LOS ANGELES — For one night at the 2025 ESPY Awards, the entire sports world united to celebrate all of the remarkable moments and athletes who captivated the world in the past year.
People that have made significant contributions to their sport and community were also honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
Best team: Philadelphia Eagles
The final honor of the night goes to the Super Bowl champions. Nick Sirianni and a few players accept the award. Jordan Maliata shouts out the trainers and families for being the reason for the team’s success.
Best record-breaking performance: Alexander Ovechkin
The NHL’s all-time leading scorer wins the award. While he’s not in attendance, he sent a video message accepting the award.
Other awards announced
Best women’s college athlete: JuJu Watkins
Best athlete, men’s sports: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Add another award for the reigning NBA MVP, coming off winning a title for Oklahoma City.
During his speech, Gilgeous-Alexander messed up and even dropped an expletive.
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Oscar Robertson
Considered one of the greatest basketball players ever, Robertson was honored for leading the fight for free agency.
Robertson recalled the battle with NBA owners and how his character was attacked. Despite the years-long legal challenge it was, he said he would do it again.
“It’s important to do the right thing, even if it comes at a personal sacrifice,” Robertson said.
Sports figures we lost
Athletes that died in the past year are honored with a musical performance by Tobe Nwigwe and David Michael Wyatt.
Best comeback athlete: Suni Lee
Lee battled back from kidney disease to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was part of the gold medal-winning all-around women’s gymnastics team. She also won bronze in the individual all-around and uneven bars.
Gatorade Player of the Year: Jane Hedengren and Cameron Boozer
The girls’ cross country and track and field athlete from Utah and boys’ basketball player are given the prestigious high school award.
Pat Tillman Award for Service: Greater Los Angeles first responders David Walters and Erin Regan
The honor went to two former college athletes who are firefighters that responded to the wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Walters was a swimmer at Texas and Regan played soccer at Wake Forest.
Both recipients acknowledged their family and friends, and gave credit to the other first responders during the deadly wildfires.
“We recognize this is not an individual award,” Regan said. “It’s a team award.”
Best WNBA player: Caitlin Clark
The 2024 Rookie of the Year gets the award.
Best athlete, women’s sports: Simone Biles
Biles takes home her second award of the night after she won best championship performance.
Icon Award: Diana Taurasi and Alex Morgan
The two legendary stars are recognized for their decorated careers after they both just retired.
Morgan and Taurasi each complimented each other, and they both acknowledged those that paved the way for their respective sports.
“Because of you, we were able to be Olympians and businesswomen and moms,” Morgan said.
Taurasi encourages the next generation to keep going and “bring that damn fire.”
Capital One Cup winners: Ohio State men and North Carolina women
The two schools had the top athletic programs in men’s and women’s sports. North Carolina’s women won titles in lacrosse and soccer, and Ohio State’s men won the College Football Playoff national championship.
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Katie Schumacher-Cawley
The Penn State women’s volleyball coach is honored for leading her team to a national championship while battling breast cancer. She became the first woman to coach a volleyball team to the Division I national title.
Schumacher-Cawley thanked the doctors that helped her battle cancer, her family for supporting her and her team for inspiring her to continue the battle. She also echos the words of Jim Valvano’s famous “don’t give up” speech.
‘College GameDay’ crew honors Lee Corso
Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee recognize the star of the college football show. Corso will have his last show during the season opener between Texas and Ohio State in August.
Corso said he hopes he was able to put a smile on people’s faces and he loved his job.
The crew gives him a proper celebration with the Southern California marching band coming on stage, and people bring out signs like the show. Of course, he also gets a Trojan head piece.
Best breakthrough athlete: Ilona Maher
The U.S. women’s rugby player became a national star at the 2024 Paris Olympics as the team won bronze.
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Sloane Stevens
Stevens receives the award for her foundations work in Compton, California, to teach tennis to kids.
Best play: Saquon Barkley hurdle
Shane Gillis jokes about ‘tush push’
Who came up with the infamous play? Gillis shows a parody movie trailer about how the ‘tush push’ came about.
Best championship performance: Simone Biles
The seven-time Olympic gold medalist takes the award for her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Awards not announced during show
Best NBA player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Best men’s college athlete: Cooper Flagg
Best women’s college athlete: JuJu Watkins
Best athlete with a disability: Noah Elliott
Best NFL player: Saquon Barkley
Best MLB player: Shohei Ohtani
Best NHL player: Leon Draisaitl
Best driver: Max Verstappen
Best UFC fighter: Merab Dvalishvili
Best boxer: Katie Taylor
Best soccer player: Christian Pulisic
Best golfer: Scottie Scheffler
Best tennis player: Coco Gauff
Shane Gillis monologue
The comedian holds nothing back to start the show, rolling with jokes about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting fouled, Caitlin Clark and the WNBA, the betting scandal with Shohei Ohtani and Bill Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson.
Gillis makes several jokes about President Donald Trump. He said he doesn’t know sports and told a story of meeting him at the Super Bowl.
What time are 2025 ESPY Awards?
Attendees will hit the red carpet at 5:30 p.m. ET and the show begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Wednesday, July 16.
How to watch the ESPYs: TV channel, streaming
Date: Wednesday, July 16
Time: 8 p.m. ET (airs at 8 p.m. PT)
Location: The Dolby Theatre (Los Angeles)
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN+
Watch the 2025 ESPY Awards on ESPN+
Who are 2025 ESPYS nominees?
Shohei Ohtani, Simone Biles, Caitlin Clark, Rory McIlroy and the Philadelphia Eagles are just some of the high-profile names up for awards. The full list of awards and nominees can be found here.
Who are ESPYs special honorees this year?
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Oscar Robertson
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Katie Schumacher-Cawley
Pat Tillman Award for Service: Greater Los Angeles first responders, David Walters and Erin Regan
Icon Award: Diana Taurasi and Alex Morgan
Who will be at 2025 ESPY Awards?
Celebrities who will present awards include Billie Jean King, Angela Bassett, Leslie Jones, Druski and Anthony Ramos. Russell Wilson, Lindsey Vonn, Matthew Stafford, Trinity Rodman and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are among the athletes who will also present awards.
In attendance will be athletes such as Simone Biles, Ilona Maher, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lamar Jackson, with several other notable sports figures also at the show. There will also be musical performances from Busta Rhymes, Clipse and Gelo.