The Best Male Athlete ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Outstanding Male Athlete ESPY Award, is an annual award honoring the achievements of individual men from the world of sports. It has been presented annually at the ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) since 1993 to the male voted irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best athlete in a given calendar year. The Best Male Athlete ESPY Award trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, is presented to the recipient at an annual ceremony in Los Angeles. Since 2004, the winner has been chosen by online balloting through three to five choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. Before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts. Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in July and reflect performance from the June previous.
The inaugural winner of the Best Male Athlete ESPY Award was basketball player Michael Jordan in 1993. Four American athletes, golfer Tiger Woods, road cyclist Lance Armstrong, basketball player LeBron James, and American football player Patrick Mahomes have won the award multiple times. Woods was honored five times: in 1998 (jointly with baseball player Ken Griffey Jr.), 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2008. Armstrong was honored four times from 2003 to 2006 inclusive. James received the award on three occasions in 2012, 2013 and 2016. Mahomes received the award twice in 2023 and 2024. Basketball is the most successful sport, its players having received a total of nine awards and thirty-three nominations since its inception, followed by American football players with six wins and twenty-seven nominations. The award has been won by a non-American five times – in 2011 by German basketball player Dirk Nowitzki, in 2018 by Russian hockey player Alex Ovechkin, in 2019 by Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, in 2022 by Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani, and in 2025 by Canadian basketball player Gilgeous-Alexander. All five were playing for American teams. It was not awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Winners and nominees +Winners and nominees of the Best Male Athlete ESPY Award Year Image Athlete Nation Sport Nominees 1993 Basketball Dennis Eckersley () – BaseballMario Lemieux () – Ice hockeyEmmitt Smith () – American footballSteve Young () – American football1994 BaseballCharles Barkley () – BasketballMario Lemieux () – Ice hockeyNigel Mansell () – MotorsportCharlie Ward () – College football1995 American football George Foreman () – BoxingHakeem Olajuwon () – BasketballBarry Sanders () – American football1996 BaseballGreg Maddux () – BaseballHakeem Olajuwon () – Basketball1997 Track and field Michael Jordan () – BasketballTiger Woods () – Golf 1998 GolfMichael Jordan () – BasketballBarry Sanders () – American football Baseball1999 BaseballTerrell Davis () – American footballJeff Gordon () – NASCARMichael Jordan () – BasketballSammy Sosa () – Baseball2000 (2)GolfTim Duncan () – BasketballPedro Martínez () – Baseball2001 (3)GolfLance Armstrong ) – Road cyclingShaquille O'Neal () – Basketball2002 (4)GolfLance Armstrong () – Road cyclingBarry Bonds () – BaseballShaquille O'Neal () – BasketballCael Sanderson () – Collegiate wrestling2003 Road cyclingBarry Bonds () – BaseballTim Duncan () – BasketballTiger Woods () – Golf2004 (2)Road cyclingBarry Bonds () – BaseballTom Brady () – American footballKevin Garnett () – BasketballPeyton Manning () – American football2005 (3)Road cyclingPeyton Manning () – American footballBode Miller () – SkiingMichael Phelps () – SwimmingVijay Singh () – Golf2006 (4)Road cyclingShaun Alexander () – American footballLeBron James () – BasketballAlbert Pujols () – BaseballVince Young () – College football2007 American footballRoger Federer () – TennisLeBron James () – BasketballPeyton Manning () – American footballTiger Woods () – Golf2008 (5)GolfTom Brady () – American footballKobe Bryant () – BasketballAlex Rodriguez () – Baseball2009 SwimmingKobe Bryant () – BasketballLeBron James () – BasketballJimmie Johnson () – NASCAR2010 American footballKobe Bryant () – BasketballLeBron James () – BasketballJimmie Johnson () – NASCARAlbert Pujols () – Baseball2011 BasketballJimmie Johnson () – NASCARRafael Nadal () – TennisAaron Rodgers () – American football2012 BasketballNovak Djokovic () – TennisAaron Rodgers () – American footballJustin Verlander () – Baseball2013 (2)BasketballMiguel Cabrera () – BaseballAdrian Peterson () – American footballMichael Phelps () – Swimming2014 BasketballMiguel Cabrera () – BaseballPeyton Manning () – American footballFloyd Mayweather Jr. () – Boxing2015 BasketballLeBron James () – BasketballAaron Rodgers () – American footballJ. J. Watt () – American football2016 (3)BasketballStephen Curry () – BasketballBryce Harper () – BaseballCam Newton () – American football2017 BasketballKris Bryant () – BaseballSidney Crosby () – Ice hockeyMichael Phelps () – Swimming2018 Ice hockeyJose Altuve () – BaseballTom Brady () – American footballJames Harden () – Basketball2019 BasketballMookie Betts () – BaseballBrooks Koepka () – GolfPatrick Mahomes () – American football2020Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic2021 American footballLewis Hamilton () – Formula OneNikola Jokić () – BasketballConnor McDavid () – Ice hockey2022 BaseballStephen Curry () – BasketballConnor McDavid () – Ice hockeyAaron Rodgers () – American football2023 American footballNikola Jokić () – BasketballAaron Judge () – BaseballLionel Messi () – Soccer2024 (2)American footballConnor McDavid () – Ice hockeyShohei Ohtani () – BaseballScottie Scheffler () – Golf2025 BasketballJosh Allen () – American footballShohei Ohtani () – BaseballSaquon Barkley () – American football2026 BasketballMatthew Stafford () – American footballShohei Ohtani () – BaseballLionel Messi () – Soccer
Statistics
+ Multiple winners and nominees Name Wins Nominations 5 8 4 6 3 8 2 3 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 4 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2
+ Winners by nationality Country Winners Nominations 29 80 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 7 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
+ Winners by sport Sport Winners Nominations Basketball 11 35 American football 6 30 Baseball 5 26 Golf 5 11 Road cycling 4 6 Ice hockey 1 7 Swimming 1 4 Track and field 1 1 NASCAR 0 4 Tennis 0 3 Boxing 0 2 College football 0 2 Soccer 0 2 Collegiate wrestling 0 1 Formula One 0 1 Motorsport 0 1 Skiing 0 1
See also Best Female Athlete ESPY Award Best International Athlete ESPY Award
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