ESPY Award winners 2025: Live results, highlights, best moments from the ESPYs

For one night each summer, the sports world pauses and recognizes the best players, coaches and performances from the past year.

The 2025 ESPY Awards will be hosted by comedian Shane Gillis at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Trophies will be handed out for best male and female athlete, best championship performance and more.

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Many athletes, past and present, like Russell Wilson, Lindsey Vonn, Desmond Howard and Billie Jean King will be presenters, and several celebrities will be in the house as well. There are sure to be highlight reels, speeches and plenty of laughs after the festivities get underway at 8 p.m. ET.

 The Sporting News is tracking live updates and results from the red carpet and throughout the 2025 ESPY awards.

MORE: ESPY Award history: Previous winners for Best Male Athlete, Best Female Athlete, more

ESPYS list of categories, nominees, winners, highlights

*This section will be updated closer to 8 p.m. ET

ESPY Award nominees 2025

Best athlete, men's sports

• Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
• Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

Best athlete, women's sports

• Gabby Thomas, Track and field
• Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Track and field
• A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
• Simone Biles, Gymnastics

Best breakthrough athlete

• Chloe Humphrey, UNC lacrosse
• Cooper Flagg, Duke men's basketball
• Ilona Maher, Team USA rugby
• Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

Best record-breaking performance

• Alex Ovechkin becomes the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer
• Kevin Durant becomes Team USA basketball's all-time leading Olympic scorer
• Caitlin Clark breaks the WNBA records for single-game assists and single-season assists
• Geno Auriemma becomes NCAA basketball's all-time wins leader

Best championship performance

• Rory McIlroy wins the Masters to become golf's sixth-ever Grand Slam champion
• Freddie Freeman fits walk-off grand slam in the World Series, wins World Series MVP
• Stephen Curry scores 24 points in men's basketball Olympics gold medal game
• Simone Biles becomes third woman to win second individual all-around gold medal at the Olympics

MORE: Why comedian Shane Gillis was tabbed as the host for 2025 ESPYs

Best comeback athlete

• Mallory Swanson, Chicago Stars FC/USWNT
• Suni Lee, Gymnastics
• Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
• Lindsey Vonn, Skiing

Best play

• Tyrese Haliburton hits buzzer-beater in Game 1 of the NBA Finals
• Saquon Barkley backwards hurdle vs. the Jaguars
• Sabrino Ionescu clinches WNBA Finals Game 3 with a three-pointer
• Trinity Rodman scores game-winning OT goal in Olympic quarterfinals

Best team

• UConn, NCAA women's basketball
• USWNT
• UNC, NCAA women's lacrosse
• Philadelphia Eagles, NFL
• Ohio State, NCAA football
• New York Liberty, WNBA
• Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB
• Florida Panthers, NHL
• Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Best college athlete, men's sports

• C.J. Kirst, Cornell lacrosse
• Wyatt Hendrickson, Oklahoma State wrestling
• Travis Hunter, Colorado football
• Cooper Flagg, Duke basketball

Best college athlete, women's sports

• Gretchen Walsh, Virginia swimming
• Kate Faase, UNC soccer
• Olivia Babcock, Pittsburgh volleyball
• JuJu Watkins, USC basketball

Best athlete with a disability

• Grace Norman, Triathlon
• Tatyana McFadden, Track and field
• Noah Elliott, Snowboarding
• Ezra French, Track and field

Best NFL player

• Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
• Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
• Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
• Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos

Best MLB player

• Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
• Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

Best NHL player

• Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
• Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
• Conner Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Best NBA player

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Best WNBA player

• A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
• Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
• Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
• Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

MORE: Full list of athletes, actors and more to host the ESPYs

Best driver

• Joey Logano, NASCAR
• Oscar Piastri, F1
• Max Verstappen, F1
• Alex Palou, IndyCar

Best UFC fighter

• Dricus du Plessis
• Merab Dvalishvili
• Kayla Harrison
• Islam Makhachev

Best boxer

• Claressa Shields
• Oleksandr Usyk
• Katie Taylor
• Naoya Inoue

Best soccer player

• Alexia Putellas, FC Barcelona/Spain
• Lamine Yamal, FC Barcelona/Spain
• Aitana Bonmati, FC Barcelona/Spain
• Christian Pulisic, AC Milan/USMNT

Best golfer

• Maja Stark
• Rory McIlroy
• Scottie Scheffler
• Nelly Korda

Best tennis player

• Coco Gauff
• Aryna Sabalenka
• Carlos Alcaraz
• Jannik Sinner

How to watch the 2025 ESPY Awards show

• Time: Wednesday, July 16 at 8 p.m. ET
• Channel: ABC
• Live stream: ESPN App | Fubo

Cable subscribers can watch the 2025 ESPYS on ABC. Streaming options include ESPN.com and the ESPN app.

Another option is Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks — ABC included — and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.