Mitchell Larkin and Katinka Hosszu claimed the top awards at this evening's FINA World Aquatics Gala ©FINA

Australia's Mitchell Larkin and Hungary's Katinka Hosszu were among the winners at tonight's International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Aquatics Gala as top performers from across the sport were recognised at a lavish gala dinner.

After breaking through in 2014 with gold medals at both the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the World Short-Course Championships in Doha, the backstroke star Larkin enjoyed a superb year last time around.

This included 100 and 200 metres backstroke titles at the World Championships in Kazan as well as a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay.

He then broke Arkady Vyatchanin's 200m backstroke short-course world record with a time of 1min 45.63sec at November's Australian Championships in Sydney.

Hosszu, one of the best known sportspeople here in Hungary, was also rewarded after another superb year which included World Championship golds in both the 200 and 400m individual medley.

The 26-year-old, who was also awarded last year, then took a remarkable six gold medals at the European Short-Course Championships in Netanya, including world record times of 56.67 and 4:19.46 for the 100 and 400m individual medleys.

Twelve award winners were crowned across the aquatics disciplines today ©FINA
Twelve award winners were crowned across the aquatics disciplines today ©FINA

Katie Ledecky, the American superstar who won 200, 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay world titles in 2015, was also awarded the best swimming performance of the year.

She was joined by Britain's Adam Peaty, who claimed 50 and 100m backstroke and 4x100m mixed medley relay golds in Kazan, setting a record mark in the former event.

None of the four swimmers were present here tonight due to the demands of training and early-season competition, but they sent acceptance speeches via video.

Winners across the other aquatic disciplines were present, however, for a ceremony also attended by Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah, IOC member and ex-Hungarian President Pál Schmitt and former SportAccord head, Marius Vizer.

This included Maggie Steffen and Živko Gocić, the respective captain's of the US female and Serbian male teams which triumphed at the World Championships. 

Gocić also led the team to a home European title last week in Belgrade.

Chinese duo He Chao and Shi Tingmao claimed the male and female diving awards.

Diving, water polo. synchronised and open water swimming winners posing following the ceremony ©FINA
Diving, water polo. synchronised and open water swimming winners posing following the ceremony ©FINA

Shi claimed the 3m and synchronised 3m springboard titles in Kazan, while He - who performed a piano recital before receiving his trophy - claimed the 3m springboard crown.

Russia's Svetlana Romashina received the synchronised swimming award after four World Championships golds, while compatriot Aleksandr Maltsev and American Bill May were also honoured after becoming the first male synchronised swimming world champions in history.

Maltsev won the mixed due free event with Darina Valitova while May claimed the technical title with Christina Jones.

There was another US winner in 10km world champion Jordan Willimovsky in the open water category.

Women's 25km world champion Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil was also honoured.

Britain's Gary Hunt and Rachelle Simpson of the US claimed high diving awards after each winning gold in Kazan.