The 2026 ESPY Awards are going down tonight, Wednesday, July 15, live from the David H. Koch Theater in New York City, and comedian Marcello Hernández is set to host the whole wild ride.
Who's Showing Up and Why It Matters
ESPN put this whole thing together to celebrate the absolute best athletes, the wildest moments, and the most incredible plays from the last year in sports. We're talking a star-studded night, people! Billie Jean King, Simone Biles, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are all expected to be there, making it one of the biggest nights you can imagine. It's not just about who wins, it's about seeing all these legends and current titans together under one roof, honoring what makes sports so electric.
The Names Everyone's Buzzing About
Now, let's talk about the real juice: the nominees! For Best Athlete in men's sports, you got powerhouses like Jalen Brunson from the Knicks, Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF, Shohei Ohtani representing the Dodgers, and the Rams' Matthew Stafford all vying for the top honor. On the women's side, it's just as stacked with Hillary Knight from hockey, golf sensation Nelly Korda, ski legend Mikaela Shiffrin, and the Aces' A'ja Wilson competing. Breakthrough Athlete has names like the Sharks' Macklin Celebrini and Drake Maye from the Patriots making waves. And for Best Comeback Athlete, Christian McCaffrey from the 49ers is on the list, which is just insane! The 'Best Play' category is always a nail-biter, featuring moments like UConn's buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Braylon Mullins and OG Anunoby's tip-in from the NBA Finals. For Best Team, the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA and the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB are among those up for the big award.
How to Catch All the Action Tonight
Don't even think about missing this. The show kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. You can catch all the action live on ABC. If you're cutting the cord, no sweat! You can stream the whole thing on fubo or the ESPN app, so you have absolutely zero excuses to not tune in. It's all happening tonight, July 15, celebrating a year of unbelievable athletic feats. Who takes home the hardware? We're about to find out, and honestly, the suspense is killing me!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.