into the first choice hooker role due to Ronan Kelleher's injury issues.
Hansen made his Ireland bow against Wales in the Six Nations and scored a memorable try in his next Test appearance, the defeat to France in Paris.
The Connacht winger - also 24 - scored an important try against South Africa just over a week ago and then a brace against Fiji last Saturday and, if selected next weekend, will come up against the country of his birth, Australia.
Meanwhile. Farrell says Ireland know what's coming from a hurt Wallabies side on Saturday.
Dave Rennie's side lost to Italy for the first time last Saturday but the Ireland boss is expecting a different Australia to turn up at the Aviva Stadium.
Like Ireland, who earned a 35-17 victory despite a disappointing performance against Fiji, the Wallabies rested plenty of frontliners at the weekend and Farrell predicts that the visitors will be at full strength for the clash in Dublin.
The Wallabies came close to beating France the previous week and that's the challenge that Ireland are gearing up for as they look to make it a record equalling nine wins in a row on Lansdowne Road.
"You look at their side and they made plenty of changes, probably looking at us this week," he said. "It will certainly focus the mind.
"We know what's coming. Looking at the performance with a similar side that is probably going to be put out against us in Paris last week, was probably more like it.
"They were very strong, especially set-piece-wise they went after the French and nearly got the big 'W' over there.
"That's the type of game we're expecting."
It remains to be seen if skipper Sexton, van der Flier, Andrew Porter, Hugo Keenan, Robbie Henshaw, Joey Carbery and Jimmy O'Brien are available this week.
Asked if the drop off in standards against the Fijians was down to the absence of Sexton, Farrell replied: "No, it's not just Johnny.
"Look at the experience that is out of the side - Not just the injured lads, it's Bundee (Aki), Iain Henderson, Keith Earls not being here."
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