ESPY Awards Overview

Click HERE for our complete ESPY Award Show Packages

The ESPY Awards, which started in 1993, is an annual sports award event, televised by ESPN. The word ESPY is an acronym for the phrase “Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly”. The ESPYs were created for individual and team athletic achievement and other sports related performances during a calendar year.

Hosted by popular celebrities, such as LeBron James and Jimmy Kimmel, the ESPY Awards are patterned after other entertainment soirees such as the Emmys or Oscars. Samuel L. Jackson has been the only person to host the ESPYs three times (1999, 2001, and 2002). Dennis Miller and Jamie Foxx have come close, each hosting two ESPY Award shows (1993, 1994 and 2003, 2004 respectively).

From 1993 to 2004, the ESPY Award recipients were chosen through fans, sportswriters, broadcasters, sports executives, or ESPN personalities. In 2004, the ESPY Awards changed the way athletes won. Candidates were nominated through the ESPY Select Nominating Committee, and online fan balloting was implemented. Some examples of awards given at the ESPY are: Best Male/Female Athlete, Best Male/Female College Athlete, Best International Athlete, Best Play, Outstanding Team, and the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. This ESPY Award honors a single sports figure that overcame adversity or contributed to humanity in a way that transcended sports. A portion of the proceeds of ESPY ticket sales go to the V Foundation, a charity started by the late collegiate basketball coach and broadcaster Jim Valvano. Valvano coached at North Carolina State University and became an announcer for ESPN and ABC. The V Foundation promotes cancer research.

Between 1993 and 2001, the ESPY Awards were held every year in February or March, and broadcast live on ESPN. The format changed in 2002, when the date of the ESPY Awards changed to July, giving the fans and the ESPY Awards Nominating Committee a chance to judge athletes and their performances for 18 months instead of just a single year. The ESPY Awards are recorded on a Wednesday, and aired four days later. The first seven ESPY Awards ceremonies were held in New York City; two years (1993 and 1994) at Madison Square Garden, and five years (1995 through 1999) at the Radio City Music Hall. The 2000 and 2001 ESPYs moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, at the MGM Grand, and moved again in 2003 to the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, California. In 2006, it was announced that the 2008 ESPYs will be held at the Nokia Theater, next to the Staples Center.

ESPY Awards packages offered by On Point can be catered to your individual desires and are sure to be an unforgettable experience. Though we offer pre-planned ESPY Awards packages, with the many options we have available, On Point can arrange customized ESPY Awards packages that no one else in the industry can provide.

To request a quote for an ESPY Awards package or to discover more of what On Point can do for you and your private party, contact us today at 713-227-8888 to speak with one of our executive travel consultants. You can also call our Travel Agent Hotline at 800-809-1277 or e-mail us at info@onpointevents.com.

Calendar of Events ACM Awards AMA Awards BET Awards Cannes Film Festival CMA Awards Critics Choice Awards Daytime Emmy Awards Emmy Awards ESPY Awards ESPY Awards Overview Golden Globe Award Parties MTV Movie Awards New York Fashion Week Oscar Viewing Parties Movie Premieres People's Choice Awards Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards Playboy Mansion Experiences SAG Awards Sundance Film Festival Teen Choice Awards Tony Awards TV Shows Travel Insurance Testimonials Event Information Gift Cards Events Blog First Name: Last Name: Email Address: unsubscribe		View cart Print ESPY Awards Overview Click HERE for our complete ESPY Award Show Packages The ESPY Awards, which started in 1993, is an annual sports award event, televised by ESPN. The word ESPY is an acronym for the phrase “Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly”. The ESPYs were created for individual and team athletic achievement and other sports related performances during a calendar year. Hosted by popular celebrities, such as LeBron James and Jimmy Kimmel, the ESPY Awards are patterned after other entertainment soirees such as the Emmys or Oscars. Samuel L. Jackson has been the only person to host the ESPYs three times (1999, 2001, and 2002). Dennis Miller and Jamie Foxx have come close, each hosting two ESPY Award shows (1993, 1994 and 2003, 2004 respectively). From 1993 to 2004, the ESPY Award recipients were chosen through fans, sportswriters, broadcasters, sports executives, or ESPN personalities. In 2004, the ESPY Awards changed the way athletes won. Candidates were nominated through the ESPY Select Nominating Committee, and online fan balloting was implemented. Some examples of awards given at the ESPY are: Best Male/Female Athlete, Best Male/Female College Athlete, Best International Athlete, Best Play, Outstanding Team, and the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. This ESPY Award honors a single sports figure that overcame adversity or contributed to humanity in a way that transcended sports. A portion of the proceeds of ESPY ticket sales go to the V Foundation, a charity started by the late collegiate basketball coach and broadcaster Jim Valvano. Valvano coached at North Carolina State University and became an announcer for ESPN and ABC. The V Foundation promotes cancer research. Between 1993 and 2001, the ESPY Awards were held every year in February or March, and broadcast live on ESPN. The format changed in 2002, when the date of the ESPY Awards changed to July, giving the fans and the ESPY Awards Nominating Committee a chance to judge athletes and their performances for 18 months instead of just a single year. The ESPY Awards are recorded on a Wednesday, and aired four days later. The first seven ESPY Awards ceremonies were held in New York City; two years (1993 and 1994) at Madison Square Garden, and five years (1995 through 1999) at the Radio City Music Hall. The 2000 and 2001 ESPYs moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, at the MGM Grand, and moved again in 2003 to the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, California. In 2006, it was announced that the 2008 ESPYs will be held at the Nokia Theater, next to the Staples Center. ESPY Awards packages offered by On Point can be catered to your individual desires and are sure to be an unforgettable experience. Though we offer pre-planned ESPY Awards packages, with the many options we have available, On Point can arrange customized ESPY Awards packages that no one else in the industry can provide. To request a quote for an ESPY Awards package or to discover more of what On Point can do for you and your private party, contact us today at 713-227-8888 to speak with one of our executive travel consultants. You can also call our Travel Agent Hotline at 800-809-1277 or e-mail us at info@onpointevents.com.