2015 ESPYs Nominees Announced


2015 ESPYs
The 2015 ESPYs Nominees were announced today and leading the way with two nominees each are UFC champ Ronda Rousey, Tennis star Serena Williams and Skiing sensation Lindsey Vonn. The three of them face each other in the “Best Female Athlete” category. Ronda is also up for an ESPY in the “Best Fighter” category. Serena Williams is nominated for “Best Female Tennis Player” and Lindsey Vonn is up for “Best Comeback Athlete.” Little League Baseball’s star Mo’Ne Davis has been nominated for “Best Breakthrough Athlete”. Scroll down for a complete list female nominees and cast your vote at ESPYs.com.
WHAT:
Initial list of nominees for The 2015 ESPYS presented by Capital One, are revealed today and voting has begun.

Pardon the Interruption’s Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will host The ESPY Nomination Special on Wednesday, July 1, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

WHERE:
A current list of The 2015 ESPYS nominees is available at ESPYS.com. 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 15, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

HOW:
Fans will determine the winners in most ESPYS categories by voting online at ESPYS.com up to the start of The 2015 ESPYS.

2015 ESPYS FACTS & FIGU
RES:
• For the first time since 2000, none of the nominees for Best Male Athlete are returning from the previous year. 2015’s fresh slate includes NBA MVP Stephen Curry, NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt, and two-time Best Male Athlete-winner LeBron James.

• UFC-champion Ronda Rousey is in pursuit of a 2nd-straight “Best Female Athlete” honor. She faces stiff competition from 2-time winners Serena Williams and Lindsey Vonn, as well as returning nominee Breanna Stewart.

• LeBron James is the only returning nominee for “Best NBA Player,” gracing the category for an 11th-straight year. He is joined by first-timers Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.

• Serena Williams is after her 7th “Best Female Tennis Player” award. She will have to top returning winner, Maria Sharapova, who is after her 6th.

• Peyton Manning is in contention to repeat as “Best Record-Breaking Performance.” While the Denver signal caller was honored at the 2014 awards for single-season passing records, this year the attention is on a career accomplishment–the most passing touchdowns ever thrown by an NFL quarterback.

• Rory McIlroy is chasing his second “Best Male Golfer” award. He faces stiff competition from Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth and FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel.

• Little League standout Mo’ne Davis is looking to become the youngest athlete ever to win the “Best Breakthrough Athlete” Award.

• The “Best Male College Athlete” nominees stretch the category’s age range in both directions. 18-year-old BU hockey star Jack Eichel would be the youngest player ever to win the award, while 24-year-old OSU wrestling champ Logan Stieber would be the oldest.

• Fresh off winning the Triple Crown, American Pharoah is the first horse ever to be nominated in the “Best Championship Performance” category. He is up against MLB World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner, Women’s College World Series MVP Lauren Haeger, and NBA Finals leading-scorer LeBron James.

2015 FEMALE ATHLETE NOMINEES:

Best Female Athlete:
Ronda Rousey – MMA
Breanna Stewart – UConn Basketball
Lindsey Vonn – Skiing
Serena Williams – Tennis

Best Female Action Sports Athlete:
Paige Aims – Surfing
Kelly Clark – Snowboarding
Stephanie Gilmore – Surfing
Laia Sanz – Enduro / Motorbike

Best Female Golfer:
Lydia Ko
Stacy Lewis
Inbee Park

Best Female Tennis Player
Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams
Petra Kvitova
Simona Halep

Best Breakthrough Athlete:
Odell Beckham Jr – New York Giants
Mo’ne Davis – Little League Baseball
Cardale Jones – Ohio State Buckeyes
Jordan Spieth – PGA

Best Championship Performance:
Madison Bumgarner – San Francisco Giants
Lauren Haeger – Florida Softball
LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
American Pharoah – Race Horse

Best Fighter
Floyd Mayweather, Jr – Boxing
Ronda Rousey – MMA
Donald Serrone – MMA
Terrence Crawford – Boxing
Gennady Golovkin – Boxing

Best Record-Breaking Performance:
Lauren Chamberlain hits 91st Home Run – Oklahoma Softball
Devin Hester scores 20th punt return TD – Atlanta Falcons
Peyton Manning throws record 509th touchdown pass – Denver Broncos
Klay Thompson most points in a quarter – Golden State Warriors

Best International Athlete:
Lionel Messi – Soccer
Lydia Ko – Women’s Golf
Cristiano Ronaldo – Soccer
Novak Djokovic – Tennis
Lewis Hamilton – Forumla One

Best College Female Athlete:
Taylor Cummings – Maryland Lacrosse
Missy Franklin – Cal Swimming
Lauren Haeger – Florida Softball
Micha Hancock – Penn State Volleyball
Breanna Stewart – UConn Basketball

Best WNBA Player:
Maya Moore – Minnesota Lynx
Diana Taurasi – Phoenix Mercury
Skylar Diggins – Tulsa Shock
Brittney Griner – Phoenix Mercury
Candace Parker – Los Angeles Sparks

Best Female Athlete with a Disability:
Kendall Gretsch – Triathlete
Oksana Masters – Sit-Skier
Tatyana McFadden – Sit-Skier / Wheelchair Racer
Becca Meyers – Swimming
Greta Neimanas – Cyclist

Best Comeback Athlete:
Rob Gronkowski – NFL
Alex Rodriguez – MLB
Derrick Rose – NBA
Lindsey Vonn – Skiing

About:
The 2015 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will be hosted by comedian, actor and television host Joel McHale, most widely known for hosting The Soup on E! as well as playing Jeff Winger on Community. The ESPYS will be broadcast live on ABC Wednesday, July 15, at 8 p.m. ET from Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles.

The award show gathers 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 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. Follow The 2015ESPYS on Twitter @ESPYS.






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