ESPY Awards 2015: Nominees, Presenters, Host, Predictions and More

Last year, Drake brought down the house with a hosting performance that included solid comedic chops, original music numbers and some self-deprecation. This year's ESPY Awards, which take place Wednesday night in Los Angeles, will be heavy on the comedy as Community's Joel McHale takes the reins.

If his brand of humor elsewhere is any indication, athletes should prepare for a monologue that's much closer to a roast than a fluff piece. McHale's other job, hosting The Soup on E!, sees him consistently skewer the network's own shows while highlighting the vapidity of reality television.

“I’m thrilled to be hosting the ESPYs. Just ecstatic,” McHale said in a statement. “After my stunning victory in the Iditarod this year by only using six Bichon Frises and a lamb, I think the sports world saw me as the logical host.”

Those not familiar with McHale's acting chops may remember him from the 2014 White House Correspondents' dinner. That performance drew mixed reviews, as McHale's barbs often hit a little too close to home for some while others saw it as exactly the type of performance those in Washington needed.

Given the way the ESPYs typically tend to avoid brutally honest assessments, it'll be interesting to see how McHale's brand of comedy translates to the audience. 

"Don't get hurt," McHale said of his plan for the show, per Hilary Lewis of the Hollywood Reporter. "Because they're professional athletes and they're skilled, and they could kill me. I'm worried about being hit by assorted types of balls, hockey sticks, baseball bats...I'm going to wear a helmet most of the show."

McHale will be joined onstage by a list of presenters that includes LeBron James, Britney Spears, Vince Vaughn, Ed Helms and others. While a majority of the awards will be decided via fan vote—the polls opened last month and do not close until 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday—one predetermined award has drawn a ton of mainstream attention.

Caitlyn Jenner, the former U.S. decathlete who won a gold medal while still going by her given name Bruce, will be the recipient of the 2015 Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

ESPN announced Jenner as the recipient of the award the same week she was featured in a Vanity Fair spread that featured the full realization of her gender transition. She is the third consecutive LGBT winner of the award, joining former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam and broadcaster Robin Roberts.

Because Jenner has been removed from the sports community for such a long time—most audience members know her better for Keeping Up with the Kardashians than her Olympic achievements—ESPN has drawn criticism for its choice.

Broadcaster Bob Costas called it a "crass exploitation play." Others called for Division III women's basketball player Lauren Hill, who died of brain cancer in April, to receive the award.

ESPN's Maura Mandt, who has worked on the ESPYs since 1996, spoke with Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch about the decision: 

"

I think Caitlyn’s decision to publicly come out as a transgender woman and live as Caitlyn Jenner displayed enormous courage and self-acceptance. Bruce Jenner could have easily gone off into the sunset as this American hero and never have dealt with this publicly. Doing so took enormous courage. He was one of the greatest athletes of our time. That is what the Arthur Ashe Courage Award is about, somebody from the athletic community who has done something that transcends sport.

"

Other awards already decided include the Jimmy V Award and the Pat Tillman Award. Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still and his daughter Leah will be receiving the Jimmy V Award following the latter's battle with cancer last year. Leah Still continues to battle complications from her cancer treatment after undergoing a stem cell transplant.

Category	Prediction
Best Male Athlete	J.J. Watt
Best Female Athlete	Serena Williams
Best Championship Performance	LeBron James
Best Breakthrough Athlete	Jordan Spieth
Best Record-Breaking Performance	Peyton Manning
Best Upset	Kansas City Royals reach 2014 World Series
Best Game	Patriots vs. Seahawks Super Bowl
Best Team	United States women's national soccer team
Best Coach/Manager	Steve Kerr
Best MLB Player	Mike Trout
Best NHL Player	Jonathan Toews
Best Fighter	Ronda Rousey
Best NFL Player	J.J. Watt
Best NBA Player	Stephen Curry
Best Comeback Athlete	Rob Gronkowski
Best Driver	Kevin Harvick
Best Jockey	Victor Espinoza
Best Bowler	Parker Bohn III
Best MLS Player	Robbie Keane
Best International Athlete	Cristiano Ronaldo
Best WNBA Player	Skylar Diggins
Best Male Golfer	Jordan Spieth
Best Female Golfer	Stacy Lewis
Best Male Tennis Player	Novak Djokovic
Best Female Tennis Player	Serena Williams
Best Male College Athlete	Marcus Mariota
Best Female College Athlete	Breanna Stewart
Best Male Athlete with a Disability	Joe Berenyi
Best Female Athlete with a Disability	Becca Meyers
Best Male Action Athlete	Nyjah Huston
Best Female Action Athlete	Kelly Clark
Best Play	Odell Beckham Jr.'s catch

“This award is a testament to the inspiration Devon and Leah are to all the families who are suffering from similar circumstances,” Mandt said in a statement.  “It is our hope that with this award we can send them more strength as they face this latest challenge.”

Danielle Green, a former Notre Dame women's basketball player who lost her lower left arm serving in the Army during the Iraq War, was named the Tillman Award recipient last month. 

The U.S. women's national soccer team, American Pharoah and LeBron James are also expected to be honored at some point Wednesday night. Overall, it'll be interesting to see how the ESPYs and McHale navigate a night that should move back and forth between serious and silly.