Nominees Announced, Fan Voting Opens for “2021 ESPYS” Airing July 10th on ABC

After another exciting year in sports, ESPN’s annual ESPYS will recognize the outstanding achievements of athletes in a variety of fields. Today, they announced the nominees for The 2021 ESPYS and have opened fan voting online.

What’s Happening: 

  • The nominees for The 2021 ESPYS presented by Capital One were revealed today and fan voting has begun.
  • Voting is open until 8 pm EDT on Friday, July 9 over at ESPYS.com.
  • Earlier today it was announced that Anthony Mackie will host The ESPYS which airs live on ABC on Saturday, July 10, at 8 pm EDT.
  • Prior to the event, Christine Williams and Gary Streiwski will host The ESPYS Nomination Special on Thursday, July 1, at 7 pm EDT on ESPN.
  • The 2021 ESPYS is a celebration of this year’s greatest achievements in sports honoring leading athletes and performances, and brings together the sports industry’s fan favorites and biggest stars.
  • Award categories include:
    • Best Athlete – Men’s Sports
    • Best Athlete – Women’s Sports
    • Best Game
    • Best Record-Breaking Performance
    • Best MMA Fighter
    • Best Play

Special Awards:

  • Per tradition, The 2021 ESPYS will recognize outstanding athletes for their courage and bravery with the following awards:
    • The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage
    • The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance
    • The Pat Tillman Award for Service
  • The ESPYS supports ESPN’s ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The 2021 ESPYS Nominees Highlights

Below is a quick hits list of this year’s nominees. Fans can vote for their favorites in each category at ESPN.com/ESPYS 

BEST ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTS

  • Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
  • Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
  • Lewis Hamilton, F1

BEST ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTS

  • Naomi Osaka, Tennis
  • Simone Biles, Gymnastics
  • Amanda Nunes, UFC
  • Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm

BEST GAME

  • NCAA Men’s Final Four: Gonzaga (93) vs. UCLA (90)
  • NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship – Stanford defeats Arizona 54-53
  • NFL Week 14: Baltimore Ravens 47, Cleveland Browns 42
  • NHL Playoffs Game 4: Winnipeg Jets sweep Edmonton Oilers in triple OT

BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE

  • Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer passes Pat Summitt for most wins in NCAA Women’s basketball history (1,099)
  • DeVonta Smith, Alabama Football – set records for title game catches (12) and touchdown receptions (three), and also totaled 215 yards. Alabama won, 52–24, their sixth title in 12 years, while Smith was named Offensive MVP of the championship game
  • Phil Mickelson, PGA Championship – oldest winner of a major tournament with his victory, Mickelson surpassed the record previously held by Julius Boros, who won the PGA Championship in 1968 at age
  • Russell Westbrook, Washington Wizards – breaks Oscar Robertson’s 47-year-old triple-double record with 182

BEST MMA FIGHTER

  • Amanda Nunes
  • Khabib Nurmagomedov
  • Rose Namajunas
  • Francis Ngannou

BEST PLAY (round 1 brackets)

Match 1

  • Kyler Murray Launches Hail Mary to DeAndre Hopkins (11/15/2020)
  • Villanova QB with the TD pass of the year (4/17/21)

Match 2

  • Brooklyn Nets with the Play of the Year (5/16/21)
  • West Texas A&M hits buzzer-beater vs. Lincoln Memorial to advance to DII National Championship Game (3/26/21)

Match 3

  • Shey Peddy hits a buzzer-beater to eliminate the defending WNBA Champs (9/15/20)
  • Bear River Softball Player Makes an INCREDIBLE Catch (5/22/21)

Match 4

  • DK Metcalf chases down Budda Baker Week 7 vs. Cardinals (10/25/20)
  • Mookie Betts with the double play (06/11/21)

Match 5

  • Natalia Chavez hits half-court buzzer beater in OT for Volcano Vista’s 5A title win (5/10/21)
  • Luka Doncic hits game winner vs. Grizzlies (4/14/21)

Match 6

  • Unseeded Marshall Soccer scores with less than 3 minutes in OT to claim first National Title (5/17/21)
  • Erin Matson OT goal lifts UNC to third consecutive NCAA field hockey title (5/9/21)

Match 7

  • Daryl Watts nets the championship-winning goal in OT as Wisconsin Claims 2nd straight title (3/20/21)
  • Simone Biles became the first women in history to land a Yurchenko double pike on vault in competition. (5/22/21)

Match 8

  • Braves pitcher with a unique 1-6-3 play (5/9/21)
  • Andrew Booth with an unbelievable one-handed interception! (10/3/20)