Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar has been named the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player after a season in which he scored 23 goals to win the Golden Boot, the league announced Tuesday.
Mukhtar won 48.03% of the vote from players, club technical staff and the media, far ahead of second-placed Sebastian Driussi of Austin FC (16.8%).
Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake (7.87%) was third, ahead of LA Galaxy striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (3.6%) and LAFC's Cristian "Chicho" Arango (3.53%).
Mukhtar's total of 34 goal contributions, including 11 assists, was tied for the fifth most in a single season in MLS history. He scored or assisted on 65.4% of Nashville SC's goals in 2022, which was the most by a single player in MLS during the season.
Nashville finished fifth in the Western Conference before being knocked out of the playoffs by the LA Galaxy in Round One.
Mukhtar, 27, is the first German-born player and the first in Nashville club history to be named MLS MVP.
List of MLS MVP award winners
2022 - Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC
2021 - Carles Gil, New England Revolution
2020 - Alejandro Pozuelo, Toronto FC
2019 - Carlos Vela, Los Angeles FC
2018 - Josef Martinez, Atlanta United
2017 - Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers
2016 - David Villa, New York City FC
2015 - Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC
2014 - Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy
2013 - Mike Magee, Chicago Fire
2012 - Chris Wondolowski, San Jose Earthquakes
2011 - Dwayne De Rosario, D.C. United
2010 - David Ferreira, FC Dallas
2009 - Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy
2008 - Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew
2007 - Luciano Emilio, D.C. United
2006 - Christian Gomez, D.C. United
2005 - Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution
2004 - Amado Guevara, NY/NJ MetroStars
2003 - Preki Radosavljevic, Kansas City
2002 - Carlos Ruiz, LA Galaxy
2001 - Alex Pineda Chacon, Miami Fusion
2000 - Tony Meola, Kansas City
1999 - Jason Kreis, Dallas Burn
1998 - Marco Etcheverry, D.C. United
1997 - Preki Radosavljevic, Kansas City Wizards
1996 - Carlos Valderrama, Tampa Bay Mutiny