July may be a slow month in the sports world, but there’s at least one must-see event on every sports fan’s calendar: the ESPYs. The annual awards show hosted by ESPN celebrates the top moments, performances and achievements from the past year in sports. Additionally, the ESPYs recognize inspiring athletes and figures who have shown extraordinary courage and dedication to their communities.
Keep reading to get all the information you need to watch the ESPYS presented by Capital One live, from the 2026 ESPYS nominees, channel information and more.
From sports to award shows and everything in between, DIRECTV has you covered.
How to Watch the 2026 ESPY Awards
The ESPYs will air on Wednesday, July 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Fans with the ESPN App can also stream the event live on the platform.
Find your local ABC affiliate channel here.
Who is Hosting the ESPY Awards?
Live from New York City, SNL star Marcello Hernández will host the 2026 ESPYs. The Miami native is a former athlete and a massive sports fan. He’s a regular at the US Open Tennis Tournament and previously hosted the MLB Home Run Derby.
2026 ESPY Awards Nominations
Similar to the MTV Music Video Awards and the Billboard Music Awards, the ESPYS are powered by fan engagement. Fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite athletes in hopes they will take home the 2026 ESPY for their given category.
Voting will be underway until 5 p.m. ET on the day of the awards, July 15, which you can find here: ESPYs Voting.
Until then, here’s a look at the individual categories, the nominees and our predictions for each.
Best Athlete, Men’s Sports
- Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
- Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Prediction: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani won his third straight MVP and fourth in five years while helping lead the Dodgers to their second straight World Series title.
Best Athlete, Women’s Sports
Prediction: A’ja Wilson. Wilson won her second straight MVP (her fourth since 2020), took home Defensive Player of the Year (her third since 2022) and was named First Team All-WNBA and First Team All-Defense for the fourth straight year. Oh, and she led the Aces to their third WNBA championship in four years.
Best Breakthrough Athlete
- Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks
- Alysa Liu, Figure Skating
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Football
Prediction: Alysa Liu. Liu was a sensation at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She took home gold in the Women’s Singles and team events. Liu’s distinct style and advocacy for mental health were an instant hit with audiences around the world.
Best Record-Breaking Performance
- Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns – broke the NFL single-season sack record
- Megan Grant, UCLA Softball – broke the NCAA single-season softball home run record
- Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Cross-Country Skier – first athlete to win six golds at Winter Games
- Sabastian Sawe, Long-Distance Runner – first to finish a marathon in under two hours
Prediction: Sabastian Sawe. Finishing a marathon in under two hours is more than just setting a record, it’s a breakthrough in human potential.
Best Championship Performance
- Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
- Aerin Frankel, USA Women’s Hockey
- Connor Hellebuyck, USA Men’s Hockey
- Teagan Kavan, Texas Longhorns Softball
Prediction: Jalen Brunson. Non-New Yorkers will say it’s recency bias, but Brunson’s 45 points in the Finals clinching Game 5 to give the Knicks their first title in 53 years is tough to beat.
Best Comeback Athlete
- Anthony Kim, Golf
- Savy King, Angel City FC
- Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
- Kyndal Stowers, Texas A&M Volleyball
Prediction: Christian McCaffrey. The power of football will give McCaffrey the win. After traveling overseas to receive treatment on both Achilles tendons, he was written off in one of the biggest ways: he fell down fantasy draft boards. After appearing in just four games in 2024, McCaffrey suited up for a full season in 2025 finishing with 2,125 scrimmage yards, 17 touchdowns and a first team All-Pro selection.
Best Play
- Golden Goal for Gold! – Olympic Women’s Hockey
- Golden Goal for Gold! – Olympic Men’s Hockey
- UConn stuns Duke with Braylon Mullins’ buzzer-beating 3 – NCAA Men’s March Madness
- OG Anunoby’s Tip-In – NBA Finals
- Caleb Williams Game Tying TD vs. Rams – NFL
Prediction: OG Anunoby. Arguably the toughest category on this list, the image of Anunoby’s tip in to seal the Knicks 29-point comeback in game 4 of the NBA Finals should have a place in The Met.
Best Team
- Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
- Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB
- Indiana Hoosiers, NCAA Football
- Carolina Hurricanes, NHL
- New York Knicks, NBA
- Texas Longhorns, NCAA Softball
- Seattle Seahawks, NFL
- Team USA Men’s Hockey
- Team USA Women’s Hockey
Prediction: Indiana Hoosiers. For most living college football fans, the idea of the Indiana Hoosiers putting together an undefeated National Championship was something so remote it wasn’t even considered. Curt Cignetti assembled one of the best teams in college football history and instantly ascended to the best coach in the country.
Best Single-Game Performance
- Tyce Armstrong, Baylor Baseball – hit three grand slams in a single game, tying a record set 50 years ago
- Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat – scored 83 points in a 150–129 win against the Washington Wizards, recording the second-highest single-game total in NBA history
- Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame Basketball – broke the NCAA record for most steals (16) in a game
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers – pitched six scoreless innings, struck out 10 batters and hit three home runs
Prediction: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani’s performance might have been the most impressive in baseball history and he clinched the pennant with it. It’s never been seen before; it might never be seen again.
Best College Athlete, Men’s Sports
- Cameron Boozer, Duke Basketball
- Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Football
- Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State Wrestling
- Donavan Phillip, NC State Soccer
Prediction: Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza did the impossible: he led the Indiana Hoosiers to a National Championship. One of the most impressive seasons in college football history, Mendoza delivered time and again in big games and helped completely change the trajectory of the school’s football program.
Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports
- Olivia Babcock, Pittsburgh Volleyball
- Lauren Betts, UCLA Basketball
- Madison Taylor, Northwestern Lacrosse
- Faith Torrez, Oklahoma Gymnastics
Prediction: Lauren Betts. Lauren Betts made her second straight First Team All-American appearance, averaging 17 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 blocks per game while helping the UCLA women’s basketball team win its first ever national championship.
Best Athlete with a Disability
- Jake Adicoff, Para Nordic-Skiing
- Declan Farmer, Para Hockey
- Oksana Masters, Para Cross-Country Skiing
- Susannah Scaroni, Wheelchair Racing
Prediction: An Olympic gold medalist and winner of the Boston and Chicago marathons in 2025, Susannah Scaroni is one of the most decorated Paralympians in U.S. history. In 2025, Scaroni won at the Boston, Sydney, Chicago and New York City marathons.
Best NFL Player
- Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Prediction: Myles Garrett. Garrett set the single-season sack record in what felt like an inevitability. For years, Garrett has been the most dominant defensive player in the league, and this past season was a showcase of his talent and a well-earned spot in the record books for the one-man wrecking crew.
Best MLB Player
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
- Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Prediction: Shohei Ohtani. Three straight MVPs and performances that continue to rewrite Major League Baseball’s historic record book make Ohtani an easy pick.
Best NHL Player
- Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks
- Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Prediction: Connor McDavid. The closest thing this generation has seen to Wayne Gretzky, McDavid won his sixth career Ross Trophy in 2025, tying him for second all-time in the most elite company. He is also tied with Gretzky with five Lindsay Award wins and remains one of the most electric players on ice.
Best NBA Player
- Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Prediction: Jalen Brunson. This is a pick not by the analytics but by sheer will. Brunson led the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years. While this list is littered with multi-time MVPs and Defensive Player of the Year winners, this was Brunson’s season.
Best WNBA Player
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
- Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
- Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Prediction: A’ja Wilson. Wilson won her fourth career MVP award and her second straight in 2025, putting together yet another dominant season on her way to leading the Aces to their third championship in the last four years.
Best Driver
Prediction: Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli burst onto the scene replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. He became the youngest pole sitter in F1 history at the Chinese Grand Prix and has established himself as one of the sport’s emerging stars.
Best Fighter
- Terence Crawford, Boxing
- Gabriela Fundora, Boxing
- Justin Gaethje, MMA
- Claressa Shields, Boxing
Prediction: Terence Crawford. Crawford has maintained a perfect 42-0 record, adding welterweight, middleweight and now super middleweight to his collection after taking down Canelo Alvarez in their last meeting in September 2025. He is a World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization champion.
Best Soccer Player
- Temwa Chawinga, KC Current
- Ousmane Dembélé, PSG/France
- Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF
- Alexia Putellas, Spain/Barcelona
Prediction: Ousmane Dembélé. Voted FIFA’s best player in 2025, Dembélé netted 21 goals in the 2024-25 French League and is on his way to surpassing that total in the new season.
Best Golfer
- Nelly Korda
- Rory McIlroy
- Scottie Scheffler
- Jeeno Thitikul
Prediction: Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler took home two PGA major titles in 2025, winning the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, entering rare company as a multi-major winner in a single season.
Best Tennis Player
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Elena Rybakina
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Jannik Sinner
Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz became the youngest career Grand Slam winner when he won the 2026 Australian Open, making it two straight Grand Slam wins after he took home the 2025 U.S. Open.
Specialty Award Nominations
Unlike the award categories above, which are voted for by fans, there are a few additional awards that are given out to honor those making a difference in the world of sports or in the greater community through sports. Below are the awards, what they are for and who will be honored at the 2026 event.
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award
This award recognizes individuals in the sports community who have significantly contributed beyond their athletic achievements by advocating for their sport and creating a global impact.
Jason Collins will posthumously receive this honor. The only openly gay man in NBA history to this date, Collins came out at a time when it was still not thoroughly accepted by society. Raising visibility in the LGBTQ+ community became a mission for him, and he inspired so many athletes. Collins passed away from a brain tumor in May 2026. He carried his message of hope throughout his diagnosis.
The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance
Jim Abbott will receive this year’s Jimmy V award. One of the most influential athletes in sports history, Abbott pitched for 10 years with just one hand, even completing a no-hitter in 1993. Abbott had everything working against him at a position that calls for a near-superhuman arm, and he continually delivered superhuman performances.
The Pat Tillman Award for Service
Scott Ruskan, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer based in Corpus Christi, helped save 165 lives as part of a four-person flight crew that carried people out of a deadly flood that swept through Kerrville’s Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River.
Watch the 2026 ESPYs with DIRECTV
Make sure you don’t miss a moment of the 2026 ESPY Awards sponsored by Capital One Wednesday, July 15th on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
Frequently asked questions
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