From the ESPY Awards' inception till 2004, the award winners were chosen only through fan voting. After 2004, the award show decided to pivot differently. Sportswriters, broadcasters, sports executives, sportspersons, collective experts or ESPN personalities also vote. Award winners have been selected after that exclusively through global online fan balloting conducted amongst candidates selected by the ESPY Select Nominating Committee.
The 2023 ESPY Awards took place in Los Angeles, and many sports biggest stars were around to receive their laurels. Alongside the recognition of the championship players, there were performances from Lil Wayne and H.E.R. Let's showcase some of the night's most significant moments.
Three notable NFL moments from the 2023 ESPY Awards
Here are three NFL moments from the ESPY Awards that broke the internet:
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1. The Super Bowl Champs bring it home
The Kansas City Chiefs won the award for the best team, and their stars were in the building to make some noise. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, and Chris Jones accepted the award, and you already know that Kelce stole the show with his rendition of "Fight For Your Right." It is the Chiefs' first ESPY Award victory for the best team.
2. Damar Hamlin embraces Buffalo Bills' training staff
In an emotional part of the evening, Damar Hamlin took the stage to present the Pat Tillman Award for Service. However, before the presentation, Hamlin introduced the staff that helped save his life. He was met with a standing ovation from the crowd, and after a video about Hamlin's recovery, the Bills' safety was in tears. The award went to the Buffalo Bills training staff.
Bills' head athletic trainer, Nate Breske, encouraged everyone to learn CPR to save the next life and talked about how happy he was to have Hamlin there.
3. Pat McAfee's monologue
New ESPN golden boy Pat McAfee came on stage to deliver a monologue to preview the show. He mentioned some of the stars in attendance, as well as recognizing how incredible it was for Damar Hamlin to be in attendance. He also threw some shade at Skip Bayless. There wasn't any host for the 2023 ESPY Awards, but with comedic timing like this, there wasn't any need for one.
Complete list of 2023 ESPY Awards Winners
Here's the complete list of winners for the 2023 ESPY Award show.
- Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: U.S. Women's National Soccer Team
- Best Athlete with a Disability: Zach Miller, Snowboarding
- Best Athlete, Men's Sports: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Best Athlete, Women's Sports: Mikaela Shiffrin, Skiing
- Best Boxer: Claressa Shields
- Best Breakthrough Athlete: Angel Reese, LSU Tigers Women's Basketball
- Best Championship Performance: Lionel Messi, Argentina -- World Cup Final
- Best College Athlete, Men's Sports: Caleb Williams, USC Football
- Best College Athlete, Women's Sports: Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women's Basketball
- Best Comeback Athlete: Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
- Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1
- Best Golfer: Scottie Scheffler
- Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
- Best NBA Player: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Best NFL Player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Best NHL Player: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
- Best Play: Justin Jefferson with the catch of the century
- Best Record-Breaking Performance: LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record
- Best Soccer Player: Lionel Messi, Argentina/PSG
- Best Team: Kansas City Chiefs
- Best Tennis Player: Novak Djokovic
- Best UFC Fighter: Jon Jones
- Best WNBA Player: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
- Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Jordan Adeyemi, Ashley Badis, Rishan Patel
- Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Liam Hendriks, Chicago White Sox
- Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Jrue and Lauren Holiday
- Pat Tillman Award for Service: Buffalo Bills training staff
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