LOS ANGELES — It’s time to celebrate and honor all the special moments and people in the world of sports from the past year with the 2024 ESPY Awards.
Hosted by tennis legend Serena Williams at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the show will honor athletes and teams from around the world, with some fun along the way. The ESPY Awards will also recognize inspiring and courageous athletes 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.
Here’s everything you need to know about the ESPY Awards. Follow the show with live updates from USA TODAY Sports on the best moments and a full list of award winners.
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn Staley
The coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team, who won her third national title in April, received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her work advocating for cancer research and bone marrow donors. Staley’s sister, Tracey Underwood, received a transplant from her brother in 2020 after being diagnosed with leukemia.
Best Female Athlete in Sports: A’ja Wilson
A’ja Wilson was named the most outstanding women’s athlete, beating out Caitlin Clark for the category. Wilson is coming off of winning back-to-back WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces and was named the 2023 WNBA Finals MVP. She was recently named one of the cover athletes for NBA 2K25 and has started the 2024 season on a high note. Wilson has also started the 2024 WNBA season on a high note, leading the league in points (26.9) and blocks (2.7) per game while her 11.3 rebounds per game are second in the league behind Angel Reese.
Pat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, received the Pat Tillman Award for Service for establishing the Invictus Games, a sporting event for active service members and veterans who have been wounded, injured or become ill in the line of duty.
Prince Harry was on hand with his wife, Duchess Meghan, to accept the award and was emotional as he took to the stage. He said it was a great honour to recognise all the athletes who compete in the Invictus Games and reminded people of the struggles that servicemen and women face during and after their service.
Best Championship Performance: Jaylen Brown
Add another award for NBA Finals MVP, as the Boston Celtics guard took home the award for best championship performance. In the five-game winning streak, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Serena Williams sings
The host referred back to the moment when Jaime Foxx sang a song dedicated to Serena Williams.
Best Breakthrough Athlete: Juju Watkins
Southern California guard Juju Watkins was named the nation’s top breakthrough athlete after her explosive freshman basketball season with the Trojans. She averaged 27.1 points per game, second in the nation behind Caitlin Clark, and led USC to its first Elite Eight since 1994.
Serena Williams Monologue
The 2024 ESPY Awards host lashed out at Drake and sided with Kendrick Lamar in the infamous feud, during which she danced to his disshit “Not Like Us” multiple times.
Williams congratulated Patrick Mahomes and “Taylor Swift’s boyfriend” on winning the Super Bowl and said “people finally realized that women’s sports are much more exciting.”
Ciara opens show with performance
This year’s awards show kicked off with a performance by Ciara, who sang a melody featuring her hits “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step” and “Level Up.”
Prices announced before the show
Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Best NFL Player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Dear driver: Max Verstappen, Formula 1
Best NBA Player: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Best Athlete with a Disability: Brenna Huckaby, snowboarding
Best female college athletes in their sport: Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Best WNBA Player: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
What time are the ESPY Awards?
Guests begin arriving on the red carpet at 5:30 PM ET and the show begins at 8:00 PM
How to Watch the ESPYs: TV Channel, Streaming
ABC will broadcast the awards. Watch online via the ESPN streaming hub (local blackout restrictions apply).
Who are the 2024 ESPYs nominees?
Here is a link to the full list of 2024 ESPY Award nominees. Some of the most recognizable names include Simone Biles, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Coco Gauff, Patrick Mahomes, Jaylen Brown, Shohei Ohtani and JuJu Watkins.
Who are this year’s special guests of honor?
- Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Steve Gleason, former NFL safety
- Jimmy V Award for perseverance: Dawn Staley, coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team
- Pat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Who are the celebrity presenters of the 2024 ESPYs?
Actress and comedian Quinta Brunson, comedian Nikki Glaser and actor Rob Lowe are among the celebrity hosts. Athletes hosting include Paige Bueckers, Draymond Green, Lindsey Vonn, Flau’jae Johnson, GloRilla, Allyson Felix, Damar Hamlin, Candace Parker, Brian Tyree Henry, Ryan Blaney and more.
The USA TODAY app brings you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning reporting, crossword puzzles, audio stories, the eNewspaper and more.