The ESPY Awards (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, and often referred to as the ESPYs) is an annual American awards show produced by ESPN since 1993, recognizing individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. From 2015 to 2019, and since 2021, the ceremony has aired live on sister broadcast television network ABC, while ESPN continues to air simulcasts of the awards and reruns. Because of the ceremony's rescheduling prior to the 2002 event, awards presented in 2002 were for achievement and performances during the seventeen previous months. As the similarly styled Grammy (for music), Emmy (for television), Academy Awards (for film), and Tony Awards (for theater), the ESPYs are hosted by a contemporary celebrity; the style is lighter, more relaxed and self-referential than several other awards shows, with comedic sketches usually included.
Charitable role A portion of the proceeds from sales of tickets to the event goes to the V Foundation, a charity established by collegiate basketball coach and television commentator Jim Valvano to promote cancer research. Valvano announced the creation of the charitable foundation during his acceptance of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the inaugural ESPY telecast on March 3, 1993, 55 days before Valvano's death from metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Design The ESPY Award statuette was designed and created by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan. The statuette consists of a silver sphere, with the word "ESPY" engraved on it, mounted on a silver pedestal.
Ceremonies
Timing Between 1993 and 2001, the ceremony was held each year in either February or March and was broadcast recorded on ESPN.
Between 2002 and 2019, from 2022 to 2023, and since 2025, the ceremony has been held on the second or third Wednesday of July, one day after the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game, as it marks the only day of the year on which none of the major North American professional leagues nor college sports programs have games scheduled. The National Basketball Association, National Football League, and National Hockey League are not in-season, although the NBA's post-draft training camp NBA Summer League occurs and NFL teams prepare for training camp, colleges are on summer vacation, and MLB does not contest games on the day following its all-star game. Therefore, major sports figures except for those in the WNBA, which is in-season; cycling, which has the Tour de France; minor league baseball; and golf, where The Open Championship usually starts that evening, are available to attend. The show historically aired on the subsequent Sunday four days later, although the results were reported publicly by ESPN.com. In 2024, the ceremony was held on the second Thursday of July.
In 2010, the ceremony was aired live by ESPN for the first time since 2003. In 2015, the ESPY Awards moved to network television, airing on ESPN's corporate sister network ABC.
Location The first seven editions of the ESPYs were held in New York City, in 1993 and 1994 at Madison Square Garden and from 1995 through 1999, at Radio City Music Hall. The awards relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, for two years beginning in 2000, and in 2002, moved to the Kodak Theater (now the Dolby Theatre) in Hollywood, California. In 2006, it was announced that the awards would move in 2008 to the Nokia Theatre (now the Peacock Theater), to be situated as the West Coast headquarters of ESPN at L.A. Live, adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The awards returned to Dolby Theatre in 2022.
In January 2026, it was reported that the ESPYs would return to New York City in order to coincide with Fanatics Fest, as part of a partnership with Michael Ratner's newly launched Fanatics Studios to produce the ceremony.
Hosts The ceremonies have been hosted by comedians, television and film actors, and athletes. American actor Samuel L. Jackson has hosted the ceremony four times (in 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2009). Comedian Dennis Miller, actor and singer Jamie Foxx, and talk show host and comedian Seth Meyers have hosted the show twice.
Year-by-year Date Edition Venue Host(s) July 15, 2026 34th David H. Koch Theater, New York Marcello Hernández July 16, 2025 33rdDolby Theatre, Los Angeles Shane Gillis July 11, 2024 32nd Serena Williams July 12, 2023 31st July 20, 2022 30th Stephen Curry July 10, 2021 29th The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York Anthony Mackie June 21, 2020 28th Virtual show Russell Wilson, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird July 10, 2019 27thNokia Theatre / Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles Tracy Morgan July 18, 2018 26th Danica Patrick July 12, 2017 25th Peyton Manning July 13, 2016 24th John Cena July 15, 2015 23rd Joel McHale July 16, 2014 22nd Drake July 17, 2013 21st Jon Hamm July 11, 2012 20th Rob Riggle July 13, 2011 19thSeth Meyers July 14, 2010 18th July 19, 2009 17th Samuel L. Jackson July 20, 2008 16th Justin Timberlake July 15, 2007 15thKodak Theater, Los Angeles LeBron James and Jimmy Kimmel July 16, 2006 14th Lance Armstrong July 17, 2005 13th Matthew Perry July 18, 2004 12thJamie Foxx July 16, 2003 11th July 10, 2002 10thSamuel L. Jackson February 12, 2001 9thMGM Grand, Las Vegas February 14, 2000 8th Jimmy Smits February 15, 1999 7thRadio City Music Hall, New York Samuel L. Jackson February 9, 1998 6th Norm Macdonald February 10, 1997 5th Jeff Foxworthy February 12, 1996 4th Tony Danza February 13, 1995 3rd John Goodman February 14, 1994 2ndMadison Square Garden, New YorkDennis Miller March 4, 1993 1st
Awards American professional golfer Tiger Woods is the most-awarded individual at the ESPYs, having received 21 awards.
Extant
Cross-cutter categories Cross-cutter awards are those for which the eligibility is not confined to those athletes participating in, or those events occurring in, any single or specific sport. Arthur Ashe Courage Award, presented to the sports-related person or team, irrespective of gender or sport contested, adjudged to have made the most significant or compelling humanitarian contribution in transcendence of sports in a given year (presented since 1993) Best Female Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the female athlete, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the most outstanding over a given year (1993) Best Male Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the male athlete, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the most outstanding in a given year (1993) Best International Athlete ESPY Award, presented since 2006 to the professional athlete born outside the United States adjudged to be the best in a given year Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the athlete, irrespective of gender or sport contested, adjudged to have made the best or most significant breakthrough in their sport in a given year (1993) Best Championship Performance ESPY Award, presented to the athlete, irrespective of gender, nationality, or sport contested, adjudged to have made the best or most significant performance in a championship match, series, or tournament in their sport Best Coach/Manager ESPY Award, presented to the coach or manager, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the most outstanding in a given year (1993) Best College Athlete, Men's Sports, presented to the male athlete, irrespective of sport played, adjudged to be the best in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, in a given year (2002) Best College Athlete, Women's Sports, presented to the female athlete, irrespective of sport played, adjudged to be the best in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in a given year (2002)The Best Female and Best Male College Basketball and Best College Football Player ESPY Awards, awarded between 1993 and 2001, were merged in 2002, into the Best Female and Best Male College Athlete ESPY Awards. After the 2017 awards, the men's and women's awards were replaced by a single ESPY for Best College Athlete; starting with the 2021 awards, separate awards for men's and women's sports were reinstated, with both categories renamed. Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the athlete, irrespective of gender or sport contested, adjudged to have most notably returned to their sport after an illness, injury, hardship, or retirement (1993) Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award, presented to the female athlete with a disability, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2005)Between 2002 and 2004, a single award for best athlete with a disability was presented; in 2005, the award was separated by gender and reconstituted as the Best Female and Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Awards. Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award, presented to the male athlete with a disability, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2005) Best Game ESPY Award, presented to the single game in a North American professional or collegiate league, irrespective of sport, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2002) Best Upset ESPY Award, presented to the athlete or team, irrespective of gender or sport contested, adjudged to have completed the best, most impressive, or most significant upset in a given year (2004) Best Moment ESPY Award, presented to the moment or series of moments occurring in a sporting event or season, irrespective of sport contested or gender of participating athlete, adjudged to the most remarkable, compelling, or entertaining in a given year (2002) Best Play ESPY Award, presented to the single play or performance, irrespective of sport contested or gender of participating athlete, adjudged to be the most remarkable, significant, or impressive in a given year (2002) Best Record-Breaking Performance ESPY Award, presented to the record-breaking single-play, game or season performance, irrespective of sport contested or gender of participating athlete, adjudged to be the most remarkable, significant, or impressive in a given year (2001)
Jimmy V ESPY Award for Perseverance (2007) Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, presented to "an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a measured positive impact on their community through sports" (2015) Best Team ESPY Award, presented to the collegiate, professional, or national team, irrespective of sport contested, adjudged to be the most outstanding in a given year (1993)In 2001, the Outstanding Team ESPY Award was separated and two awards, titled the Pro Team of the Year ESPY Award and College Team of the Year ESPY Award, were presented; the two remerged in 2002.
Individual categories Individual awards are those for which eligibility is limited to those partaking of a single individual or team sport or specific sport category. Best Female Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the female extreme sport athlete, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (presented since 2004) Best Male Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the male extreme sport athlete, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2004)In 2002 and 2003, a single award, originally known as the Best Action Athlete of the Year ESPY Award, for best action sports athletes was presented; in 2004, the award was separated by gender and reconstituted as the Best Male and Best Female Action Sports Athlete ESPY Awards. Best Angler ESPY Award, presented to the angler, irrespective of gender, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2006) Best Bowler ESPY Award, presented to the ten-pin bowler, irrespective of gender, adjudged to be the best playing in the United States in a given year (1995)