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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Charles Curtis

ESPYs Nominees: The full list of players and teams up for 2023 awards

It’s time for yet another edition of ESPN’s sports equivalent of the Oscars: It’s the 2023 ESPYs!

That means lots of funny stuff, some emotional moments and although there’s no host due to the Hollywood writers’ strike, maybe we’ll get some athletes getting roasted like we’ve seen in years past. It should be a good show to enjoy.

So as we get set to see athletes and others looking great on the red carpet before the actual show on Wednesday, July 12, here are all the nominees for the various awards for sports’ best athletes, teams and more from the past year:

Best athlete, men's sports

 Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports 

Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Lionel Messi, Argentina

Best Athlete, Women's Sports

 Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Mikaela Shiffrin, Skiing

Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns

Iga Swiatek, Tennis

A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best Breakthrough Athlete

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark, Iowa

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Angel Reese, LSU

Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners

Best Record-Breaking Performance

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Novak Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam at the French Open

LeBron James gets the career scoring record

Mikaela Shiffrin has a World Cup-record breaking win

Max Verstappen breaks the record for most wins in a F1 season

Best Championship Performance

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Leon Edwards beats Kamaru Usman to win the UFC welterweight belt

Nikola Jokic wins NBA Finals MVP

Lionel Messi’s World Cup Final game

Rose Zhang won her first tournament in her pro debut

Best Comeback Athlete

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Jones, UFC

Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun

Justin Verlander

Best Play

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Michael Block’s hole-in-one at the PGA Championship

Justin Jefferson’s unreal catch

Ally Lemos’s corner to tie the National Championship Game

Trinity Thomas’s perfect 10 in gymanstics

Best Team

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Nuggets, NBA

Georgia Bulldogs, College Football

Kansas City Chiefs, NFL

Las Vegas Aces, WNBA

LSU Tigers, Women’s College Basketball

Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA Softball

Vegas Golden Knights, NHL

Best College Athlete, Men's Sports

 Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Zach Edey, Purdue Men’s Basketball

Duncan McGuire, Creighton Soccer

Brennan O’Neill, Duke Lacrosse

Caleb Williams, USC Football

Best College Athlete, Women's Sports

 Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma Softball

Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball

Izzy Scane, Northwestern Lacrosse

Trinity Thomas, Florida Gators Gymnastics

Best Athlete with a Disability

 (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) 

Erica McKee, Sled Hockey Team

Zach Miller, Snowboarding

Aaron Pike, Wheelchair Racing & Cross-Country Skiing

Susannah Scaroni, Wheelchair Racing

Best NFL Player

 Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Best MLB Player

Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros

Best NHL Player

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

David Pastrňák, Boston Bruins

Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins

Best NBA Player

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) 

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Best WNBA Player

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury

Candace Parker, Chicago Sky (now with Las Vegas Aces)

Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (now with New York Liberty)

A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best Driver

(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) 

Brittany Force, NHRA

Kyle Larson, NASCAR

Josef Newgarden, IndyCar

Max Verstappen, F1

Best UFC Fighter

. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Leon Edwards

Jon Jones

Islam Makhachev

Amanda Nunes

Best Boxer

 (AP Photo/John Locher)

Gervonta Davis

Devin Haney

Claressa Shields

Shakur Stevenson

Best Soccer Player

 Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
  • Aitana Bonmati, Spain, Barcelona
  • Erling Haaland, Norway, Manchester City
  • Lionel Messi, Argentina, PSG
  • Sophia Smith, USWNT, Portland Thorns

Best Golfer

 Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Wyndham Clark

Nelly Korda

Jon Rahm

Scottie Scheffler

Best Tennis Player

(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic

Aryna Sabalenka

Iga Swiatek

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