Some of the biggest names in sports took home a silver statue at this year’s ESPY Awards.
The ESPYs — which stand for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly — took place on Wednesday, July 12, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and recognized some of the world’s most prominent athletes’ outstanding work over the past year.
While the event is typically hosted by a well-known athlete — NBA star Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors took up the mantle in 2022 — Wednesday’s ceremony was without an emcee due to the ongoing WGA writer’s strike in Hollywood.
This year’s ceremony also paid tribute to three courageous athletes, teams and staff members for their strength over the past year. Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for his hard-fought battle against non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, while the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team was awarded the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for their fight for equal pay. The Buffalo Bills training staff, for their part, were honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service in recognition of their fast and life-saving service to NFL player Damar Hamlin when he went into cardiac arrest on the field in April.
Keep scrolling for the full list of nominees and winners from the 2023 ESPY Awards:
Best Athlete, Men’s Sports
Nikola Jokić – Denver Nuggets
Aaron Judge – New York Yankees
Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
Lionel Messi – Argentina
Best Athlete, Women’s Sports
Mikaela Shiffrin – Ski
Sophia Smith – Portland Thorns
Iga Świątek – Tennis
A’ja Wilson – Las Vegas Aces
Best Breakthrough Athlete
Caitlin Clark – Iowa Women’s Basketball
Brock Purdy – San Francisco 49ers
Angel Reese – LSU Women’s Basketball
Julio Rodríguez – Seattle Mariners
Best Record-Breaking Performance
Novak Djokovic
LeBron James
Mikaela Shiffrin
Max Verstappen
Best Championship Performance
Leon Edwards – UFC
Nikola Jokić – Denver Nuggets
Lionel Messi – Argentina
Rose Zhang – LPGA
Best Comeback Athlete
Jon Jones, UFC
Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets
Alyssa Thomas – Connecticut Sun
Justin Verlander – Current New York Mets / Houston Astros
Best Play
Michael Block Hole – Golf
Justin Jefferson – NFL
Ally Lemos – NCAA
Trinity Thomas – NCAA
Best Team
Denver Nuggets – NBA
Georgia Bulldogs – NCAA Football
Kansas City Chiefs – NFL
Las Vegas Aces – WNBA
Louisiana State Tigers – NCAA Women’s Basketball
Oklahoma Sooners – NCAA Softball
Vegas Golden Knights – NHL
Best College Athlete, Men’s Sports
Zach Edey – Purdue Men’s Basketball
Duncan McGuire – Creighton Soccer
Brennan O’Neill – Duke Lacrosse
Caleb Williams – USC Football
Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports
Jordy Bahl – Oklahoma Softball
Caitlin Clark – Iowa Women’s Basketball
Izzy Scane – Northwestern Lacrosse
Trinity Thomas – Florida Gators Gymnastics
Best Athlete With a Disability
Erica McKee – Sled Hockey Team
Zach Miller – Snowboarding
Aaron Pike – Wheelchair Racing & Cross-Country Skiing
Susannah Scaroni – Wheelchair Racing
Best NFL Player
Nick Bosa – San Francisco 49ers
Jalen Hurts – Philadelphia Eagles
Justin Jefferson – Minnesota Vikings
Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
Best MLB Player
Paul Goldschmidt – St. Louis Cardinals
Aaron Judge – New York Yankees
Shohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Angels
Justin Verlander – Houston Astros
Best NHL Player
Jonathan Marchessault – Vegas Golden Knights
Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers
David Pastrňák – Boston Bruins
Linus Ullmark – Boston Bruins
Best NBA Player
Jimmy Butler – Miami Heat
Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
Nikola Jokić – Denver Nuggets
Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
Best WNBA Player
Skylar Diggins-Smith – Phoenix Mercury
Candace Parker – Chicago Sky (Current Las Vegas Aces)
Breanna Stewart – Seattle Storm (Current New York Liberty)
A’ja Wilson – Las Vegas Aces
Best Driver
Brittany Force – NHRA
Kyle Larson – NASCAR
Josef Newgarden – IndyCar
Max Verstappen – F1
Best UFC Fighter
Leon Edwards
Jon Jones
Islam Makhachev
Amanda Nunes
Best Boxer
Gervonta Davis
Devin Haney
Claressa Shields
Shakur Stevenson
Best Soccer Player
Aitana Bonmatí – Spain/Barcelona
Erling Haaland – Norway/Manchester City
Lionel Messi – Argentina/PSG
Sophia Smith – USWNT/Portland Thorns
Best Golfer
Wyndham Clark
Nelly Korda
Jon Rahm
Scottie Scheffler
Best Tennis Player
Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic
Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Świątek
