ESPY Awards

Infobox award
name = ESPY Award


imagesize =
caption =
current_awards =
description = Excellence in sports performance and achievements
presenter = ESPN
country = United States
year = 1993
website = http://espn.go.com/espy2008/

The ESPY Awards is an annual sports awards event created and broadcast by American cable television network ESPN. Begun in 1993, the event confers eponymous awards, fully styled as "Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards", for individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given ceremony. [Because of the ceremony's rescheduling prior to the 2002 iteraton thereof, awards presented in 2002 were for achievement and performances during the seventeen-plus months previous.] As the similarly-styled Grammy (for music), Emmy (for television), and Academy Awards (for film), the ESPYs are hosted by a contemporary celebrity.

From their inception until 2004, the awards were chosen variously through voting by fans; sportswriters, broadcasters, sports executives, and sportspersons, collectively experts; or ESPN personalities. Award winners have been selected thereafter exclusively through online fan balloting conducted from amongst candidates selected the ESPY Select Nominating Committee.

The ESPY awards is more of a "novelty" type of an awards show rather than a traditional one. The 2008 ceremony had more of a comedic approach such as Justin Timberlake singing and lampooning various sports stars including starring in sketches where he portray characters that are responsible for the "incidents" (which are archival footage of famous sports incidents).

Charitable role

A portion of the proceeds from sales of tickets to the event devolves on the V Foundation, a charity established by collegiate basketball coach and television commentator Jim Valvano to promote cancer research, the creation of which was announced by Valvano in his acceptance of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the inaugural ESPY telecast on March 3, 1993, fifty-five days before Valvano's death from metastatic adenocarcinoma.

Ceremonies

Timing

Between 1993 and 2001, the ceremony was held each year in either February or March and was broadcast live on ESPN.

Since 2002, the ceremony has been conducted on the Wednesday in July following the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game; in as much as none of the major North American professional leagues on that day—the National Basketball Association, National Football League, and National Hockey League are not in-season, and MLB does not contest games on the day following its all-star game—major sports figures are available to attend. The show is aired four days after its taping, to-wit, on a Sunday. ESPN and ESPN.com announce the winners before the show is aired to the public, thus spoiling the show.

Location

The first seven editions of the ESPYs were held in New York City, New York—in 1993 and 1994 at Madison Square Garden and between 1995 and 1999, inclusive, at Radio City Music Hall. The awards relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, for two years beginning in 2000, and ultimately settled at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. In 2006, it was announced that the awards would move in 2008 to the Nokia Theatre, to be situated as the West Coast headquarters of ESPN at LA Live, adjacent to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Hosts

The ceremonies have been hosted variously by comedians, television and film actors, and sportspeople. American film actor Samuel L. Jackson is the only individual to have hosted thrice (in 1999, 2001, and 2002); American comedian Dennis Miller and American film actor and singer Jamie Foxx are the only others to have hosted the awards ceremonies more than once.

Year-by-year

Awards

American professional golfer Tiger Woods is the most-honored ESPY recipient, having captured 21 awards.

Extant

Cross-cutter categories

"Cross-cutter" awards are those the eligibility for which is not confined to those sportspersons participating in, or those events occurring in, any single or specific sport.
*Arthur Ashe for Courage Award, presented to the sports-related personage(s) or team, irrespective of gender or sport contested, adjudged to have made the most significant or compelling humanitarian contribution in transcendence of sports in a given year (presented since 1993)
*Best Female Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the female sportsperson, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the most outstanding over a given year (1993)
*Best Male Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the male sportsperson, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the most outstanding in a given year (1993)
*Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the sportsperson, irrespective of gender or sport contested, adjudged to have made the best or most significant in his or her sport in a given year (1993)
*Best Championship Performance ESPY Award, presented to the sportsperson, irrespective of gender, nationality, or sport contested, adjudged to have made the best or most significant performance in a championship match, series, or tournament in his or her sport
*Best Coach/Manager ESPY Award, presented to the coach or manager, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the most outstanding in a given year (1993)
*Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the female sportsperson, irrespective of sport played, adjudged to be the best in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in a given year (2002The Best Female and Best Male College Basketball and Best College Football Player ESPY Awards, awarded betwixt 1993 and 2001, inclusive, were absorbed in 2002 by the Best Female and Best Male College Athlete ESPY Awards.] )
*Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the male sportsperson, irrespective of sport played, adjudged to be the best in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, in a given year (2002)
*Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the sportsperson, irrespective of gender or sport contested, adjudged to have made the most significant or impressive from illness, injury, hardship, retirement, or loss of form (1993)
*Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award, presented to the female sportsperson with a disability, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2005Between 2002 and 2004, inclusive, a single award for best sportsperson with a disability was presented; in 2005, the award was bifurcated by gender and reconstituted as the Best Female and Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Awards.] )
*Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award, presented to the male sportsperson with a disability, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2005)
*Best Game ESPY Award, presented to the single game in a North American professional or collegiate league, irrespective of sport, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2002)
*Best International Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the sportsperson in a North American professional or collegiate league, irrespective of gender, born outside the United States adjudged to be the best in a given year (2006)
*Best Upset ESPY Award, presented to the sportsperson or team, irrespective of gender or sport contested, adjudged to have completed the best, most impressive, or most significant upset in a given year (2004)
*Best Moment ESPY Award, presented to the moment or series of moments occurring in a sporting event or season, irrespective of sport contested or gender of participating sportsperson(s), adjudged to the most remarkable, compelling, or entertaining in a given year (2002)
*Best Play ESPY Award, presented to the single play or performance, irrespective of sport contested or gender of participating sportsperson, adjudged to be the most remarkable, significant, or impressive in a given year (2002)
*Best Record-Breaking Performance ESPY Award, presented to the -breaking single-play, game or season performance, irrespective of sport contested or gender of participating sportsperson, adjudged to be the most remarkable, significant, or impressive in a given year (2001)
*Best Sports Movie ESPY Award, presented to the sports-related feature film adjudged to be the best in a given year (2002)
*Outstanding Team ESPY Award, presented to the collegiate, professional, or national team, irrespective of sport contested, adjudged to be the most outstanding in a given year (1993 [In 2001, the Outstanding Team ESPY Award was bifurcated and two new awards—styled as the "Pro Team of the Year ESPY Award" and "College Team of the Year ESPY Award"—were presented; the two were combined once more in 2002.] )

Individual categories

"Individual" awards are those for which eligibility is limited to those partaking of a single individual or team sport or specific sport category.
*Best Female Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the female action sportsperson, irrespective of nationality or discipline contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (presented since 2004)
*Best Male Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the male action sportsperson, irrespective of nationality or discipline contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2004In 2002 and 2003, a single award, styled in the former year as the "Best Action Athlete of the Year ESPY Award", for best action sportsperson was presented; in 2004, the award was bifurcated by gender and reconstituted as the Best Male and Best Female Action Sports Athlete ESPY Awards.] )
*Best Angler ESPY Award, presented to the angler, irrespective of gender, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2006)
*Best Bowler ESPY Award, presented to the ten-pin bowler, irrespective of gender, adjudged to be the best playing in the United States in a given year (1995)
*Best Driver ESPY Award, presented to the motorsports driver, irrespective of nationality, gender, or series or sort contested adjudged to be best in a given year (1993)
*Best Fighter ESPY Award, presented to the professional boxer or mixed martial arts fighter, irrespective of nationality or weight class, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2007Between 1993 and 2006, inclusive, the award for best fighter, styled as the "Best Boxer ESPY Award", was limited only to boxers; the Best Fighter ESPY Award absorbed the former in 2007.] )
*Best Golfer ESPY Award, presented to the professional golfer, irrespective of nationality or gender, adjudged to be best in a given year (2005Between 1993 and 2004, inclusive, the award for best professional golfer was bifurcated by gender; the Best Female and Best Male Golfer ESPY Awards were merged and reconstituted as the Best Golfer ESPY Award in 2005.] )
*Best Jockey ESPY Award, presented to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey, irrespective of nationality or gender, adjudged to be the best riding in the United States in a given year (1994)
*Best MLS Player ESPY Award, presented to the player adjudged to be the best in Major League Soccer in a given year (2006)
*Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award, presented to the player adjudged to be the best in Major League Baseball in a given year (1993)
*Best NBA Player ESPY Award, presented to the player adjudged to be the best in the National Basketball Association in a given year (1993)
*Best NFL Player ESPY Award, presented to the player adjudged to be the best in the National Football League in a given year (1993)
*Best NHL Player ESPY Award, presented to the player adjudged to be the best in the National Hockey League in a given year (1993)
*Best Soccer Player ESPY Award, presented to the soccer player, irrespective of gender or nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2000Both males and females were eligible for the 2000 and 2001 iterations of the award, which was bifurcated by gender and reconstituted as the Best Female and Best Male Soccer Player ESPY Awards in 2002; the awards were merged into a single award in 2005.] )
*Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award, presented to the female professional tennis player, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993)
*Best Male Tennis Player ESPY Award, presented to the male professional tennis player, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993)
*Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the female athlete (track-and-fielder), irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993)
*Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the male athlete (track-and-fielder), irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993)
*Best WNBA Player ESPY Award, presented to the player adjudged to be the best in the Women's National Basketball Association in a given year (1998)

ponsored categories

"Sponsored" awards are those otherwise constituted as "cross-cutter" awards the titles and eligibility criteria of which reflect corporate sponsorship.
*GMC Professional Grade Play ESPY Award, presented to the single play in a professional or collegiate North American sport adjudged to be the most impressive, remarkable, or notable in a given year, and to the sportsperson(s) involved therewith (presented since 2006)
*Under Armour Undeniable Performance ESPY Award, presented to the single performance in a game or series in a professional or collegiate North American sports league to be the most impressive or significant in a given year, and to the sportspersons involved therewith (2006)

Discontinued or superseded

Cross-cutter categories

"Cross-cutter" awards are those the eligibility for which is not confined to those sportspersons participating in, or those events occurring in, any single or specific sport.

Individual categories

"Individual" awards are those for which eligibility is limited to those partaking of a single individual or team sport or specific sport category.
*Best Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award, presented to the action sportsperson, irrespective of gender, nationality, or discipline contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (presented between 2002 and 2003, inclusive)
*Best Female College Basketball Player ESPY Award, presented to the female basketball player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993—2001, inclusive)
*Best Male College Basketball Player ESPY Award, presented to the male basketball player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993—2001, inclusive)
*Best College Football Player ESPY Award, presented to the American football player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993—2001, inclusive)
*Best Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award, presented to the sportsperson with a disability, irrespective of gender, nationality, or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2002–2004, inclusive)
*Best Boxer ESPY Award, presented to the boxer, irrespective of nationality or weight class, adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993–2006, inclusive)
*Best Female Golfer ESPY Award, presented to the female professional golfer, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993—2004, inclusive)
*Best Male Golfer ESPY Award, presented to the male professional golfer, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (1993—2004, inclusive)
*Best Female Soccer Player ESPY Award, presented to the female soccer (association football) player, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2002—2004, inclusive)
*Best Male Soccer Player ESPY Award, presented to the male soccer (association football) player, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given year (2002—2004, inclusive)
*Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY Award, presented to the sportsperson, irrespective of gender or nationality, adjudged to be the best of those contesting outdoor recreational or nature-based individual sports in the United States and Canada in a given year (2002—2005, inclusive [Amongst those eligible for the Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY Award were bass sport fishermen; such sportspersons are eligible for the Best Angler ESPY Award, which partially replaced the former award and was first presented in 2006.] )

ponsored categories

"Sponsored" awards are those otherwise constituted as "cross-cutter" awards the titles and eligibility criteria of which reflect corporate sponsorship.

ee also

*Laureus World Sports Awards
*

References

External links

* [http://espn.go.com/espy2008/ Official site of the 2008 ESPY Awards]
* [http://www.hickoksports.com/history/espyawrd.shtml History of the awards from HickokSports.com]