Each year since 1993, sports programming channel ESPN has hosted an annual event honoring the top athletes and sports performances of the year in an event called the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, or ESPY Awards.
The ESPYs highlight and recognize the best male and female athletes, most influential athletes and those who have spent countless hours giving back to communities. As part of the ESPYs are the Sports Humanitarian Awards.
The Sports Humanitarian Awards recognize those who have shown an industry-wide commitment to philanthropy and public service across six major honors: Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award, Corporate Community Impact Award, the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year.
The Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry was named a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award in recognition of his community impact through the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Curry and his wife, Ayesha, in 2019.
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2026 ESPY Awards in NYC: The biggest sports names shine in photos
The Savannah Bananas perform onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards. Top athletes, musicians and Hollywood stars will gather to recognize the best from the past year in sports on Wednesday, July 15 for ESPN’s 2026 ESPYs.
Hosted by comedian Marcello Hernandez, ESPN’s annual sports awards show brings together people from across the sports landscape to celebrate the top athletes, plays and moments from the last year. Traditionally held in Los Angeles, the awards show was moved to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York this year.
People who have made significant contributions to their sport and community are also honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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2026 ESPY Awards in NYC: The biggest sports names shine in photos
The Savannah Bananas perform onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards. Top athletes, musicians and Hollywood stars will gather to recognize the best from the past year in sports on Wednesday, July 15 for ESPN’s 2026 ESPYs.
Hosted by comedian Marcello Hernandez, ESPN’s annual sports awards show brings together people from across the sports landscape to celebrate the top athletes, plays and moments from the last year. Traditionally held in Los Angeles, the awards show was moved to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York this year.
People who have made significant contributions to their sport and community are also honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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2026 ESPY Awards in NYC: The biggest sports names shine in photos
Jalen Brunson accepts the Best Championship Performance award.
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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2026 ESPY Awards in NYC: The biggest sports names shine in photos
Jalen Brunson (R) accepts the Best Championship Performance award.
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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2026 ESPY Awards in NYC: The biggest sports names shine in photos
(L-R) Folarin Balogun and Eileen Gu speak onstage.
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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2026 ESPY Awards in NYC: The biggest sports names shine in photos
DJ Khaled performs.
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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2026 ESPY Awards in NYC: The biggest sports names shine in photos
Marcello Hernández speaks onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards.
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
“When we launched Eat. Learn. Play. in 2019, we saw the tremendous need that existed in our adopted hometown of Oakland and set out to use our platform and resources to work to unlock the full potential of the kids in our community,” Curry said in a statement on their website.
Curry accepted the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award from the Muhammad Ali Center president and CEO, Lonnie Ali.
“Oakland gave us so much love, support and energy, and this is how we are able to continue to get back to the community that has wrapped its arms around us from the very beginning back in 2009,” Curry said. “We’re just excited to meet kids where they already are every single day, because if you invest in a child, you’re investing in everything that’s possible for their future.”
Other award recipients include Philadelphia Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie with the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, co-owner of the New York Giants and Gotham FC Laurie Tisch received the Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award.
Additionally, there were three recipients of the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award — Julia Howe, Kelis Armstrong, and Sam Phillips. The Baltimore Ravens were recognized as the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, which was accepted by team president Sashi Brown.
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Chloe Kim and Myles Garrett- Top athletes, musicians and Hollywood stars will gather to recognize the best from the past year in sports on Wednesday, July 15 for ESPN’s 2026 ESPYs.
Hosted by comedian Marcello Hernandez, ESPN’s annual sports awards show brings together people from across the sports landscape to celebrate the top athletes, plays and moments from the last year. Traditionally held in Los Angeles, the awards show was moved to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York this year.
People who have made significant contributions to their sport and community are also honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
(ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Chloe Kim and Myles Garrett- Top athletes, musicians and Hollywood stars will gather to recognize the best from the past year in sports on Wednesday, July 15 for ESPN’s 2026 ESPYs.
Hosted by comedian Marcello Hernandez, ESPN’s annual sports awards show brings together people from across the sports landscape to celebrate the top athletes, plays and moments from the last year. Traditionally held in Los Angeles, the awards show was moved to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York this year.
People who have made significant contributions to their sport and community are also honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
(ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Chloe Kim and Myles Garrett
(ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Lindsey Vonn
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
(L-R) Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Mikaela Shiffrin
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Dwight Howard
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
French Montana
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Teagan Kavan
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
(L-R) Brandi Rhodes and Cody Rhodes
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Johannes H¿sflot Kl¾bo
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Jayson Tatum
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Eric LeGrand
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
(L-R) Erika Woods and Wendell Pierce
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Tyler Kolek
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Harper Murray
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Robin Arzón
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Sheldon Candis
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
(L-R) Ana Amelia Batlle Cabral and Marcello Hernández
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Queen Noveen
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Cam Little and his wife Hannah Ryan.
(ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Cameron Jordan
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Oz Pearlman
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Kai Trump
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Monica McNutt
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 15: (L-R) Ramona Shelburn and Hannah Storm attend the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on July 15, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776512338 ORIG FILE ID: 2286285705
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Rocsi Diaz
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Morgan Riddle
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
(L-R) Miabelle and The Kid Mero
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
Anna Leigh Waters
(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
James Pitaro, center, and Jean Louisa Kelly, right, arrive on the red carpet.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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The 2026 ESPYs bring bold fashion and big names to New York City
General view of the red carpet before the 2026 ESPY Awards at Lincoln Center.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Warriors’ Stephen Curry receives Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award
