The ESPYs won’t be the only awards show ESPN airs in the month of July.
Before the ESPYs air on ABC on July 15th, ESPN will hold the first ever Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards on July 14th in Los Angeles. The new awards show will center on two major awards – the Sports Humanitarian of the Year (naturally) and the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Additionally, four winners will receive awards named for Stuart Scott in honor of their work “to help the disadvantaged.”
A half hour special documenting the evening will air at 8:30 PM ET on July 23rd on ESPN.
More details from Bristol:
The inaugural Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and PlayStation®, will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, nonprofits and members of the sports industry for using sport to serve communities and make a positive impact on society, it was announced by John Skipper, President, ESPN. The event, which will take place Tuesday, July 14 at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, will be the first of its kind, bringing together the leagues and sporting community to pay tribute to the collective good of sports.
Multiple sports-related leagues and/or governing bodies — including MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, USOC, USTA, WNBA, WWE and the Women’s Sports Foundation — have nominated athletes, teams and community members that are using the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities. Highlights of the evening will be featured during a 30-minute special on ESPN, July 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
During the event, which will be hosted by Laila Ali, winners will be announced from among the finalists for two major award categories — Sports Humanitarian of the Year and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Additionally, the event will celebrate four inaugural “Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award” (ESPN + inspire) winners, recognized for taking risks and using innovation to help the disadvantaged.
“Through their selflessness and compassion, the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are improving lives of many around the world,” Skipper said. “The awards pay tribute to some incredible individuals and organizations and the extraordinary impact of their efforts on society.”
You can’t begrudge ESPN for celebrating the best contributions that athletes and teams make off the field. There’s enough negative headlines in sports and news that one night to celebrate some positives is a welcome sight. In fact, it makes sense that somewhere down the road ESPN might consider moving the special ESPY awards (Ashe, Tillman, Jimmy V) to this evening to better celebrate all the goodwill in the sports world and separate the other ESPY awards for Best Game, Best NBA Player, etc.
Each of the individual leagues have some form of a humanitarian award so ESPN crowning the Humanitarian of Humanitarians (which would be a much cooler name for the award) should be a great honor for whoever receives it.
[ESPN]
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