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The 2023 ESPYS took place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California on Wednesday, July 12. The 2023 ESPY Awards were without a host for the first time in its 31 years of existence.
Among the top categories up for grabs on Wednesday night were “Best Athlete, Men’s Sports,” “Best Athlete, Women’s Sports,” “Best Breakthrough Athlete,” “Best Record Breaking Performance,” “Best Championship Performance,” and “Best Comeback Athlete.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and skier Mikaela Shiffrin took home Best Athlete honors, while LSU’s Angel Reese was named the Best Breakthrough Athlete after leading the Tigers to the 2023 national championship. Since the NCAA Tournament, Reese sees her star power continue to grow and is now one of the top NIL earners in college sports.
LeBron James earned Best Record-Breaking Performance honors and was welcomed on stage by his family, while Argentina’s Lionel Messi won Best Championship Performance after leading his country to the World Cup title. Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets was named the Best Comeback Athlete.
Did your favorite athlete or team take home an honor?
A complete list of the 2023 ESPY Award winners can be seen below.
2023 ESPY Award Winners
Best athlete, men’s sports
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Lionel Messi, Argentina
Winner: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best athlete, women’s sports
- Mikaela Shiffrin, Ski
- Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
- Iga Swiatek, Tennis
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Winner: Mikaela Shiffrin, Ski
Best breakthrough athlete
- Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball
- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
- Angel Reese, LSU Women’s Basketball
- Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
Winner: Angel Reese, LSU Women’s Basketball
Best record-breaking performance
- Novak Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title, defeating Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Breaking a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis, which dates to the 1800s
- LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record
- Mikaela Shiffrin breaks the record for the most World Cup victories with her 87th win
- Max Verstappen wins the Mexican Grand Prix, breaking the record for most wins in a season
Winner: LeBron James
Best championship performance
- Leon Edwards, UFC
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Lionel Messi, Argentina
- Rose Zhang, LPGA
Winner: Lionel Messi, Argentina
Best comeback athlete
- Jon Jones, UFC
- Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
- Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
- Justin Verlander, New York Mets / Houston Astros
Winner: Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Best play
- Michael Block Hole-in-One
- Justin Jefferson with the Catch of the Century
- Ally Lemos with the perfect corner to tie the National Championship game (1:38)
- Trinity Thomas Perfect 10 tying the all-time NCAA record
Winner: Justin Jefferson’s Catch of the Century
Best team
- Denver Nuggets, NBA
- Georgia Bulldogs, NCAA Football
- Kansas City Chiefs, NFL
- Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
- Louisiana State Tigers, NCAA Women’s Basketball
- Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA Softball
- Vegas Golden Knights, NHL
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs
Best college athlete, men’s sports
- Zach Edey, Purdue Basketball
- Duncan McGuire, Creighton Soccer
- Brennan O’Neill, Duke Lacrosse
- Caleb Williams, USC Football
Winner: Caleb Williams, USC
Best college athlete, women’s sports
- Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma Softball
- Caitlin Clark, Iowa Basketball
- Izzy Scane, Northwestern Lacrosse
- Trinity Thomas, Florida Gymnastics
Winner: Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Best athlete with a disability
- Erica McKee, Sled Hockey Team
- Zach Miller, Snowboarding
- Aaron Pike, Wheelchair Racing & Cross-Country Skiing
- Susannah Scaroni, Wheelchair Racing
Winner: Zach Miller, Snowboarding
Best NFL player
- Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Winner: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best MLB player
- Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
- Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
Winner: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Best NHL player
- Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
- David Pastrňák, Boston Bruins
- Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Winner: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Best NBA player
- Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Winner: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Best WNBA player
- Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury
- Candace Parker, Chicago Sky (Current Las Vegas Aces)
- Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (Current New York Liberty)
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Winner: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best driver
- Brittany Force, NHRA
- Kyle Larson, NASCAR
- Josef Newgarden, IndyCar
- Max Verstappen, F1
Winner: Max Verstappen, F1
Best UFC fighter
- Leon Edwards
- Jon Jones
- Islam Makhachev
- Amanda Nunes
Winner: Jon Jones
Best boxer
- Gervonta Davis
- Devin Haney
- Claressa Shields
- Shakur Stevenson
Winner: Claressa Shields
Best soccer player
- Aitana Bonmatí, Spain/Barcelona
- Erling Haaland, Norway/Manchester City
- Lionel Messi, Argentina/PSG
- Sophia Smith, USA/Portland Thorns
Winner: Lionel Messi, Argentina/PSG
Best golfer
- Wyndham Clark
- Nelly Korda
- Jon Rahm
- Scottie Scheffler
Winner: Scottie Scheffler
Best tennis player
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Novak Djokovic
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Iga Swiatek
Winner: Novak Djokovic
