Think of the ESPY Awards as the Oscars of the sports world. Same city, same red carpet glam, same iconic Dolby Theatre but instead of actors and directors, it’s the world’s best athletes who take center stage.
Wednesday, July 16, Los Angeles will host the biggest celebration in sports. But forget Steven Spielberg and Jack Nicholson — this year’s guest list includes names like Shohei Ohtani, Saquon Barkley, Simone Biles, and Caitlin Clark.
Well… except Ohtani. The two-way superstar won’t be there in person — he’ll be busy playing in the MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta. Not even a private jet can get him to L.A. in time.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley will be one of the night’s headliners. He’s up for three major awards: Best Male Athlete, Best NFL Player, and Best Play (for that jaw-dropping mid-game backflip).
Ohtani is again in the running for Best Male Athlete and Best MLB Player — and let’s be real, he’s the clear front-runner for the latter. On the women’s side, Simone Biles and A’ja Wilson are leading the pack in the Best Female Athlete category.
As for the newcomers, Paul Skenes, who’s actually starting for the National League in the All-Star Game, is nominated for Breakthrough Athlete of the year. Understandably, he won’t be there either. Joining him in the breakout spotlight is recent NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg, who’s nominated for both Breakthrough and College Male Athlete of the Year.
🏆 2025 ESPYs: Key Categories & Nominees
Best Male Athlete
- Josh Allen
- Saquon Barkley
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Shohei Ohtani
Best Female Athlete
- Simone Biles
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
- Gabby Thomas
- A’ja Wilson
Breakthrough Athlete
- Cooper Flagg
- Chloe Humphrey
- Ilona Maher
- Paul Skenes
Best Record-Breaking Performance
- Geno Auriemma
- Caitlin Clark
- Kevin Durant
- Alexander Ovechkin
Best Championship Performance
- Simone Biles
- Stephen Curry
- Freddie Freeman
- Rory McIlroy
Comeback of the Year
- Gabe Landeskog
- Suni Lee
- Mallory Swanson
- Lindsey Vonn
Play of the Year
- Saquon Barkley’s backflip
- Tyrese Haliburton’s Finals three-peat
- Sabrina Ionescu’s logo three-pointer
- Trinity Rodman’s Olympic game-winner
Best Team
- Florida Panthers (NHL)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
- New York Liberty (WNBA)
- Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (NCAA)
- UConn Women’s Basketball
- U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team
- University of North Carolina
🎖️ Top Contenders by League
NFL: Allen, Barkley, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Surtain II
MLB: Freeman, Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal
NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
WNBA: Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, A’ja Wilson
NHL: Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov, Cale Makar, Connor Hellebuyck
Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka
Football (Soccer): Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Lamine Yamal, Christian Pulisic
Boxing: Oleksandr Usyk, Claressa Shields, Katie Taylor, Naoya Inoue
UFC: Islam Makhachev, Dricus Du Plessis, Kayla Harrison, Merab Dvalishvili
Motorsport: Max Verstappen, Álex Palou, Joey Logano, Oscar Piastri
