More than 30 years after its debut, The ESPYS is heading back to where it all began.
On July 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming on the ESPN App, ESPN’s flagship celebration of sports will once again take center stage in New York City — this time at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center — marking the first full-scale New York production of the show since 1999.
The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will be hosted by comedian, actor, writer, and producer Marcello Hernández, who will bring his signature humor and vibrant personality to the stage as he joins a star-studded roster of athletes and celebrities honoring the greatest achievements in the world of sports.
The return represents more than a venue change. It’s a homecoming — and a reimagining — for an event that has evolved alongside the sports world it celebrates, growing from a New York-based awards show into a global, multi-platform cultural moment.
Why Now: A City at the Center of the Sports World
The decision to return to New York this year wasn’t just about history — it was about timing.
The week of The ESPYS, “there’s so much going on in New York,” Craig Lazarus, VP, Executive Producer, Original Content & Business Operations, ESPN, said. “At the end of the week is the World Cup finals, the Dodgers are playing the Yankees. There’s a National Women’s Soccer League game, Fanatics Fest is happening.”
To Lazarus, all of this meant, “we felt like the eyes of the sports world were on New York.”
He added with a wink: “And of course, we knew Travis Kelce was going to get married and the Knicks were going to win. So, we just wanted to be around the New York energy.”
That convergence of global and local moments positions The 2026 ESPYS at the center of a uniquely New York sports week, when the city becomes a gathering point for athletes, media, and fans — amplifying the reach and relevance of the show in real time.
A Storied Past, Reimagined for Today
The ESPYS began in 1993 at Madison Square Garden, establishing New York as the show’s original home. The ceremony returned to the Garden in 1994 before moving to Radio City Music Hall from 1995 through 1999.
In the years since, the show has traveled — from Las Vegas to Los Angeles — expanding in scale and visibility while maintaining its core mission: celebrating athletic achievement and the stories behind it.
Now, the move back to New York creates a dialogue between past and present. It reconnects the show to its origins while introducing new elements that reflect how sports — and the audiences that follow them — have evolved.
This year’s ceremony introduces new categories, including Best Single Game Performance, spotlighting standout moments across professional and collegiate sports. The addition reflects a growing appreciation for singular, defining performances — the type that dominate highlight reels and shape narratives across seasons.
Lazarus pointed to the likes of Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish as athletes who had an unbelievable one-night performance that could live in “a category where those would compete against each other.”
The show will also bring college athlete honors into the main broadcast for the first time, broadening its recognition of excellence across all levels of competition and reflecting the increasing visibility and impact of collegiate athletics.
Across categories, this year’s nominees include many of the biggest names in sports — from global superstars like Lionel Messi, Jalen Brunson, and Mikaela Shiffrin to rising talents like Lauren Betts, Macklin Celebrini, and Fernando Mendoza — creating a cross-section of athletes who have defined the past year through both sustained excellence and unforgettable moments.
Lincoln Center Meets the Playing Field
Hosting The ESPYS at Lincoln Center adds a distinct creative dimension — blending the grandeur of performing arts with the drama of sports.
Set designer Julio Himede, who crafted the stage for the Koch Theater, embraced that intersection.
“It’s a legacy that comes with ESPN, followed by the actual brand of The ESPYS,” Himede said. “It’s also a very respectful legacy that comes in doing something at Lincoln Center. We are in a very beautiful, prestigious theater, where normally you will see a ballet… And so it’s very unexpected to see an awards show there.”
For Himede, the venue represents both opportunity and challenge.
“I got excited about it because it’s almost two very different worlds coming together that both have a very long legacy,” Himede said.
That balance — between the elegance of a historic performance space and the high-energy nature of a live sports awards show — informs a production that feels uniquely New York: rooted in tradition, but energized by reinvention.
A Legacy That Extends Beyond the Stage
Since its inception, The ESPYS has served a purpose beyond recognition — supporting the V Foundation for Cancer Research, which was founded alongside the awards show by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano.
Over more than three decades, the event has helped raise more than $292 million to advance cancer research, making philanthropy a defining pillar of The ESPYS’ identity.
That legacy continues to be a throughline of the show, reinforced each year by storytelling and initiatives connected to ESPYS Week, extending the impact of the event far beyond a single night.
A New Chapter, Rooted in the Original Vision
The return to New York underscores the enduring power of live events to bring together sports, storytelling, and culture in a single moment.
With a new host, new categories, and a new stage set against one of the city’s most iconic cultural institutions, The 2026 ESPYS reflect both continuity and change — honoring where the show has been while embracing where it’s going.
Or, as Lazarus put it simply: “It’s always good to change up the energy.”
This year, what’s changed is something foundational — bringing it back to the city that gave The ESPYS its start.
