ESPYs 2015: Nominees and Top Moments to Watch at Award Show
July means a slight lull in the sporting world—which makes for the perfect time for the 2015 ESPYs.
This year's show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, which starts at 8 p.m. ET on July 15, gets the celebrity treatment with comedian Joel McHale of Community and The Soup fame as host.
The silly-serious vibes of ESPN's award show always make for an entertaining time, as it walks the tightrope well. With McHale in charge and many historic events on the docket, the 2015 iteration won't be any different.
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Here is a look at the nominees and predictions.
ESPYs Predictions
| Best Male Athlete | Stephen Curry |
| 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 | Derrick Rose |
| 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 |
Full list of nominees available at ESPN.com.
Top Moments to Watch
Best Championship Performance
In the end, when all the chips are down, who shined the brightest is what makes history.
It makes sense, then, that one of this year's most competitive moments will come in the Best Championship Performance category.
Folks know the name American Pharoah, a Bob Baffert horse who became the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants won himself a piece of history as well with a 2014 World Series MVP award and the lowest ERA in the series since 1965.
Florida softball player Lauren Haeger didn't just lead in a variety of stats such as batting average, wins and ERA—she pitched a complete game and recorded an RBI in the final game of the World Series.
Then there's LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hoisted the team on his back sans Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving (who saw limited action after an early injury). He led not just the Cavaliers in points, rebounds and assists but the eventual champion Golden State Warriors too.
So yes, each individual deserves the award, and it's a moment fans will not want to miss.
Best Team
Then again, sports are about team first, right?
If so, the Best Team category is another high-profile moment to catch. In a word, the category is, well, impossible.
Brutus Buckeye provided a look at the nominees:
Where to start? The Connecticut Huskies continued their reign of dominance. The New England Patriots took care of business again. Ditto for the Chicago Blackhawks.
There is history at stake too. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors brought the first title to the Bay in decades. The Ohio State Buckeyes won the inaugural College Football Playoff. U.S. women's soccer represented the country as a whole.
Good luck figuring out the eventual winner. No matter which way fans vote, all deserve the impending recognition.
The Jimmy V Perseverance Award and Arthur Ashe Courage Award
Two of the awards fans won't get a vote on are sure to provide the most important moments of the event.
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award makes history each year, with past recipients including Muhammad Ali, Pat Tillman and Michael Sam, among many others. This year won't be any different, as former Olympic decathlon gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner will receive the award.
Also of note is the Jimmy V Perseverance Award, which will go to Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still and daughter Leah.
Still took to Instagram to spread positivity around the award in the face of Leah's inability to make the trip west:
ESPN.com's Coley Harvey provides context:
"Although Leah went into remission in late March, she still has been going through various treatments to get her immune system back to normal. Stem-cell therapy and rounds of radiation have been part of her recent treatments. Late last month, she came home after a nearly 50-day stay was lengthened because of complications from some of the medicine she was taking.
"
As many will remember from Stuart Scott's speech last year, the award is a historic occasion.
Leah's very public battle with cancer and Devon's perseverance will provide another touching, historic moment.
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