Who is SA's best?
Warrick Gelant, Seabelo Senatla, Warren Whiteley and Jaco Kriel each received nominations in more than one category in "breakthrough" years for several players.
The full list of nominees was released by the South African Rugby Union on Thursday, with a number of other young stars playing their way into contention.
Junior Springbok star Gelant was nominated in three categories, along with dynamic Golden Lions flank Kriel – while BlitzBoks speedster Senatla received two nominations, as did Whiteley, to join De Allende and De Jager among the top performers of 2015.
The Golden Lions were rewarded for a great season with a host of different nominations. As well as Kriel and Whiteley, their coach, Johan Ackermann, was also nominated and the union's Currie Cup side was named as one of three contenders for team of the year.
De Allende and De Jager will be up against Kriel, two-time winner Schalk Burger and former Young Player of the Year Eben Etzebeth for the top award, the SA Rugby Player of the Year.
Kriel was also nominated in the categories for Super Rugby and Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year.
De Allende and Whiteley are the other two nominees for Super Rugby Player of the Year, while De Jager is one of the five Young Players of the Year, along with Gelant, Senatla, Jesse Kriel and Handré Pollard.
The exciting Gelant was nominated in the categories for Currie Cup and SA Under-20 Player of the Year, where he is up against Junior Springbok enforcers Hanro Liebenberg and Jason Jenkins.
The Golden Lions, who went through the entire Currie Cup season unbeaten, are one of five sides nominated by the country's media as Team of the Year, and will face opposition from the Springbok Sevens, Springboks, Stormers and Western Province.
Ackermann faces competition from BlitzBoks coach Neil Powell and Robert du Preez of the First Division winners, the Leopards, and NWU-Pukke to determine who will be the Coach of the Year.
The three nominees in the category of Vodacom Cup Player of the Year are Wiaan Liebenberg (Blue Bulls), JC Roos (Pumas) and Marnus Schoeman (Pumas), while the First Division Player of the Year will be one of Leighton Eksteen 
(SWD Eagles), Juan Language (Leopards) or Rhyno Smith (Leopards).
South Africa's public will be able to have their say for the SA Rugby Player, Young Player and Team of the Year Awards, which will be conducted online at www.springbokmagazine.com from Friday, December 11 until Friday, January 8.
All the winners will be announced in the New Year.
All the nominations for 2015 (in alphabetical order):
Rugby Player of the Year: Schalk Burger, Damian De Allende, Lodewyk de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Jaco Kriel
Young Player of the Year: Lodewyk de Jager, Warrick Gelant, Jesse Kriel, Handré Pollard, Seabelo Senatla
Team of the Year: Golden Lions (Currie Cup), Springboks, Springbok Sevens, Stormers (Super Rugby), Western Province (Currie Cup)
Coach of the Year: Johann Ackermann (Golden Lions), Neil Powell (Springbok Sevens), Robert du Preez (NWU-Pukke, Leopards)
SA Under-20 Player of the Year: Warrick Gelant, Jason Jenkins, Hanro Liebenberg
SA Sevens Player of the Year: Werner Kok, Seabelo Senatla, Albertus Smith
Super Rugby Player of Year: Damian De Allende (Stormers), Jaco Kriel (Emirates Lions), Warren Whiteley (Emirates Lions)
Cup Player of the Year: Wiaan Liebenberg (Blue Bulls), JC Roos (Pumas), Marnus Schoeman (Pumas)
Currie Cup Player of the Year: Warrick Gelant (Blue Bulls), Jaco Kriel (Golden Lions), Warren Whiteley (Golden Lions)
First Division Player of the Year: Leighton Eksteen (SWD Eagles), Juan Language (Leopards), Rhyno Smith (Leopards)
* Other awards that will be presented are in the categories of MyPlayers Players' Player of the Year, Try of the Year, Craven Week Player of the Year, Referee Award, Women's Achiever Award and Community Cup Player of the Tournament.
