Marquette, MI – July 15th, 2026 – The sports world will once again come together to celebrate its biggest stars as the 33rd Annual ESPY Awards take center stage. Produced by ESPN since 1993, the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards (ESPYs) recognize the most memorable individual and team achievements from the past year while also honoring inspiring stories that extend beyond the playing field.
Throughout the show’s history, the ESPYs have featured a wide range of celebrity hosts, including Stephen Curry, LeBron James, John Cena, Jimmy Kimmel, and many others. The inaugural ceremony in 1993 was hosted by comedian Dennis Miller. This year’s event will be hosted by comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member Marcello Hernández, who will guide fans through one of sports biggest nights.
A wide variety of awards will be presented throughout the evening, recognizing excellence across nearly every level of sports. Categories include Best Male Athlete, Best Female Athlete, Best Breakthrough Athlete, Best Championship Performance, Best Comeback Athlete, Best Record-Breaking Performance, Best Play, Best Team, and Best Single-Game Performance. College athletics will also be recognized with awards for the top men’s and women’s college athletes, while professional sports honors will be awarded to the year’s best players in the NHL, NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, golf, tennis, soccer, auto racing, combat sports, and more.
While many ESPY winners are selected through fan voting, several of the evening’s most prestigious honors are chosen independently to recognize extraordinary courage, perseverance, and service.
Among the most meaningful awards is the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which is named after Arthur Ashe, the trailblazing African American tennis champion and civil rights activist. The award is presented to an individual whose courage, strength, and willingness to stand up for what they believe transcends sports and inspires others.
The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, named after legendary NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano, honors a member of the sports community who has overcome tremendous adversity through determination, resilience, and an unwavering spirit.
The Pat Tillman Award for Service recognizes a person with a strong connection to sports who has made a significant impact through service to others, reflecting the legacy of former Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman, who left the NFL to enlist in the U.S. Army following the September 11 attacks and was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2004.
The 2026 ESPY Awards will also feature entertainment throughout the night. Musical performances are scheduled from legendary hip-hop artists Ghostface Killah, Slick Rick, and De La Soul, while the wildly popular Savannah Bananas will bring their unique brand of baseball entertainment to the stage.
The 33rd Annual ESPY Awards get underway tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. Fans can watch the ceremony live on ABC or stream it through ESPN+.
With the biggest names in sports, inspiring stories of perseverance, emotional tributes, and live entertainment all packed into one evening, the ESPYs once again promise to celebrate not only athletic greatness but also the people and moments that continue to shape the world of sports.
