The Oscars are here… for sports.
July 15 will mark the return of the annual ESPYs, the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly awards. Produced by ESPN since 1993, the ESPYs recognize individual and tea, accomplishments throughout the year.
This year’s host is “Saturday Night Live” cast member Marcello Hernandez. After many years in Los Angeles, this is the first time the show will be held in New York City since 1999.
From “Knicks in 5” to a pair of Golden Goals in the Olympics, there have been many memorable moments in major sports over the last 12 months. And now, fans can vote for their top achievers and achievements across the athletic landscape.
How can I vote for the ESPYs?
Voting for the ESPYs has already been opened through ESPN. Voting will close the night of the ceremony, July 15.
When is the ESPYs awards show?
The 2026 Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award (ESPYs) will be at 8 p.m. July 15, 2026, on ABC. The show will be aired from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
Notable Florida nominees
With a total of 32 athletes nominated for these awards, Florida can claim five athletes:
Lionel Messi
Messi, the star of the MLS team Inter Miami, is considered one of the best soccer players ever. While in Miami he has earned the MLS MVP, MLS Golden Boot 2025, Ballon d’Or 2023 and Time’s Athlete of the Year in 2023. While those are purely individual accomplishments, Messi had led Inter Miami to Leagues Cup in 2023, Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and MLS Cup in 2025.
Nikita Kucherov
Kucherov plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning and has led the team to two Stanley Cups. He has also earned the Hart Memorial Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy Runner-up, and multiple NHL All-Star selections.
Nelly Korda
Born and raised in Bradenton, Florida, Korda is the No. 1 ranked women’s golfer in the world. She has 20 professional wins, including two major championships, an Olympic gold medal from the 2020 Summer Olympics, and has held the top spot in the world rankings for over 100 weeks.
Cameron Boozer
Boozer played high school basketball at Christopher Columbus High School in Florida. He received many awards including the Gatorade National Player of the Year twice, Florida Mr. Basketball and Mr. Basketball USA. He also earned many MVPs for different organizations. He was the consensus national player of the year in college basketball in 2026 and was the No. 3 pick in this year’s NBA draft.
Bam Adebayo
Adebayo, the star center of the Miami Heat, is a three-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA All-Defensive team honoree and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Earlier this year, he scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81 points for the second-most points scored ever in an NBA game.
Full nominee list
BEST ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTS
BEST ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTS
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE
BEST COMEBACK ATHLETE
BEST PLAY
BEST TEAM
BEST SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE
BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTS
BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTS
BEST ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY
BEST NFL PLAYER
BEST MLB PLAYER
BEST NHL PLAYER
BEST NBA PLAYER
BEST WNBA PLAYER
BEST DRIVER
BEST FIGHTER
BEST SOCCER PLAYER
BEST GOLFER
BEST TENNIS PLAYER
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: See this year’s ESPY nominees, which has plenty of Florida flavor
Reporting by Samantha Guillotte, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Samantha Guillotte, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
