ESPY Awards 2021: Nominees, how to watch ESPN show hosted by Anthony Mackie
The biggest award show of the sports world returns to the red carpet this year with a stacked slate of presenters and guests.
Actor Anthony Mackie, who starred as Sam Wilson/Falcon in multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, will host the 2021 ESPYS — ESPN's annual international sports award show. The ceremony will be broadcast live Saturday on ABC at 8 p.m. ET from New York City.
The 2020 ESPYS occurred virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic with some alterations to award categories due to the incomplete nature of many 2020 sports seasons. Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird and Russell Wilson co-hosted the event.
Fans have been voting on over 20 categories for 2021 awards since June 16.
Here's what you need to know ahead of Saturday's ESPYS broadcast:
Who is presenting?
The ESPYS attract not only the biggest names in sports, but the biggest in Hollywood, too.
Over 22 celebrities from the music industry to the big screen have already been announced as presenters. Actor Taye Diggs, rap star Da Baby, TikTok sisters Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, comedian Tracy Morgan and actor Zachary Levi, who's playing Kurt Warner in the upcoming movie "American Underdog," are a few of the entertainment industry stars set to appear.
Sports icons will also serve as presenters, some of whom are also up to win awards themselves. Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, Winter Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim and retired North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams are among them.
Who is being honored?
The honorees for the three ESPY pillar awards have already been announced. They are the only awards announced prior to the ceremony.
WNBA star Maya Moore, who helped free the wrongfully-incarcerated Jonathan Irons from a Missouri prison, will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Moore, who has sat out the past three seasons and Irons are now married, and her story will be chronicled with an "ESPN 30-for-30" documentary entitled "Breakaway." Past recipients of the award include Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King and Nelson Mandela.
The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance will be awarded to Chris Nikic, who became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman Triathlon in November 2020. Nikic competed in Panama City Beach, Florida, finishing the race with 14 minutes to spare in the allotted 17 hours time.
In November 2020, @ChrisNikic became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman.
He will be honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2021 ESPYS ❤️ pic.twitter.com/AJmGOwb0dL— ESPYS (@ESPYS) June 24, 2021
Marcus Rashford, striker for Manchester United and England's national team, is being honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service for his efforts to combat food poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is nominated?
As for the other performance-linked awards that fans vote on, there are several multi-time nominees who could receive awards again.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is nominated for both "Best Athlete, Men's Sports" and "Best NFL Player" following his 2021 Super Bowl win. The nominations are his fourth and 10th in each category, respectively. The Buccaneers are one of seven teams in the "Best Team" category.
The WNBA's Breanna Stewart and Olympian Simone Biles are both nominated for "Best Athlete, Women's Sports" alongside tennis star Naomi Osaka and UFC's Amanda Nunes. Stewart and Biles have a combined seven nominations in the category since 2014.
You can view a full list of categories and nominees here.
Contact Emily Leiker at eleiker@usatoday.com or on Twitter @emleiker
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ESPY Awards 2021: Nominees, how to watch, host, time, TV for Saturday
