2014 ESPYS Nominees Announced


The 2014 ESPYS nominees have been announced and there are a few familiar female athletes on the ballot. UFC Women’s Bantamweight Chamion, Ronda Rousey will square off against the men in the “Best Fighter” category. She’s also nominated for the “Best Female Athlete” award. Snowboarder Jamie Anderson won gold in slopestyle’s Olympic debut, at the 2014 Winter Olympics. She’ll face fellow Olympic Gold Medalist, freestyle skier Maddie Bowman in “Best Female Action Sports Athlete” and “Best Female U.S. Olympian”.

ESPYs

NEWS:
Peyton Manning, Floyd Mayweather, David Ortiz, Kevin Durant, LA Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Rafael Nadal, Miguel Cabrera, Serena Williams, Maya Moore are all nominees for The 2014 ESPYS, hosted by Grammy Award-winner, platinum selling recording artist and multi-faceted performer Drake.

WHAT:
Initial list of nominees for The 2014 ESPYS presented by Capital One, hosted by Drake, are revealed and voting has begun.
Pardon the Interruption’s Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will host The ESPY Nomination Special on Thursday, July 3, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

WHERE:
A current list of The 2014 ESPYS nominees is available to members of the media at http://es.pn/1q4SgeV and for voters at ESPN.com/ESPYS. Additional nomination categories will be released before the show.

WHEN:
Voting is underway and all categories will close when the live show starts Wednesday, July 16, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

HOW:
Fans will determine the winners in most ESPYS categories by voting online at ESPN.com/ESPYS up to the start of The 2014 ESPYS.

2014 ESPYS FACTS & FIGURES:
• “Best Male Athlete” has stiff competition this year, with NBA MVP Kevin Durant, MLB AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, NFL MVP Peyton Manning, and undefeated boxing champ, Floyd Mayweather, all vying to take home the honor for the first time.

• LeBron James is after his third-straight and fifth-total win in “Best NBA Player.” Five-time nominee Kevin Durant is angling to take his first.

• The “Best Female Athlete” category showcases a collection of fresh faces this year. WNBA star Maya Moore is the only returning nominee. She is joined by the first female UFC champion, Ronda Rousey, the youngest Olympic slalom gold medalist, Mikaela Shiffrin, and the college basketball Player of the Year, Breanna Stewart.

• The Connecticut women’s basketball team is in the hunt for their second “Best Team” award on the heels of a record ninth NCAA title. The Huskies have been nominated seven times, but have not taken home the honor since 1996.

• Novak Djokovic is chasing his third-straight “Best Male Tennis Player” award. He is up against two fellow 2013 nominees, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.
Floyd Mayweather is going for his fifth “Best Fighter” ESPY in seven years, and his third straight.

• Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is nominated for the second-straight year in both the “Best Male Athlete” and “Best MLB Player” categories. He won the “Best MLB Player” award in 2013.

• Ronda Rousey is the first UFC athlete, male or female, to be nominated for a “Best Athlete” award. She is the first and current UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

• Serena Williams is after her 7th “Best Female Tennis Player” award, and her second straight.

The ESPYS gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2014 ESPYS marks the show’s 22nd telecast and will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. The ESPYS honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYS in 1993.

Voting will be open June 24 through July 16 at 9 p.m. ET at ESPN.com/ESPYS. Follow The 2014 ESPYS on Twitter @ESPYS.

A limited amount of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase at www.axs.com. For information on discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more, call (877) 234-8425.

Info provided by ESPN.






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