Nominees Announced for 'The 2021 ESPYS Presented by Capital One'

Nominees for "The 2021 ESPYS presented by Capital One" were REVEALED TODAY and fan voting has begun. Fans can cast their vote at ESPYS.com, and a full list of The 2021 ESPYS nominees is available here. Voting is open until 8 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 9. Christine Williams and Gary Streiwski will host "The ESPYS Nomination Special" on Thursday, July 1, at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN. "The ESPYS" will be broadcast live on ABC on Saturday, July 10, at 8 p.m. EDT from The Rooftop at Pier 17 at the Seaport in New York City.

"THE 2021 ESPYS" FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Tom Brady is nominated for Best Athlete - Men's Sports and Best NFL Player, making this his fourth and 10th nomination in each respective category. "The 2021 ESPYS" will mark his 11th feature at the show. In Best Athlete - Men's Sports, he is followed by three newcomers to the category in Connor McDavid, Lewis Hamilton and Nikola Jokic.
• In Best Athlete - Women's Sports, Naomi Osaka and Amanda Nunes face off against returning nominees Breanna Stewart and Simone Biles, who have a combined total of seven nominations in the category since 2014.
• Russell Westbrook returns to the Best Record-Breaking Performance category with a new triple-double record where he is joined by standouts DeVonta Smith, Phil Mickelson and Tara VanDerveer
• For a third straight year, Aaron Donald returns to Best NFL Player where he faces off against legends Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, along with newcomer to the category Derrick Henry.

"The 2021 ESPYS" returns to ABC with a star-studded event in celebration of this year's greatest achievements in sports. "The 2021 ESPYS" will relive the highlight moments of the year, honor leading athletes and performances, and bring together the sports industry's fan favorites and biggest stars.

Top celebrities from sports and entertainment will gather to recognize nominees and honor winners in categories such as Best Athlete - Men's Sports, Best Athlete - Women's Sports, Best Game, Best Record-Breaking Performance, Best MMA Fighter and Best Play.

Per tradition, "The 2021 ESPYS" will also showcase the achievements of inspiring and courageous athletes who embody the spirit of "The ESPYS" through three pillar awards - the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and The Pat Tillman Award for Service. The show supports ESPN's ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, launched in 1993 by ESPN in partnership with the late Jim Valvano.