On Wednesday evening, some of the biggest stars in sports and entertainment gathered at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate the year’s best moments in sports at The 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One.
The show, which aired live on ABC and streamed on ESPN+ in pattern with ABC airings across time zones, was hosted by comedian, actor, and writer Shane Gillis.
Each year, The ESPYS recognizes individuals in the sports world who have demonstrated admirable strength and bravery in the face of adversity with three marquee awards: the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Former NBA player Oscar Robertson was honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his fight to establish free agency in the NBA. The award is given to a deserving member of the sports world who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in, ultimately impacting people worldwide. Russell Westbrook presented Robertson with the award, who accepted saying, “In life, it is important to be persistent, or as I have been called, stubborn. Stubborn about what you believe in. It is important to do the right thing even if it comes at great personal sacrifice…I realized that helping others and looking out for more than just yourself improves whatever community of which you are part of.”
Penn State University women’s volleyball head coach, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for leading her team to the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship while battling breast cancer. After Russell Wilson presented her with the award, the crowd gave her a standing ovation. Cawley delivered an emotional speech, saying, “Cancer changed my life, but it didn’t take it. It didn’t take my belief, it didn’t take my spirit, and it didn’t take my team…I share this [award] with everyone who’s ever faced this disease – the survivors, those still fighting, and the ones we’ve lost, especially my dad – this is for you. Keep showing up, keep believing, and please never ever give up.”
Angela Bassett presented greater Los Angeles first responders and former athletes David Walters and Erin Regan with the Pat Tillman Award for Service, which is given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman. Both Walters and Regan were on the front lines battling extreme winds and fire behavior while tragically losing colleagues and working tirelessly to defend their city in one of the most devastating fires in Los Angeles history.
Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee delivered a moving tribute to their colleague and broadcast legend Lee Corso, and the USC marching band surprised Corso and the audience with a performance following his acceptance speech.
The show featured special musical performances from Grammy-nominated rapper Busta Rhymes, acclaimed hip-hop duo Clipse, and rising rap superstar GELO, along with a powerful In Memoriam tribute led by Grammy-nominated artist and multi-hyphenate Tobe Nwigwe featuring David Michael Wyatt.
The ESPYS helps raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS in 1993. ESPN has helped raise more than $265 million for the V Foundation over the past 32 years. For more information, go to V.org.
COMPLETE LIST OF THE 2025 ESPYS WINNERS
Best Athlete – Men’s Sports – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Best Athlete – Women’s Sports – Simone Biles, Gymnast
Best Breakthrough Athlete – Ilona Maher, Team USA Rugby
Best Record-Breaking Performance – Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – NHL All-Time Goals
Leader
Best Championship Performance – Simone Biles, 2024 Olympics Women’s All-Around
Best Comeback Athlete – Suni Lee, Gymnast
Best Play – Saquon Barkley’s backwards hurdle, NFL (11/3/24)
Best Team – Philadelphia Eagles, NFL
Best College Athlete – Men’s Sports – Cooper Flagg, Duke Basketball
Best College Athlete – Women’s Sports – JuJu Watkins, USC Basketball
Best Athlete With A Disability – Noah Elliott, Snowboard
Best NFL Player – Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Best MLB Player – Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Best NHL Player – Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Best NBA Player – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Best WNBA Player – Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Best Driver – Max Verstappen, F1
Best UFC Fighter – Merab Dvalishvili
Best Boxer – Katie Taylor
Best Soccer Player – Christian Pulisic, AC Milan, US
Best Golfer – Scottie Scheffler
Best Tennis Player – Coco Gauff
Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year – Jane Hendengren, Cross Country, Track and Field
Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year – Cameron Boozer, Basketball
SPECIAL AWARDS
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Katie Schumacher-Cawley
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Oscar Robertson
Pat Tillman Award for Service: David Walters and Erin Regan
SPORTS HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Sloane Stephens
Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Maegha Ramanathan, Rishin Tandon, Ian Waite
Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year: Indianapolis Colts
Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honoree: Billy Bean
Sports Philanthropist of the Year Honoree: Michele Kang
Corporate Community Impact Award: Buffalo Wild Wings