ESPY Awards Given By ESPN

ESPY award is an annual sports award that is given by ESPN. ESPN started this ceremony of giving awards in 1993 and exclusively telecasted this award giving ceremony all over the world. This award is given for excellence in sports in a particular year. This award is given in the individual category as well as to a team of athletic excellence.

ESPY award also confers awards to other sports related category. This award giving ceremony is hosted by a celebrity of the present time. A team of experts consisting of fans, sport journalists, sports persons, broadcasters etc. cast their votes in order to choose the award. The fans cast their votes online in favor of their athlete or team who are nominated by the ESPY select nominating committee.

Jim Valvano, a famous sports personality and the recipient of the ESPY award in 1993 in the inaugural ceremony declared to build cancer research institute from the amount received from prize money. The institute was built but Valvano died of cancer fifty five days after he received the award. Now a portion of money collected from the sale of tickets is being donated to V Foundation, a charity established in the memory of Valvano.

From the period 1993 to 2001 ESPY award had been given either in February or March every year and was directly telecasted by ESPN. But from 2002 onwards it has been conducted on Wednesday in the month of July following MLB. The show is re-telecast after four days from its recording.

From 1993 to 2006 venue of ESPY award ceremony has been changed from time to time. In initial two years the award giving was held in New York City. Then it shifted to Las Vegas in Nevada, then to Kodak Theater in California. Recently it was announced that in 2008 this award giving ceremony will be shifted to Nokia Theater in California.

Various famous personalities from the world of comedy, television, movies, and sports have hosted ESPY award. Namely, Samuel Jackson, a Hollywood actor had hosted this ceremony thrice, in 1999, 2001 and 2002. This award is given for various categories like Arthur Ashe for Courage Award, Best Female Athlete ESPY Award, Best Male Athlete ESPY Award, Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award, to name a few. Wikipedia