Stephen Curry Honored at the 2026 Sports Humanitarian Awards
Stephen Curry accepting The Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award from Lonnie Ali during the 2026 Sports Humanitarian Awards. (Photo by Ben Solomon / ESPN Images)
Curry recognized for his extensive community impact alongside his wife Ayesha through the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation
July 15, 2026, via ESPN– Tuesday, July 14, athletes and celebrities gathered at Gotham Hall in New York City to celebrate and honor athletes, teams, leagues and members of the sports industry who use the power of sport to make a positive impact on society for the 12th annual Sports Humanitarian Awards. All proceeds from the event, as well as the 2026 ESPYS, will once again support the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
The Sports Humanitarian Awards recognize those who have demonstrated an industry-wide commitment to philanthropy and public service across six major honors: Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award, Corporate Community Impact Award, the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. The Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a measured positive impact on their community through sports. The candidate must embrace the core principles that Muhammad Ali embodied so well, including confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and respect.
Four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry was honored with the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for his extensive community impact through the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Curry, who co-founded the foundation in 2019 with his wife, Ayesha Curry, to support youth development in Oakland, California, accepted the award from President & CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center, Lonnie Ali, saying “Oakland gave us so much love, support and energy, and this is how we are able to continue to give back to the community that has wrapped its arms around us from the very beginning back in 2009. We’re just excited to meet kids where they already are every single day, because if you invest in a child, you’re investing in everything that’s possible for their future.”
The Currys have leveraged sports, education, and community to create lasting change through the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. By directly investing in community-driven programming, the foundation is one of the Bay Area’s leading forces for youth development. To date, Eat. Learn. Play. has provided 35 million nutritious meals to kids and families experiencing food insecurity. The foundation has also worked to close the literacy gap in Oakland public schools, committing more than $20 million to literacy programs and resources. This includes high-impact tutoring for elementary students who are furthest behind, literacy coaching for elementary teachers and tutors, restocked school libraries, and free book fairs across 47 elementary schools. More than 1 million books have been distributed to Oakland students. Eat. Learn. Play. has also transformed 24 schoolyards and 6 gyms, creating safe, joyful environments where students can play and be active. The Currys cover all operating costs, so 100% of donations directly support Oakland youth. As co-founders they remain deeply involved in the foundation’s mission, using their platforms to advocate for equity, opportunity, and the transformative impact of sports and education on young people’s lives.
About The ESPYS
The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on ABC. The show will also stream on ESPN+ on the ESPN App in pattern with ABC airings across time zones and be available to stream the next day on Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App, and ABC Video on Demand. 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. The ESPYS help to raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS back in 1993. ESPN has helped raise more than $292 million for the V Foundation over the past 30+ years. The ESPYS are produced by ESPN, Full Day Productions and Fanatics Studios. Follow The 2026 ESPYS on X/Twitter @ESPYS.
About ESPN Corporate Citizenship
ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplift the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use the power of sport to positively address society’s needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. For more information go to www.espn.com/citizenship.
Media Contacts
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ESPN
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