How the ESPY Awards Work and Who Wins
The ESPY Awards, hosted by ESPN, honor annual excellence in sports performance and storytelling. Winners span leagues and disciplines, from team trophies to individual honors. This guide explains how winners are selected, who votes, and which athletes and moments have defined the ceremony over time. Treat this as an evergreen reference for understanding the process and recognizing notable champions across sports history.
Selection Process and Voting Bodies
Voting for ESPYs is not open to the general public. A mix of fans, media, and industry experts influence outcomes through online fan voting and invitations to vote sent to fans. Academy voting by sport-specific experts, media voting for journalism and narrative categories, and fan voting for fan-voted categories combine into an overall results formula. Each category follows its own rules, with announced finalists and a structured timeline that leads to the televised ceremony.
Multiple groups participate in final decisions, including sport-specific and entertainment experts. Resulting winners reflect a blend of performance, narrative, and cultural impact rather than statistics alone. Below is a simplified overview of common ESPY voting roles:
| Voting Group | Role in ESPY Selection | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fans (online voting) | Influence outcomes in designated fan-voted categories | ESPN official process |
| Academy members (sport experts) | Vote in sport-specific categories | ESPN official process |
| Media voters | Vote in journalism and storytelling categories | ESPN official process |
| Industry experts and partners | Advise on narrative and culture categories | ESPN official process |
Categories and Notable Winners
ESPYs feature dozens of categories, including Best Athlete, Best Team, Best Championship Performance, and Best Record-Breaking Performance. Different sports and leagues are represented across these honors. Below are a few illustrative examples of notable winners and their achievements; this list is not exhaustive and changes each year.
- LeBron James: Multiple ESPYs for Athlete of the Year and performances
- Stephen Curry: Highlight wins for basketball excellence and scoring
- U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team: Team honors and championship recognition
- Naomi Osaka: Global impact and advocacy categories
- Tampa Bay Lightning: Stanley Cup and team performance wins
What Winning an ESPY Means
An ESPY recognizes excellence and cultural resonance in sports rather than season-long standings or postseason results alone. For athletes and teams, it offers visibility beyond traditional league honors, celebrating storytelling, leadership, and breakthrough moments. Wins can elevate a profile in media, endorsement, and legacy conversations. Because the audience includes fans and media, the ceremony emphasizes narrative alongside performance.
Historical Context and Milestones
Since its launch in 1993, the ESPYs have documented milestone achievements across sports. The ceremony has expanded categories over time to reflect changes in sports media, fan engagement, and global reach. Some honors highlight sustained excellence, while others focus on singular performances or cultural impact. Understanding this context helps interpret which winners are celebrated and why certain moments endure in memory.
Notable patterns include repeat winners in certain categories, increased recognition of women’s sports, and growing acknowledgment of contributions beyond playing fields, such as leadership and advocacy.
Recent Trends and Ceremony Changes
Over the years, the ESPYs have adjusted categories, voting methods, and presentation formats to keep the ceremony relevant. Digital fan voting has expanded reach, while deeper partnerships with leagues have increased participation. Some years introduce new honors to reflect emerging narratives, such as social impact or off-field leadership. These shifts maintain the ESPYs as a dynamic snapshot of sports culture and performance at a given time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who decides ESPY winners? A combination of fans, sport-specific academies, media voters, and industry experts, depending on the category.
- Can fans vote for any ESPY? Fans typically vote only in designated fan-voted categories; other categories rely on expert and media voting.
- Are ESPYs the same as other sports awards? No. ESPYs emphasize sports storytelling and broad cultural impact, whereas league awards often focus strictly on performance metrics.
- Do winners get trophies? Yes, most ESPY categories include a trophy or similar recognition piece for winners.
- How often are the ESPYs held? The ESPYs are held annually, usually in the summer, with categories and winners updated each cycle.