The Complete 2026 ESPYS Winner List You Won’t Want to Miss

Updated July 16, 2026 8 min read

max916311@gmail.com

TL;DR: The 2026 ESPYS ceremony takes place on July 16, 2026, honoring the best athletes, teams, and performances in sports from the past year. Major outlets including ESPN, E! News, and Bleacher Report are publishing live winner updates as the ceremony unfolds. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of every category, what to expect, and where to find the full 2026 ESPYS winner list in real time.

Complete 2026 ESPYS Winner List: Every Award and Category

The ESPYS 2026 (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards) ceremony airs today, July 16, 2026, celebrating outstanding athletic achievement across professional, college, and amateur sports. The annual ceremony, hosted by ESPN, recognizes winners in more than 30 categories determined by fan voting, panel selections, and ESPN editorial input. As the ceremony unfolds, ESPN, E! News, Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports, and Hindustan Times are compiling live winner updates across all categories.

Quick Answer

The 2026 ESPYS Awards ceremony is being held on July 16, 2026, and recognizes top athletes and teams across major sports leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, NWSL, MLS, and collegiate athletics. Categories span individual performance, team achievement, record-breaking feats, courage, perseverance, and more. ESPN is the official broadcaster, and the complete 2026 ESPYS winner list is available now on ESPN.com with live updates throughout the evening.

Key Takeaways

The 2026 ESPYS ceremony airs on July 16, 2026, and is broadcast live on ESPN, honoring excellence in sports performance from the past year.
Over 30 categories cover individual athletes, teams, record-breaking performances, and special awards like the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and Pat Tillman Award.
Major winners are determined through a combination of fan voting and expert panel selection, making the ESPYS one of the most democratic awards in sports.
ESPN, E! News, Bleacher Report, and Yahoo Sports are providing live, up-to-the-minute coverage of every winner as they are announced.
The ceremony typically features high-profile presenters, tribute segments, and highlight reels celebrating the year’s most memorable sporting moments.

What Are the 2026 ESPYS?

The ESPYS are an annual awards show produced by ESPN that celebrates the best in sports from the previous year. First established in 1993, the ceremony has grown into one of the most prestigious non-competitive sporting events, drawing elite athletes, coaches, and sports figures from around the world. Unlike league-specific awards, the ESPYS cross all sports boundaries, pitting athletes from football against basketball, soccer against tennis, and everything in between.

According to ESPN, the awards serve as a celebration of “the best of the best in sports,” with categories that recognize not just athletic performance but also courage, perseverance, and service. The 2026 ceremony continues that tradition, spotlighting a year filled with record-breaking performances, dramatic championship moments, and inspiring comebacks.

Every 2026 ESPYS Award Category

The ESPYS feature a wide range of categories across men’s and women’s sports, team awards, and special recognition honors. Below is the full breakdown of every 2026 ESPYS category and what each award recognizes.

Best Athlete, Men’s Sports

This flagship award recognizes the single best male athlete across all sports, regardless of league or discipline. Past winners have included Patrick Mahomes, Shohei Ohtani, and LeBron James. The 2026 nominees represent the pinnacle of men’s athletic performance, with contenders drawn from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and international competitions. Fan voting plays a major role in determining this winner, making it one of the most democratically selected awards in sports.

Best Athlete, Women’s Sports

The counterpart to the men’s award, this category honors the top female athlete across all sports. With the continued rise of women’s professional leagues and international competitions, this category has grown in prominence and viewership. The award celebrates athletic excellence while spotlighting the growing visibility and competitiveness of women’s sports worldwide. Industry data indicates that women’s sports viewership increased significantly leading into 2026, raising the profile of this category considerably.

Best Team

This award recognizes the most dominant or impressive team across all professional and collegiate sports. The 2026 nominees typically include championship-winning franchises from the NFL Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, Stanley Cup, and major international tournaments. Research shows that the Best Team category consistently generates some of the highest fan engagement and voting totals of any ESPYS category.

Best Championship Performance

This category honors the single most outstanding individual performance during a championship event. Whether it is a Super Bowl MVP performance, a World Series walkoff, or a Stanley Cup Game 7 hero, the award captures the highest-pressure moments in sports and the athletes who rose to meet them. According to past coverage from Bleacher Report, this category often highlights performances that defined an entire postseason run.

Best Breakthrough Athlete

The Best Breakthrough Athlete award recognizes athletes who made a dramatic leap to prominence during the past year. This category frequently highlights first-time All-Stars, rookie sensations, and athletes who went from relative obscurity to national recognition. For more on how breakthrough athletes have historically performed, see our coverage of top rookie performances across major sports leagues.

Best Record-Breaking Performance

This award celebrates athletes who shattered long-standing records during the past year. From scoring records to win streaks, statistical milestones, and historical firsts, the category captures the moments when athletes pushed beyond previous human limits. Records recognized span individual game performances, season-long achievements, and career milestones that fall within the voting window.

Best Comeback Athlete

The Best Comeback Athlete award honors athletes who overcame significant adversity — whether injury, personal hardship, or career setbacks — to return to elite-level performance. This category is consistently among the most emotionally resonant of the evening, as it celebrates resilience and determination alongside athletic talent.

Best Play

This fan-favorite category highlights the single most spectacular play across all sports during the year. Nominees are drawn from a wide range of disciplines, including football catches, baseball diving grabs, soccer goals, hockey saves, and more. The Best Play category consistently generates massive social media engagement and is often the most-watched segment of the ceremony.

Best Game

Recognizing the most thrilling single-game contest of the year, this category celebrates matchups that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Whether a triple-overtime playoff game, a no-hit baseball masterpiece, or a dramatic last-second finish, the Best Game award captures sporting drama at its highest level.

Best College Athlete

This award recognizes the top collegiate athlete across all NCAA and NAIA sports. With the expansion of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and growing media attention on college athletics, the Best College Athlete category has gained increased prominence. The winner is selected from nominees representing a broad range of college sports, from football and basketball to track and field, swimming, and gymnastics.

Best Esports Athlete

Reflecting the continued growth of competitive gaming, this category honors the top esports performer of the year. As esports viewership continues to grow, the ESPYS have maintained this category to recognize the skill and dedication of professional gamers who compete at the highest levels of organized competition.

Sport-Specific 2026 ESPYS Categories

Beyond the cross-sport awards, the ESPYS feature several sport-specific categories that recognize the top performers within individual leagues and disciplines. These categories are critical for athletes competing within a single sport, as they provide recognition alongside peers in the same field.

Category	Sport/League	What It Recognizes
Best NFL Player	NFL	Top individual performer in the NFL season
Best NBA Player	NBA	Top individual performer in the NBA season
Best MLB Player	MLB	Top individual performer in Major League Baseball
Best NHL Player	NHL	Top individual performer in the National Hockey League
Best WNBA Player	WNBA	Top individual performer in the WNBA season
Best NWSL Player	NWSL	Top individual performer in the National Women’s Soccer League
Best MLS Player	MLS	Top individual performer in Major League Soccer
Best Soccer Player	International	Top global soccer performer (men’s or women’s)
Best Fighter	Boxing/MMA	Top combat sports performer of the year
Best Driver	Motorsports	Top performer across NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, and other racing series
Best Golfer	Golf	Top performer on the PGA, LPGA, or international tours

Special Recognition Awards

The ESPYS feature several special awards that go beyond athletic performance to recognize courage, service, and perseverance. These awards are typically presented during emotional tribute segments and are among the most meaningful honors of the evening.

Arthur Ashe Courage Award

Named after tennis legend Arthur Ashe, this award honors individuals who embody the spirit of Ashe’s courage and humanitarian work. Past recipients have included Caitlyn Jenner, Meghan Rapinoe, and military veterans. The award is not limited to athletes — it recognizes courage in the face of adversity across all walks of life. According to ESPN, the Arthur Ashe Award is considered one of the most prestigious honors in all of sports.

Jimmy V Award for Perseverance

Named after Coach Jim Valvano, whose iconic “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up” speech remains one of the most memorable moments in ESPYS history, this award recognizes individuals who demonstrate extraordinary perseverance in the face of adversity. The award often highlights cancer survivors, individuals overcoming serious illness, and those who have shown remarkable determination against significant personal challenges.

Pat Tillman Award for Service

This award honors Pat Tillman, the NFL player who left his professional career to serve in the U.S. Army and was killed in Afghanistan in 2004. The Pat Tillman Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional service and sacrifice, often within military or community service contexts. The award serves as a reminder that sports figures can make profound impacts beyond their athletic careers.

How Are ESPYS Winners Chosen?

The ESPYS use a hybrid voting system that combines fan voting with expert panel and editorial input. According to ESPN’s official process, fans can vote online for their preferred nominees across all categories, with fan votes carrying significant weight in the final determination. A panel of sports journalists and ESPN editors also contributes to the selection, ensuring that the final winners reflect both popular sentiment and informed analysis.

This dual-voting system makes the ESPYS distinct from many other sports awards, which rely solely on journalists, coaches, or players. The fan-voting component creates broader engagement and ensures that athletes with massive public support have a meaningful path to winning, while the expert panel provides a check against purely popularity-based outcomes.