LOS ANGELES — It’s time to celebrate and honor notable moments and people from the world of sports over the past year at the 2024 ESPY Awards.
Hosted by tennis legend Serena Williams at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the show presents awards to athletes and teams from around the world, along with plenty of fun-filled events. The ESPY Awards also present 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.
USA TODAY Sports has a complete list of the best moments and winners from the 2024 ESPY Awards.
Best Team: South Carolina Women’s Basketball
There is no denying that the South Carolina women’s basketball team had a great season and was named last year’s Team of the Year. The team went on to a perfect 38-0 record in the 2023-24 season and play in the national championship game with a win over Iowa in the finals. The entire Gamecocks team was in attendance to receive the award.
Best Comeback Athlete: Simone Biles
Simone Biles has been named the best comeback athlete as she prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She has come back from 2020 to dominate the gymnastics scene and is looking to win another gold medal in the coming weeks.
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Maui Surfing Community
The Maui surfing community was honored with the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for their work helping the Big Island recover from last year’s devastating wildfires. Surfer Kai Lenny spoke about how devastating the wildfires were for the town of Lahaina and the surrounding area, and how the community has come together to weather the effects.
Best Record-Breaking Performance: Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark, who received the Record-Breaking Performance Award for breaking the Division I scoring record during her final season at the University of Iowa, did not attend the game in Los Angeles but sent a video message of thanks.
Best Male Athlete: Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes won the NBA’s Most Valuable Male Athlete Award after leading the Kansas City Chiefs to consecutive Super Bowl victories. Andy Reid was on hand to accept the award on Mahomes’ behalf and said it’s been great to watch him grow as both a player and a person.
Serena Williams sings again, dedicates song to Maria Sharapova
Williams sang another Jamie Foxx song, this time in tribute to Maria Sharapova, who she faced many times during her career, noting that she has beaten Sharapova 20 times.
Arthur Ashe Courage Award Recipient: Steve Gleason
Steve Gleason, known for his iconic blocked punt in the New Orleans Saints’ first home game back at the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, was presented with the Arthur Ashe Award for courage by former teammate Drew Brees. In 2011, Gleason was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but has continued to fight the disease and is an advocate for those battling ALS.
Gleason shed tears before speaking, and also cracking jokes with the audience. He said that when he was diagnosed, he was given three years to live, but he wasn’t allowed to live life to the fullest.
Honoring deceased athletes
The ESPY Awards ceremony honored athletes who passed away over the past year, including Willie Mays, Bill Walton and Jerry West.
Icon Award: Nick Saban
The legendary college football coach received the ESPY Icon Award for his accomplishments during his coaching tenure at Alabama. Saban won six national championships at Alabama and has the most titles in NCAA Division I history from any coach, including one title at Louisiana State University. He finished his tenure in Tuscaloosa with a 201-29 record, nine SEC championships and eight College Football Playoff appearances. He also coached four Heisman Trophy winners, two of whom, Mark Ingram II and Bryce Young, presented the award.
In his speech, Saban reflected on his coaching career and said he was most proud of the way his program built a foundation for former players to help their communities, and urged all players in attendance to never forget that sports brings people together.
Frauje Johnson’s performance
Rapper and Louisiana State University women’s basketball player Frauje Johnson took to the stage to perform a few songs.
Serena Williams criticizes Harrison Butker
As the Williams sisters and Quinta Brunson talk about the growth of women’s sports, there’s one person they wouldn’t want to see benefit from it: Kansas Chiefs kicker Harrison Butler.
“So just enjoy women’s sports, just like any other sport, because women’s sports are sports,” Venus Williams said.
“Except you, Harrison Butker. I don’t need you,” Serena Williams added.
Sister Williams Shows Love
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn Staley
The South Carolina women’s basketball coach, who won his third national title in April, received the Jimmy V Perseverance Award for his work advocating for cancer research and bone marrow donors. Staley’s sister, Tracy Underwood, received a transplant from her brother after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2020.
Staley said she has only been an observer of those battling cancer – some of whom have overcome real challenges to receive the award – but she said she is inspired by those who continue to fight the disease.
Female Athlete of the Year: A’ja Wilson
A’ja Wilson was named the women’s athlete of the year over Caitlin Clark. Wilson won back-to-back WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces and was named the 2023 WNBA Finals MVP. She was recently named one of the cover athletes for NBA 2K25 and is off to a strong start in the 2024 season. Wilson is off to a strong start in the 2024 WNBA season, leading the league in points (26.9) and blocks (2.7) per game and is second in the league behind Angel Reese with 11.3 rebounds per game.
Pat Tillman Award: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, received the Pat Tillman Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in founding the Invictus Games, a sporting event for active duty and veterans who have been wounded, injured or become ill in the line of duty.
Prince Harry was there to accept the award with his wife Meghan and appeared emotional as he took to the stage. He said he was honored to shine a spotlight on all the athletes who take part in the Invictus Games, and reminded people of the hardships that military personnel face during and after their service.
Best Championship Performance: Jaylen Brown
The Boston Celtics guard won the Best Championship Performance award, adding another award to his NBA Finals MVP accolades, as he averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game in the five-game series victory.
Serena Williams sings
She recalled the time Jamie Foxx sang a song dedicated to Serena Williams, to which the host responded by singing along.
Most Outstanding Breakthrough Athlete: JuJu Watkins
USC guard JuJu Watkins was named Breakthrough Athlete of the Year after a breakout freshman basketball season for the Trojans, where she averaged 27.1 points per game, second nationally to Caitlin Clark, and led USC to its first Elite Eight appearance since 1994.
Serena Williams Monologue
The 2024 ESPY Awards host criticized Drake, took his side in his infamous feud with Kendrick Lamar and danced multiple times to his hit diss song “Not Like Us.”
Williams congratulated Patrick Mahomes and “Taylor Swift’s boyfriend” on their Super Bowl victory, saying, “People are finally realizing that women’s sports are so much more fun.”
Ciara kicks off the show with a performance
This year’s ceremony kicked off with a performance from Ciara, who sang a tune featuring her hits “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step” and “Level Up.”
The awards will be announced before the 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 Disabled Athlete: Brenna Huckaby, snowboarding
Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports: Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Best WNBA Player: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
What time do the ESPY Awards start?
Guests will begin arriving on the red carpet at 5:30pm ET, and the show will begin at 8pm.
How to watch the ESPYs: TV channels, streaming
The awards ceremony will be broadcast on ABC and available to watch online on the ESPN streaming hub (subject to embargo restrictions in some regions).
Who are the 2024 ESPY nominees?
Here’s a link to the full list of nominees for the 2024 ESPY Awards. Some of the most notable names include Simone Biles, A’ja Wilson, Kaitlyn Clark, Coco Gauff, Patrick Mahomes, Jaylen Brown, Shohei Ohtani, and JuJu Watkins.
Who are this year’s special recipients?
- Arthur Ashe Courage Award: Steve Gleason, former NFL safety
- Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn Staley, South Carolina women’s basketball coach
- Pat Tillman Service Award: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Who are the celebrity presenters for the 2024 ESPYs?
Celebrity presenters include actress and comedian Quinta Brunson, comedian Nikki Glaser and actor Rob Lowe, while athletes presenting include Paige Bueckers, Draymond Green, Lindsey Vonn, Frauje Johnson, Glorilla, Allyson Felix, Damar Hamlin, Candace Parker, Brian Tyree Henry and Ryan Blaney.
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