Nominees Announced for 2016 ESPYS; Fan Voting Begins
By: Caryn Robbins Jun. 23, 2016
The 24th annual ESPYS is back on ABC for the second year with a star-studded night celebrating major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances of the past year in sports. Top celebrities from sports and entertainment gather to recognize nominees and honor winners in categories such as "Best MLB Player," "Best Team," "Best Female Athlete," and "Best Upset," "Best BREAKTHROUGH Athlete" and more. The ESPYS showcase inspiring human stories through three pillar awards - the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, the Jimmy V Perseverance Award and the Pat Tillman Award for Service. The show supports ESPN's ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, launched by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano in 1993.
Nominees for The 2016 ESPYS presented by Capital One were revealed today and fan voting has begun. Fans can cast their vote at ESPYS.com
The nominees follow:
BEST MALE ATHLETE
Stephen Curry
Cam Newton
Bryce Harper
LeBron James
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE
Breanna Stewart
Elena Delle Donne
Katie Ledecky
Simone Biles
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE
Von Miller - Super Bowl
Carli Lloyd - World Cup Final
Sidney Crosby - Stanley Cup Playoffs
LeBron James - NBA Finals
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE
Jake Arrieta
Conor McGregor
Chloe Kim
Karl-Anthony Towns
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE
Stephen Curry - single season three-pointers made
Geno Auriemma - most NCAA BASKETBALL titles in D1 history (11)
Christian McCaffery - single season NCAAF all-purpose yards
BEST UPSET
Holly Holm knocks out Ronda Rousey - UFC
Middle Tennessee over Michigan State - Men's NCAA BASKETBALL Tournament
Roberta Vinci over Serena Williams - US Open
BEST GAME
Villanova vs. North Carolina - Men's NCAA BASKETBALL Final
Arizona Cardinals vs. Green Bay Packers - NFL Divisional Round
Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers - NBA FINALS Game 7
BEST PLAY (16 NOMINEES VOTED BRACKET-STYLE)
Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary vs. 16. Crazy 66-yard Ole Miss' TD
Kris Jenkins buzzer beater vs. 15. Connor McDavid goal
Michigan St punt block TD vs. 14. Stanford trick play w/ circus catch
LeBron Game 7 block vs. 13. Louis Oosthuizen hole-in-one off of ball
Steph Curry 38-foot game-winner vs. 12. Army softball player leaps over tag
Holly Holm KNOCKOUT of Ronda Rousey vs. 11. Bartolo Colon first home run
Tiffany Howard HR robbery WCWS vs. 10. Josh Donaldson diving into stands
Jairo Samerio scores on scissor-kick ground vs. 9. Dele Alli juggling goal for Tottenham
BEST TEAM
Cleveland Cavaliers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Kansas City Royals
Denver Broncos
Alabama Crimson Tide
UConn Huskies
Villanova Wildcats
BEST COACH/MANAGER
Ned Yost - Kansas City Royals
Geno Auriemma - UConn Huskies
Jay Wright - Villanova Wildcats
Nick Saban - Alabama Crimson Tide
Tyronn Lue - Cleveland Cavaliers
BEST INTERNATIONAL ATHLETE
Cristiano Ronaldo
Novak Djokovic
Lydia Ko
Luis Suarez
Canelo Alvarez
BEST NFL PLAYER
Cam Newton
Tom Brady
JJ Watt
Antonio Brown
Julio Jones
BEST MLB PLAYER
Bryce Harper
Josh Donaldson
Jake Arrieta
Mike Trout
Clayton Kershaw
BEST NHL PLAYER
Patrick Kane
Alex Ovechkin
Sidney Crosby
Joe Pavelski
Braden Holtby
BEST DRIVER
Kyle Busch
Lewis Hamilton
Erica Enders-Stevens
Scott Dixon
Alexander Rossi
BEST NBA PLAYER
Stephen Curry
Kawhi Leonard
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Russell Westbrook
BEST WNBA PLAYER
Elena Delle Donne
Maya Moore
Angel McCoughtry
Tina Charles
DeWanna Bonner
BEST FIGHTER
Conor McGregor
Gennady Golovkin
Canelo Alvarez
Robbie Lawler
Roman Gonzalez
BEST MALE GOLFER
Jason Day
Dustin Johnson
Danny Willett
Jordan Spieth
BEST FEMALE GOLFER
Lydia Ko
Inbee Park
Brooke Henderson
Ariya Jutanugarn
BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER
Novak Djokovic
Andy Murray
Roger Federer
BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER
Angelique Kerber
Flavia Pennetta
Serena Williams
Garbine Muguruza
BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE
Derrick Henry
Buddy Hield
Jordan Morris
Jarrion Lawson
Alex Dieringer
BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE
Breanna Stewart
Raquel Rodriguez
Samantha Bricio
Taylor Cummings
Sierra Romero
BEST MALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE
Ryan Dungey
Gus Kenworthy
Nyjah Huston
Pedro Barros
Mark McMorris
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE
Chloe Kim
Keala Kennelly
Jamie Anderson
Carissa Moore
BEST JOCKEY
Mario Gutierrez
Kent Desormeaux
Javier Castellano
Irad Ortiz Jr.
BEST MALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY
Richard Browne
Joe Berenyi
Aaron Fotheringham
Nikko Landeros
Brad Snyder
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY
Tatyana McFadden
Heather Erickson
Oksana Masters
Bethany Hamilton
Shawn Morelli
BEST BOWLER
Jason Belmonte
Jesper Svensson
Ryan Ciminelli
Anthony Simonsen
BEST MLS PLAYER
Sebastian Giovinco
Kei Kamara
Laurent Ciman
Luis Robles
Comments
Videos