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ESPYs 2021: Nominees for Top Awards and Predicting the Winners
July 10, 2021
The past year has provided some memorable sporting moments. From Tom Brady winning his seventh Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Dodgers breaking a title drought of over 30 years, history was made over the last 12 months.
This year's ESPY Awards will celebrate this on Saturday night. Fans will be welcomed back to the ESPY's, which will be broadcast from The Rooftop at Pier 17 at the Seaport in New York City. Acclaimed actor and producer Anthony Mackie will host.
Mackie believes the event, like the past year, will be one to remember.
"I think after this past year and everything we went through, 'The ESPYs' are probably gonna be larger than any other year," Mackie said on Good Morning America (h/t Sandy Kenyon of ABC 7 Chicago). "Because when all else fails, when everything is put away, and we were locked inside, sports kind of kept everybody together."
Three of the biggest awards have already been decided.
The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage will be given to WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist Maya Moore, who is being recognized for her work and commitment to criminal justice reform. Chris Nikic will be recognized with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for being the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon. The Pat Tillman Award for Service will be awarded to professional boxer Kim Clavel, who resumed her nursing career amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other major awards will be decided by fan voting. There's no telling exactly which way they will go, but we'll make our predictions below. The ESPYs are scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and the ESPN App.
Major Awards, Nominees and Picks
Picks in bold
Best Athlete, Women's Sports
Simone Biles, Gymnastics
Amanda Nunes, UFC
Naomi Osaka, Tennis
Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
Best Athlete, Men's Sports
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lewis Hamilton, F1
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Best Breakthrough Athlete
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Crystal Dangerfield, Minnesota Lynx
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Chase Young, Washington Football Team
Best Game
NCAA men's basketball Final Four: Gonzaga vs. UCLA
NCAA women's basketball championship: Stanford vs. Arizona
NFL Week 14: Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns
NHL playoffs: Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers
Best Team
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFL
Stanford Cardinal, NCAA Women's Basketball
Baylor Bears, NCAA Men's Basketball
Alabama Crimson Tide, NCAA Football
Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA Softball
Seattle Storm, WNBA
Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB
Best Play
Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray Hail Mary to DeAndre Hopkins
Gymnastics: Simone Biles becomes first woman to land Yurchenko double pike vault
Marshall Men's Soccer: Jamil Roberts' overtime goal to win championship
Seattle Seahawks: DK Metcalf chases down Budda Baker in Week 7
Full list of nominees available at ESPN.com
The NFL reigns supreme in the sporting world, so it shouldn't be a surprise to see both Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recognized on Saturday night. Both accomplished amazing feats during the 2020-21 season.
Brady now owns seven Lombardi Trophies—an accomplishment that may never be matched—and he was named Super Bowl MVP at 43 years old. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, came together with several new faces during a virtual offseason and jelled in time to win it all.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka deserves recognition for her play on the court—two Grand Slam victories—and for her activism regarding social justice and mental health. Simone Biles, meanwhile, provided perhaps the sporting moment of the year with her Yurchenko double pike vault
The best game is a tough one, as all four of the nominees were drama-drenched adventures. However, the NCAA Women's basketball championship game between the Arizona Wildcats and the Stanford Cardinals was one for the books. Not only was it a nail-biter—with a 54-53 final score—but it led to Stanford's first title since 1992.
As for the breakthrough athlete, it's hard to pick against Los Angles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Again, the NFL sits atop the sports world, and Herbert's run to win Offensive Rookie of the Year was an unexpected one.
Of course, all of this year's nominees are worthy of recognition, and each of them deserves their fair share of celebration. Hopefully, that's what Saturday night's event will be all about.