One of the highlights of the sport's calendar year is the annual ESPN ESPY Awards. The night is dedicated to athletes and some of the best moments of the year. Teams, players and plays will go head-to-head for the most sought after trophy in all of athletics. More important than a Stanley Cup or an Olympic gold medal, athletes from all sports dream of getting up on that stage and holding the trophy. The 24/7 sports network announced the nominees on Thursday along with its plan to honor television anchor Robin Roberts with the Arthur Ashe Courage award.
The category for Best Male Athlete is easily one of the most competitive categories. LeBron James will go up against the most decorated Olympian, Michael Phelps. Miguel Cabrera and Adriana Peterson round out the group. Serena Williams will face Olympians Missy Franklin and Gabby Douglass for Best Female Athlete while back-to-back champions, Miami Heat and the Alabama Crimson Tide, will face off for Best Team.
Best Breakthrough Athlete features a slew of quarterbacks including Colin Kaepernick, Johnny Manziel and Russell Wilson. Other notable nominees include Ray Allen's Game 6 3-point shot in the NBA Finals for Best Play, Adrian Peterson's return from ACL surgery for Best Comeback and Jack Hoffman's touchdown run in the Nebraska spring football game for Best Moment.
Roberts will be this year's Arthur Ashe recipient. The award is given to an individual credited for their contributions to transcend sports. Past honorees include Muhammad Ali and Pat Summitt. Roberts was one of the first sports anchors to grace ESPN, signing on with the network in the '90s. She has now worked for ABC's "Good Morning America" for the past two decades and is known as a trailblazer for women in television.
While a record setting basketball player at Southeast Louisiana University, Roberts is receiving the award for the courage and strength she demonstrated throughout her life. Roberts went through a very public journey after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Five years later she was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder and received a bone marrow transplant from her sister.
ESPN president John Skipper praised Roberts for her "amazing amount of energy, compassion and determination" in everything she does. Roberts is an Emmy winner for her feature reporting with GMA and is credited as the first woman to host an NFL pregame show.
The ESPYS will air live on ESPN on July 17 from Los Angeles. The show will be hosted by actor Jon Hamm. Fans can vote for winners by clicking here.
