On Wednesday, July 12, the biggest sports stars will be recognized for their accomplishments at the 2023 ESPY Awards. Broadcast live from Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, we’ll see some of the most talented athletes handed the hardware for their phenomenal performance over the last year.
From top performers, like the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić or the Las Vegas Aces, A’ja Wilson to big hitters like the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and headline dominating Lionel Messi, there’s a lot of extraordinary talent worth recognizing this year – I mean, who could forget Michael Block’s hole in one?
Serving as a not only the ultimate highlight reel, the ESPYs also honor character with acknowledgements like Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and The Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Get ready for the ESPYs, find out how to watch, who’s nominated and what to expect for this big event in sports.
How to Watch the ESPY Awards on DIRECTV
When: Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Where: Televised live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA
How to watch: Tune in on ABC (find area networks with this tool)
Want to watch the ESPY Awards and all the great sports programming that led to the main event? Get DIRECTV today to make sure you never miss a phenomenal play or a historic moment.
2023 ESPY Award Nominations
You saw the amazing plays, exciting moments and huge wins in action, but now relive them again with the full list of nominees for this year’s 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 wins his 23rd Grand Slam title
LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record
Mikaela Shiffrin breaks the record for the most World Cup victories
Max Verstappen, Red Bull, set record for most wins in a season
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE
Leon Edwards, UFC – defeats Kamaru Usman to win UFC welterweight title
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets – 2023 NBA Finals MVP
Lionel Messi, Argentina – 2022 World Cup Final
Rose Zhang, LPGA – first woman in 72 years to win her first professional start.
BEST COMEBACK ATHLETE
Jon Jones, UFC
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut
Justin Verlander, New York Mets
BEST PLAY
Michael Block’s hole in one – Golf
Justin Jefferson with the Catch of the Century
Ally Lemos with the perfect corner to tie the National Championship game, NCAA
Trinity Thomas’ Perfect 10 to tie NCAA Record, NCAA
BEST TEAM
Denver Nuggets, NBA
Georgia Bulldogs, NCAA Football
Kansas City Chiefs
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 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 FOOTBALL 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
See your favorite athletes accept their awards, then tune into the next big game. All with DIRECTV – Get your subscription now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are ESPYs?
The ESPY Awards is an award show that recognizes individual and team athletic achievement. The event is aired on ABC.
What does ESPY stand for?
ESPY stands for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly.
When are the ESPYs?
The ESPY Awards will be broadcast on ABC on July 12 at 8 p.m. ET.
What channel is ESPYs on?
The 2023 ESPYs are on ABC.
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