For the first time in the 30-year history of the ESPY Awards, the event won’t have a host due to the writers’ strike.
That’s going to create a bit of a shift in format for the 2023 edition, which will instead have an emphasis on guest presenters and musical performances. Stephen Curry hosted the event last year, which had the standard fare of skits.
Among the nominees this year are Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic for best athlete in men’s sports, along the likes of Iga Swiatek and A’ja Wilson for best athlete in women’s sports.
Most of the champions in major sports of the last year are also up for best team, including the Chiefs, Aces, and LSU Tigers women’s basketball team.
It will be interesting to see the new format play out, and how the lack of a host will impact the show.
MORE: Watch the ESPY Awards live on Fubo (free trial)
The Sporting News is tracking the night live. Follow along below to see the winners and highlights.
ESPYS list of categories, nominees, winners, highlights
8:49 p.m. — Mikaela Shiffrin wins the ESPY for best women’s athlete, highlighting what was an incredible 2022 for the skiing superstar.
8:44 p.m. — Jrue and Lauren Holiday earned the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award because of their support of Black-owned business.
“Our purpose here is to love each other.”
From Jrue supporting his wife Lauren when she had a brain tumor while pregnant, to them donating millions of dollars to Black and Brown businesses in 2020, the Holidays have always been a team ❤️ @ESPYS pic.twitter.com/L8kGIWnZrl
— ESPN (@espn) July 13, 2023
8:22 p.m. — Jamal Murray of the Nuggets wins comeback player of the year after helping Denver to a championship after tearing his ACL.
8:13 p.m. — OK. McAfee is a host. This is a host monologue.
8:08 p.m. — Lil Wayne opens The ESPYs with a performance of “A Milli,” and Pat McAfee comes out as a de facto host, despite his assertions he is not a host.
7:46 p.m. — Dion Dawkins has shown up with… A look.
Dion Dawkins brought it for the #ESPYS 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NIRKYoT1rs
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 12, 2023
7:16 p.m. — Oklahoma softball has been unstoppable over the past few years. They’re up for best team against other championship teams from the major sports. If we’re talking purely by record, they’re going to be tough to beat.
Lights, camera, 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🎬
ABC at 7 PM CT, #Sooners!@ESPYS x #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/pEoKkQ6Ro7
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) July 12, 2023
7:07 p.m. — The best NFL player is on the red carpet.
Red carpet szn
📍ESPYS @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/V4Sl2S9y43
— NFL (@NFL) July 12, 2023
6:45 p.m. — ESPYs mainstay Mikaela Shiffrin is ready.
Here we go!! 😅@ESPYS @espn pic.twitter.com/lKb7yulUwA
— Mikaela Shiffrin (@MikaelaShiffrin) July 12, 2023
6:25 p.m. — Another big honor to look for: White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks is set to receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance after coming back to the team following his inspiring battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Liam Hendriks will accept the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance tonight at the ESPYs
Here’s how to watch 👇https://t.co/74Wp1Oyaid
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) July 12, 2023
6:02 p.m. — The Vegas Golden Knights are very much on the scene in Los Angeles.
Checking in from the ESPYS red carpet! 👋
We are nominated for best team and Jonathan Marchessault is nominated for best NHL player! Wish us luck, fam 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Ew26xT9Zvi
— 🏆 – Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 12, 2023
6 p.m. — In other pre-announced awards, the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic has already been announced for best NBA player.
Nikola Jokic is taking home the award for the ESPYS Best NBA Player 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6Q914mWGlA
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 11, 2023
5:55 p.m. — It’s been confirmed LeBron James will be getting a special honor after passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
Happy @ESPYS Day ✨
Tonight, @KingJames will accept a special honor as the @NBA‘s all-time leading scorer 👑 pic.twitter.com/o6XBl9lcHf
— ESPN (@espn) July 12, 2023
5 p.m. — The ESPYs have not yet begun, but NFL Live has already unveiled the winner of a major category. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has won for best NFL player, unsurprising given his MVP award last season.
ESPY Award nominees 2023
Best athlete, men’s sports
- Nikola Jokic, 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 Swiatek, Tennis
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Winner: Mikaela Shiffrin, Ski
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, defeating Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Breaking a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis, which dates to the 1800s
- LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record
- Mikaela Shiffrin breaks the record for the most World Cup victories with her 87th win
- Max Verstappen wins the Mexican Grand Prix, breaking the record for most wins in a season
Best championship performance
- Leon Edwards, UFC
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Lionel Messi, Argentina
- Rose Zhang, LPGA
Best comeback athlete
- Jon Jones, UFC
- Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
- Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
- Justin Verlander, New York Mets / Houston Astros
Winner: Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Best play
Best team
- Denver Nuggets, NBA
- Georgia Bulldogs, NCAA Football
- Kansas City Chiefs, NFL
- Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
- Louisiana State Tigers, NCAA Women’s Basketball
- Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA Softball
- Vegas Golden Knights, NHL
MORE: What does ESPY stand for?
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 Basketball
- Izzy Scane, Northwestern Lacrosse
- Trinity Thomas, Florida 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 NFL player
- Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Winner: 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 Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Winner: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
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, USA/Portland Thorns
Best golfer
- Wyndham Clark
- Nelly Korda
- Jon Rahm
- Scottie Scheffler
Best tennis player
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Novak Djokovic
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Iga Swiatek
How to watch the 2023 ESPY Awards show
- Time: Wednesday, July 12 at 8 p.m. ET
- Channel: ABC
- Live stream: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
Cable subscribers can watch the 2023 ESPYS on ABC. Streaming options include ESPN.com or the ESPN app, both of which require cable login credentials.
Another option is Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks — ABC included — and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
