Top celebrities from sports and entertainment will come together to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major athletic achievements, reliving unforgettable moments, and saluting the leading performers and performances.
This year’s ESPYS will be hosted by comedian, actor, writer and producer Marcello Hernández, who will bring his signature humor and vibrant personality to the stage. This year marks The ESPYS return to New York City, where the show will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
The ESPYS raises awareness and funds for the V Foundation. It has been 33 years since Jim Valvano walked onto the stage and delivered his iconic speech as he accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. He encouraged others to carry on the “Don’t Give Up . . . Don’t Ever Give Up!” spirit and announced the beginning of the V Foundation in partnership with ESPN.
The V Foundation has awarded over $458 million in game-changing cancer research grants to date, all with the support of ESPN as its founding partner. 100% of direct donations go directly to game-changing cancer research, as an endowment covers administrative expenses.
All donations will be matched up to $100,000 thanks to the generosity of the Dangerfield Family Foundation.
Double your impact today!
Watch Jim’s 1993 ESPYS Speech
A former Major League Baseball pitcher, Abbott transcended the sporting world with a 10-year career in the big leagues. Born without a right hand, he refused to let a disability limit what was possible. After a standout career at the University of Michigan, Abbott was a first-round pick in the 1988 MLB Draft and notably reached the major leagues without ever pitching in the minors. Abbott’s shining moment of his career came in 1993, when he threw a dominant no-hitter for the New York Yankees.
Abbott’s career continues to inspire, exemplifying the power of perseverance, hard work, and heart – three attributes that embodied Jim Valvano as well. His journey set the path for other professional athletes with limb differences today, such as the NFL’s Shaquem Griffin, the USWNT’s Carson Pickett, and professional MMA Fighter Nick Newell. Past recipients of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance include Penn State volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley (2025), women’s college basketball coach Dawn Staley (2024), MLB pitcher Liam Hendricks (2023), ESPN legend Dick Vitale (2022), and triathlete Chris Nikic (2021).
V Foundation funded researchers, throughout their careers, have been connected to nearly 1,100 clinical trials and generated an additional $22 billion in cancer research.
V Foundation grantees have gone on to become leaders of major cancer centers, national research programs, and the National Cancer Institute itself. Donors are not just funding individual projects, they are helping share the future leadership and direction of cancer research itself.
There are 18.6 million cancer survivors in the U.S. today. The number of cancer survivors is expected to increase to 22 million by 2035.
Jay Harris: Thriving Thanks to Cancer Research
V Researchers at Work
Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Associate Director of Translational Research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and V Foundation grantee Maria “Ken” Figueroa, M.D., is using “Team Science” to create new targeted therapies for Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML), a rare blood cancer. Frustrated by traditional chemotherapy options that kill all cells, Dr. Figueroa’s research aims to limit toxicity with a targeted approach.
Her team discovered that some cases of CMML overexpress a protein called “PRAME”, a trait that some other cancers have as well. This led her to believe that CMML could be treated similarly to those other cancers, which would create a new option for patients with the disease.
By collaborating with experts in her field specializing in immunotherapy, drug development and PRAME, the team is rapidly developing TCR CAR-T cell therapies. This team approach cuts down development time from decades to years. Dr. Figueroa is a strong supporter of collaboration in science, crediting it with accelerating lifesaving advancements for patients.
“The total is more than the sum of the parts,” Dr. Figueroa said of scientific teamwork. “I’ve been doing basic and translational research since 2004 when I first started my postdoc. This is the most excited I’ve been about a lead in a project.”
Inspirations
Our friend Noah Elliott was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when he was just 16 years old. After a year in the hospital, he had his leg amputated. But he turned something unimaginable into something good.
Less than three years after his amputation, Noah represented Team USA on the world stage at the Paralympic Games in 2018. In the 2026 Games in Milan, he won gold in the Banked Slalom and silver in the snowboard cross. He’s currently ranked the No. 1 Para-snowboarder in the world.
Last year, Noah was nominated and won the Best Athlete with a Disability ESPY at the 2025 Awards. While attending, there was a mirror set up where attendees could write a post-it note and stick it on the mirror. He wrote: “I’m a survivor, and you can be one too.”
Today he’s passionate about sharing his story and advocating for advancements in cancer research.
“Don’t Give Up…Don’t Ever Give Up!”
Stars & Cancer Survivors Share Jim Valvano’s Timeless Message
eBay Auction
We are excited to share that eBay will be hosting a 7-day auction from July 8 – July 15 filled with approximately 100 items across core and live auctions. The live auction is scheduled to be on July 10th with Treavor Scales and Madelyn Burke hosting.
Now is your chance to join eBay, the V Foundation and ESPN for a game-changing comedy auction. 100% of proceeds go directly to the best cancer researchers through the V Foundation. Bid on some remarkable items from July 8-15 to help make a difference and fund the best of the best in science.
Additional ESPYS Programming (all times listed are ET)
- SportsCenter (from the ESPYS) – Wednesday, July 15 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN
- The 2026 ESPYS Preview Show Presented by Capital One – Wednesday, July 15 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
- The ESPYS Digital Red-Carpet Show – Wednesday, July 15 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+
- 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One – Wednesday, July 15, 8-11 p.m. ET on ABC
Sports Humanitarian Awards
The 2026 Sports Humanitarian Awards, benefiting the V Foundation, celebrate athletes who use their power for good. See this year’s nominees and finalists.