Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka Receive Two ESPYS Nominations, Including Best Athlete in Women’s Sports

The 2021 ESPYS return to ABC with a star-studded event in celebration of this year’s greatest achievements in sports. The 2021 ESPYS will relive the highlight moments of the year, honor leading athletes and performances, and bring together the sports industry’s fan favorites and biggest stars.

Top celebrities from sports and entertainment will gather to recognize nominees and honor winners in categories such as “Best Athlete, Men’s Sports” “Best Athlete, Women’s Sports” “Best Game,” “Best Record Breaking Performance,” “Best MMA Fighter” and “Best Play.”

Tom Brady is nominated for “Best Athlete – Men’s Sports” and “Best NFL Player,” making this his 4th and 10th nomination in each respective category.

The 2021 ESPYs will mark his 11th feature at the show. In “Best Athlete – Men’s Sports,” he is followed by three newcomers to the category in Connor McDavid, Lewis Hamilton and Nikola Jokic.

In “Best Athlete – Women’s Sports,” Naomi Osaka and Amanda Nunes face off against returning nominees Breanna Stewart and Simone Biles, who have a combined total of seven nominations in the category since 2014.
Russell Westbrook returns to the “Best Record-Breaking Performance” category with a new triple-double record where he is joined by standouts DeVonta Smith, Phil Mickelson, and Tara VanDerveer

For a third straight year, Aaron Donald returns to “Best NFL Player” where he faces off against legends Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, along with newcomer to the category Derrick Henry.

Per tradition, The 2021 ESPYS will also showcase the achievements of inspiring and courageous athletes who embody the spirit of The ESPYS through three pillar awards – the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and The Pat Tillman Award for Service. The show supports ESPN’s ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, launched in 1993 by ESPN in partnership with the late Jim Valvano.

The 2021 ESPYS will be broadcast live on ABC from The Rooftop at Pier 17 at the Seaport in New York City on Saturday, July 10 from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET.