ESPY Awards 2024: Winners, live updates as ESPN celebrates the final year in sports
With the MLB All-Star Game approaching and the sports calendar on hiatus for most other professional and college leagues, the 2024 ESPY Awards are just around the corner. The annual awards show, held since 1993, honors the best athletes and teams from the previous year. While some awards feature global athletes, the focus is primarily on North American sports, with stars like Caitlin Clark, Christian McCaffrey and Lamar Jackson up for multiple awards this year. You can check out the full list of nominees here.
The ESPYs also honor athletic contributions off the field, and this year, Prince Harry, former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason and South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley will be honored at the ceremony.
Serena Williams will host this year’s ESPYs, joining legendary athletes such as Stephen Curry, Russell Wilson, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Peyton Manning and LeBron James, who have hosted the ceremony in the past.
How to Watch the 2024 ESPY Awards
Stay tuned to Yahoo Sports for live updates from the 2024 ESPYS, including the biggest moments and winners from the ceremony throughout the night.
Live18 updates
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Another pleasant moment: the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award
Maui’s surfing community is embracing the honor after helping recover from the 2023 wildfire that devastated Lahaina, with its leader urging viewers to take climate change more seriously.
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Patrick Mahomes wins Best Athlete, Men’s Sports
Andy Reid is accepting the award on behalf of the three-time Super Bowl champion. Mahomes beat out Shohei Ohtani, Connor McDavid and Scottie Scheffler.
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Serena Williams Sings Extremely Mean Love Song Aimed at Old Friend/Rival Maria Sharapova
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Steve Gleason receives standing ovation as he accepts the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage
Former NFL safety Steve Gleason became one of the faces of ALS after being diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disorder in 2011. Doctors initially thought he had only a few years to live, but he’s still here, living in a wheelchair with the support of his wife, children and other caregivers.
ESPN named him the winner of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, and he received a standing ovation as he took the stage with his son, a tear visibly streaming down his face as his speech began. The ESPYs always try to deliver moments with meaning beyond sports, and this was the best of the night.
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Cooper Flagg wins Gatorade Male Player of the Year, Sadie Engelhardt Female Player of the Year
Cooper Flagg has won the Gatorade Men’s Player of the Year award. Flagg, the national high school player of the year at Montverde Academy (Florida), will play college basketball at Duke.
Read more about Flagg in Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek.
Cooper Flagg over VJ Edgecomb in City of Palms finals
Flagg goes 21-14-3, 5 stock with the usual mix of shooting, athleticism/motor, passing IQ. Most interchangeable/versatile prospect since ?
20 to VJ, first step a great lead creator. Shotmaker. Encourage passing flashes photo.twitter.com/GGgeUoXxC0
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) December 27, 2023
The Player of the Year award went to Ventura High (Calif.) track star Sadie Engelhardt, who will continue her career at North Carolina State.
🗣️ “And she lets go, the final kick, let’s hear it for her, guys. 4:27, 28, 29, she’s letting go. She’s lactic, completely. She’s done it — and Allie right there with her!”
Sadie Engelhardt says the final 100m of the championship mile at New Balance Nationals, where she ran… photo.twitter.com/IFIjp13b2j
— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) June 16, 2024
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Nick Saban Honored with ESPYs Icon Award
Former Alabama stars Mark Ingram II and Bryce Young present Nick Saban with the Icon Award for his legendary career as the Crimson Tide’s head coach.
Saban won an impressive seven national championships during his 17 years at Alabama, compiling a record of 206–29. No coach has won more national titles in college football.
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Serena and Venus Williams Got a Little Bit of Quinta Brunson on Women’s Sports and It Got Spicy
The Williams sisters took the stage with “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson to talk about leveraging girls’ sports and they…had a few things to talk about.
This included them saying “Don’t ever use the B-word…you know who you are,” a likely dig at ESPN’s Pat McAfee apologizing for calling Caitlin Clark a “white bitch from Indiana.” Then Serena closed by responding to Venus’s plea for people to enjoy women’s sports by saying, “Except for you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you.”
“You can enjoy women’s sports just like any other sport because they are sports. Except for you, Harrison Butker, we don’t need you. No way, as always.” – Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Quinta Brunson 🔥🔥🔥
Heavy on that… #Spies #ESPYAwards #ESPYS24 photo.twitter.com/zdNPpcUrme
— Gerren Peterson (@GerrenPeterson) July 12, 2024
Serena also said, “LeBron wants to win a title with his son on his team. I won it with my daughter, in my belly. I think we know which one is more impressive.”
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LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson provides some music
LSU basketball player Flau’Jae Johnson introduced herself to her fellow athletes and had a moment with Lil Wayne.
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South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley Honored with Jimmy V Award for Perseverance
Stuart Scott’s daughters Sydni and Taelor, along with “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson, presented this year’s Jimmy V Award for Perseverance to South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley.
Staley, a three-time NCAA champion coach, was honored for “her leadership in the fight against cancer,” becoming a vocal advocate for cancer research when her sister, Tracey Underwood, and former assistant Nikki McCray-Penson were diagnosed with cancer.
Underwood received a life-saving bone marrow transplant from her brother, Lawrence, which inspired Staley to raise awareness for patient care, research and resources.
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Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson Wins Best Athlete, Women’s Sports
Women’s basketball legend Candace Parker and USA track and field star Allyson Felix presented the ESPY Award for Best Female Sports Athlete to Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson.
Wilson, a two-time WNBA MVP, currently leads the league in scoring, averaging 26.9 points per game. Last season, she averaged 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, leading the Aces to their second consecutive WNBA championship.
Teammate Sydney Colson posted a video on the Aces’ social media celebrating Wilson’s win.
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Prince Harry honored with Pat Tillman Service Award
Prince Harry received the Pat Tillman Service Award for his work at the Invictus Games, an event for wounded, injured and sick military personnel (both serving and veterans).
Prince Harry paid tribute to Tillman’s mother, Mary, in his acceptance speech.
“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one I respect,” he said, via the New York Post. “The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”
The award was presented by three previous Tillman Award winners who also competed in the Invictus Games.
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Celtics’ Jaylen Brown wins Championship Performance of the Year award
Halle Bailey and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson presented the ESPY Award for Best Championship Performance to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown.
Brown carried the Larry O’Brien championship trophy to the ceremony.
In the five-game NBA Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists.
Is an ESPY award consolation for not being named to the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team in favor of teammate Derrick White? If asked, that question should generate a good answer.
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JuJu Watkins wins Best Newcomer award
Glorilla and Draymond Green (representing Michigan State’s green and white team with his tuxedo) presented the ESPY Award for Best New Athlete to USC point guard JuJu Watkins.
Watkins averaged 27.1 points per game in his first season, along with 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks.
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ESPYs broadcast postponed due to President Biden’s press conference
Viewers looking to watch the ESPYs were greeted by ABC News’ coverage of President Biden’s press conference at the NATO Summit.
The ABC broadcast was delayed for 30 minutes while the press conference and brief comments afterward were aired.
However, ABC is airing the ESPYs telecast in its entirety, starting at 8:33 p.m. ET. The show was postponed because the press conference took place.
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Jaylen Brown just gave a less-than-enthusiastic “no comment” to Cam Newton about why he’s not on the U.S. Olympic team. He’s been openly unhappy about being snubbed by the U.S. Olympic team.
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Surprisingly, Caitlin Clark won the award for best college athlete in women’s sports.
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And of course the host is here.
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There’s still almost an hour until the ESPYs start, but ESPN has already announced some smaller awards:
Shohei Ohtani, MLB Player of the Year
A’ja Wilson, WNBA Player of the Year
Luka Doncic, NBA Player of the Year
