LOS ANGELES — It’s time to celebrate and honor all the remarkable moments and people in sports from this past year with the 2024 ESPY Awards.
Hosted by tennis legend Serena Williams at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the show will award athletes and teams across the world, with some fun sprinkled in between. The ESPY Awards will also recognize inspiring and courageous athletes with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
Here is everything you need to know about the ESPY Awards. Follow along during the show for live updates from USA TODAY Sports of the top moments and a full list of award winners.
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Steve Gleason
Known for his iconic blocked punt in the New Orleans Saints’ first home game back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, Steve Gleason was presented the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage by former teammate Drew Brees. In 2011, Gleason was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but he has continued to battle the disease and be an advocate for those dealing with ALS.
Athletes who died honored
The ESPY Award show recognized the athletes who have died in the past year, including Willie Mays, Bill Walton and Jerry West.
Icon award: Nick Saban
The legendary college football coach was given the ESPY icon award for all his achievements during his Alabama coaching tenure. Saban won six national championships at Alabama, and with the one title he won at LSU, he has the most for any coach in NCAA Division I history. He finishes his tenure in Tuscaloosa with a 201-29 record with nine SEC championships and eight College Football Playoff appearances, and he coached four Heisman Trophy winners, two of which − Mark Ingram II and Bryce Young − were on hand to present him the award.
Saban reflected on his coaching career during his speech and said what he is most proud of is his program built the foundation where former players can help out their communities, and he reminded all the athletes in attendance they have to remember sports bring people together.
Flau’jae Johnson performs
Rapper and LSU women’s basketball player Flau’jae Johnson took the stage to drop some bars.
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn Staley
The South Carolina women’s basketball coach, who won her third national title in April, received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her work in advocating for cancer research and bone marrow donors. Staley’s sister, Tracey Underwood, received a transplant from their brother in 2020 after being diagnosed with leukemia.
Staley said she’s been just a spectator to people dealing with cancer and there are people that dealt with real challenges that have received the award. However, she said she draws inspiration from the people with cancer that continue to fight.
Best athlete women’s sports: A’ja Wilson
A’ja Wilson was named best athlete in women’s sports, beating Caitlin Clark in the category. Wilson is coming off winning back-to-back WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces, and she was named 2023 WNBA Finals MVP. She was recently named one of the cover athletes of NBA 2K25, and she’s been off to a solid start of the 2024 season. Wilson is also off to a great start to the 2024 WNBA season, leading the league in points (26.9) and blocks (2.7) per game, while her 11.3 rebounds per game are second in the league behind Angel Reese.
Pat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, received the Pat Tillman Award for Service for creating The Invictus Games, a sporting event for active duty and veteran servicemembers who have been wounded, injured or sick on the job.
Prince Harry was in attendance with wife Duchess Meghan to accept the award and he was emotional going on the stage. He said it is a great honor to highlight all the athletes that participate in The Invictus Games and reminded people of the struggles military personnel face in and after their service.
Best championship performance: Jaylen Brown
Add another award for the NBA Finals MVP as the Boston Celtics guard took home the award for best championship performance. In the five-game series win, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 assist and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Serena Williams sings
Calling back to when Jaime Foxx sang a song dedicated to Serena Williams, the host sang a response.
Best breakthrough athlete: Juju Watkins
Southern California guard Juju Watkins was named best breakthrough athlete after her explosive freshman basketball season with the Trojans. She averaged 27.1 points per game, second in the nation behind Caitlin Clark, and she led USC to their first Elite Eight since 1994.
Serena Williams monologue
The host of the 2024 ESPY Awards took some shots at Drake, siding with Kendrick Lamar in the infamous beef as she danced to his hit diss track “Not Like Us” several times.
Williams congratulated Patrick Mahomes and “Taylor Swift’s boyfriend” for winning a Super Bowl, and said “people finally realized women’s sports is way more exciting.”
Ciara kicks off show with performance
This year’s award show began with a performance from Ciara. She sang a melody that featured her hits “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step” and “Level Up.”
Awards announced prior to show
Best MLB player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Best NFL player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best driver: Max Verstappen, F1
Best NBA player: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Best athlete with a disability: Brenna Huckaby, snowboarding
Best college athlete women’s sports: Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Best WNBA player: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
What time are the ESPY Awards?
Guests begin arriving on the red carpet at 5:30 p.m. ET and the show begins at 8 p.m.
How to watch the ESPYs: TV channel, streaming
ABC will broadcast the awards ceremony. Watch online via the ESPN streaming hub (local blackout restrictions apply).
Who are the nominees for the 2024 ESPYs?
Here’s a link to the full list of 2024 ESPY Award nominees. Some of the most recognizable names include Simone Biles, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Coco Gauff, Patrick Mahomes, Jaylen Brown, Shohei Ohtani and JuJu Watkins.
Who are the special honorees this year?
- Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Steve Gleason, former NFL safety
- Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn Staley, South Carolina women’s basketball coach
- Pat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex
Who are the celebrity presenters at the 2024 ESPYs?
Actress and comedian Quinta Brunson, comedian Nikki Glaser and actor Rob Lowe are among the celebrity presenters. Athletes presenting include Paige Bueckers, Draymond Green, Lindsey Vonn, Flau’jae Johnson, GloRilla, Allyson Felix, Damar Hamlin, Candace Parker, Brian Tyree Henry, Ryan Blaney and more.
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