ESPN Announces Nominees for the 2026 Sports Humanitarian Awards
Stephen Curry named as finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award
June 30, 2026, via ESPN – The 12th annual Sports Humanitarian Awards will 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. This year’s Sports Humanitarian Awards, hosted by SportsCenter studio anchor and analyst Christine Williamson, will take place on Tuesday, July 14, at Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan the evening before the ESPYS, as part of ESPYS Week. The Awards will be featured in ESPN studio programming and during The 2026 ESPYS, airing live on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on ABC and streaming on the ESPN App from the David H Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
“For over a decade, the Sports Humanitarian Awards have been a key pillar of ESPN’s commitment to the teams and people who use the power of sports to drive meaningful changes in the world,” said Kevin Martinez, Vice President, ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “We are honored to be back in New York City as part of ESPYS week and are eager to celebrate our peers who leverage the power of sports to highlight the importance of advocacy, education, and giving back to their communities.”
This year’s nominees and honorees include:
Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award honoree: Laurie Tisch
Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award honoree: Jeffrey Lurie
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award finalists: Adam Thielen, Damar Hamlin, Stephen Curry
Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year finalists: Baltimore Ravens, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Storm
Corporate Community Impact Award finalists: American Express, Colgate-Palmolive, Jersey Mike’s
Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award honorees: Julia Howe, Kelis Armstrong, and Sam Phillips
Demonstrating an industry-wide commitment to philanthropy and public service, multiple sports leagues and governing bodies, along with sports brands, including NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, USTA, WWE/TKO, NHL, Fanatics, Under Armour and Salesforce joined as sponsors of the Sports Humanitarian Awards. The proceeds from the Sports Humanitarian Awards and ESPYS will support Pediatric Cancer Research at the V Foundation.
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Awards
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 MVP Stephen Curry has leveraged sports, education, and community to create lasting change through his Oakland-based charity, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Founded in 2019 in partnership with his wife Ayesha, Eat. Learn. Play. is rooted in the belief that every child deserves access to nutritious meals, quality education, and safe spaces to play. 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 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:
Grayson Shirey | Grayson.Shirey@espn.com
Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis | ESPYS@ssmandl.com