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An ESPY Award is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN, to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993. Because of the ceremony's rescheduling prior to the 2002 iteration thereof, awards presented in 2002 were for achievement and performances during the seventeen-plus previous months. As the similarly styled Grammy, Emmy, Academy Award, and Tony, the ESPYs are hosted by a contemporary celebrity; the style, though, is lighter, more relaxed and self-referential than many other awards shows, with comedic sketches usually included.
The Outstanding Team ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Best Team ESPY Award, has been presented annually since 1993 to the professional, collegiate, or national team, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a specified twelve-month period preceding the awards ceremony. In 2001, the award was bifurcated and the resulting honors were styled as the College Team of the Year and Pro Team of the Year ESPY Awards; the awards were joined once more in 2002.
The Best College Football Player ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2001 to the collegiate American football player adjudged to be the best in the United States in a given calendar year. The award was subsumed in 2002 by the Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award.
The Best Male College Basketball Player ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2001 to the male collegiate basketball player adjudged to be the best in the United States in a given calendar year. The award was subsumed in 2002 by the Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award.
The Best Female College Basketball Player ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2001 to the female collegiate basketball player adjudged to be the best in the United States in a given calendar year. The award was subsumed in 2002 by the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award.
The Best Female Golfer ESPY Award has been presented annually in two different periods to the professional female golfer adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year. It was originally presented between 1993 and 2004, but was, along with the parallel Best Male Golfer ESPY Award, subsumed in 2005 by the Best Golfer ESPY Award. In 2009, the awards were again bifurcated by sex.
The Best Male Golfer ESPY Award has been presented annually in two different periods to the professional male golfer adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year. It was originally presented between 1993 and 2004, but was, along with the parallel Best Female Golfer ESPY Award, subsumed in 2005 by the Best Golfer ESPY Award. The Best Male and Female Golfer Awards returned to the ESPY list in 2009.
The Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2006 to the male track and field athlete, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year. Beginning in 2007, this award was combined with the parallel Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award into the single Best Track and Field Athlete ESPY Award.
The Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2006 to the female track and field athlete, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year. Beginning in 2007, this award was combined with the parallel Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award into the single Best Track and Field Athlete ESPY Award.
The Best Jockey ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Jockey of the Year ESPY Award, has been presented annually since 1994 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey, irrespective of nationality or gender, adjudged to be the best of those riding in the United States in a given calendar year.
The Best Golfer ESPY Award was presented annually between 2005 and 2008 to the professional golfer adjudged, irrespective of gender or nationality, to be the best in a given calendar year. The award subsumed the gender-specific Best Male and Best Female Golfer ESPY Awards, which were presented annually between 1993 and 2004, inclusive. Beginning in 2009, the awards were again bifurcated by sex.
The Best Bowler ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1995 to the best ten-pin bowler, irrespective of gender, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year of those contesting the sport professionally in the United States. To date, the award has only been presented to male bowlers.
The Best Female Soccer Player ESPY Award was presented annually between 2002 and 2004 to the female soccer player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year among those contesting the sport on the professional or international level. The award—and the Best Male Soccer Player ESPY Award—evolved from the Best Soccer Player ESPY Award, which was awarded in 2000 and 2001, and the latter once more absorbed the gender-specific awards in 2005.
The Best Soccer Player category of the ESPY Award was presented in 2000, 2001, 2005, and 2006 to the soccer player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year among those contesting the sport on the professional or international level, irrespective of gender or nation represented. The award was bifurcated in 2002, but the resulting Best Male and Best Female Soccer Player ESPY Awards were joined once more in 2005. The award was effectively discontinued in 2005 and replaced by the Best MLS Player ESPY Award, as the 2006 award went to a worldwide star not to an American as in the previous years.
The Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the sportsperson, irrespective of gender, contesting a team sport professionally under the auspices of one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada or an individual sport on either an amateur or professional basis primarily in the United States or internationally under the auspices of a sport governing body adjudged to have made the most significant, profound, or impressive comeback from serious illness, injury, personal or familial hardship, retirement, or significant loss of form.
The Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award is an annual award honoring the achievements of a male individual from the world of disabled sports. Established with the aid of disability advocate and former United States Paralympic soccer player Eli Wolff, the accolade's trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, is presented to the disabled sportsman adjudged to be the best at the annual ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award was first bestowed as part of the ESPY Awards in 2005 after the non-gender specific Best Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award was presented the previous three years. Balloting for the award is undertaken by fans over the Internet from between three and five choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee, which is composed of a panel of experts. It is conferred in July to reflect performance and achievement over the preceding twelve months.
The Best Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award was an annual award honoring the achievements of an athlete from the world of disabled sports. It was first presented as part of the ESPY Awards at the 2002 edition as part of the ceremony's tenth anniversary of its establishment. The Best Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, was presented to the disabled sportsperson adjudged to be the best at the annual ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. For the 2004 ceremony, the winner was chosen by online voting through choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. Before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts. Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in July and reflect performance from the June previous.
The Best Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award was an annual award honoring the achievements of an athlete from the world of action sports. It was first awarded as part of the ESPY Awards in the 2002 ceremony. The Best Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award trophy, created by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, was presented to the action sports athlete adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year. Balloting for the award was undertaken by a panel of experts who composed the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in July and reflect performance from the June previous.
The Best Olympian, Men's Sports ESPY Award formerly known as the Best U.S. Male Olympian ESPY Award has been presented annually since 2009 to the sportsman or team affiliated with the United States Olympic Committee and contesting sport internationally adjudged to be the best. The award serves in practice to replace the Best Male Olympic Performance ESPY Award, which was presented in 2005, and the Best U.S. Olympian ESPY Award presented in 2006.
The Best Olympian, Women's Sports ESPY Award formerly known as the Best U.S. Female Olympian ESPY Award has been presented annually since 2009 to the sportswoman or team affiliated with the United States Olympic Committee and contesting sport internationally adjudged to be the best. The award serves in practice to replace the Best Female Olympic Performance ESPY Award, which was presented in 2005, and the Best U.S. Olympian ESPY Award presented in 2006.
References
- Enumeration of past winners from HickokSports.com at the Library of Congress Web Archives(archived 2002-02-23)
- Past ESPY Winners from ESPN MediaZone