Usiku wa Tuzo za ESPY 2026 uligeuka kuwa wa mafanikio makubwa kwa New York Knicks, baada ya kutwaa tuzo tano zikiwemo za Timu Bora ya Mwaka na Mwanamichezo Bora wa Kiume kupitia nyota wake Jalen Brunson.
Hafla hiyo iliyofanyika katika ukumbi wa David H. Koch Theater ndani ya Lincoln Center jijini New York, iliwakusanya mastaa wakubwa wa michezo duniani kusherehekea mafanikio ya mwaka uliopita.
Brunson aliibuka mshindi wa tuzo ya Mwanamichezo Bora wa Kiume, Mchezaji Bora wa NBA, pamoja na Utendaji Bora kwenye Fainali, huku mwenzake OG Anunoby akitwaa tuzo ya Mchezo Bora wa Mwaka kutokana na kikapu chake cha ushindi katika Fainali za NBA.
Katika upande wa wanawake, nyota wa Las Vegas Aces, A’ja Wilson, alishinda tuzo mbili muhimu za Mwanamichezo Bora wa Kike na Mchezaji Bora wa WNBA, baada ya msimu mwingine wa mafanikio uliomfikisha kwenye ubingwa.
Nahodha wa Inter Miami, Lionel Messi, alitangazwa kuwa Mwanasoka Bora wa Mwaka, akiwashinda Ousmane Dembélé, Alexia Putellas na Temwa Chawinga. Tuzo hiyo ilikuja siku ambayo Messi aliiongoza Argentina kutinga fainali ya Kombe la Dunia kwa kutoa pasi mbili za mabao dhidi ya England.
Katika tuzo nyingine, Stephen Curry alipokea Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award kwa mchango wake wa kibinadamu, huku aliyekuwa mchezaji wa MLB Jim Abbott akitunukiwa Jimmy V Award kwa uvumilivu na ujasiri wake wa maisha.
Jason Collins, aliyekuwa mchezaji wa NBA, alipewa Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, wakati Scott Ruskan, mwanachama wa Kikosi cha Walinzi wa Pwani wa Marekani, alipokea Pat Tillman Award for Service kutokana na kuokoa maisha ya watu wengi wakati wa mafuriko.
Miongoni mwa washindi wengine ni Alysa Liu, aliyeshinda tuzo ya Mwanamichezo Bora Aliyeibuka, Myles Garrett aliyeshinda tuzo ya Mchezaji Bora wa NFL, na Shohei Ohtani, aliyepata tuzo ya Utendaji Bora wa Mchezo Mmoja.
Hafla ya ESPY 2026 iliongozwa na mchekeshaji na nyota wa Saturday Night Live, Marcello Hernández, huku New York Knicks wakitoka kuwa timu iliyotawala usiku huo kwa idadi kubwa ya tuzo walizonyakua.
Best Athlete, Men’s Sports
- Winner: New York Knicks G Jalen Brunson
- Inter Miami CF F Lionel Messi
- Los Angeles Dodgers DH/SP Shohei Ohtani
- Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford
Best Athlete, Women’s Sports
- Winner: Las Vegas Aces C A’ja Wilson
- PWHL Detroit/US Hockey F Hilary Knight
- Golfer Nelly Korda
- Skier Mikaela Shiffrin
Best Breakthrough Athlete
- Winner: Figure Skater Alysa Liu
- San Jose Sharks F Macklin Celebrini
- New England Patriots QB Drake Maye
- Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
Best Record-Breaking Performance
- Winner: Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record (23)
- UCLA softball star Megan Grant breaking the NCAA single-season softball home run record (42)
- Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo became the first athlete to win six golds at a single Winter Olympic Games in 2026.
- Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe became the first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon (London Marathon, 1:59:30).
Best Championship Performance
- Winner: New York Knicks PG Jalen Brunson
- USA Women’s Hockey G Aerin Frankel
- USA Men’s Hockey G Connor Hellebuyck
- Texas Longhorns Softball P Teagan Kavan
Best Play
- Winner: New York Knicks F OG Anunoby’s Tip-In to win Game 4 of NBA Finals
- USA Women’s Hockey Gold Medal-Winning Goal (Megan Keller)
- USA Men’s Hockey Gold Medal-Winning Goal (Jack Hughes)
- UConn F Braylon Mullins’ buzzer-beating 3 vs. Duke in men’s Elite Eight
- Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams Game-Tying TD vs. Los Angeles Rams
Best Team
- Winner: New York Knicks, NBA champions
- Las Vegas Aces, WNBA champions
- Los Angeles Dodgers, World Series champions
- Indiana Hoosiers, NCAA Football Division I-FBS champions
- Carolina Hurricanes, Stanley Cup winners
- Texas Longhorns, NCAA Softball champions
- Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl winners
- Team USA Men’s Hockey, gold medalists
- Team USA Women’s Hockey, gold medalists
Best Single-Game Performance
- Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers DH/P Shohei Ohtani: NLCS Game 4 vs. Milwaukee Brewers (three home runs and 6 scoreless innings while striking out 10)
- Baylor 1B Tyce Armstrong, Baylor Baseball: hit three grand slams on Opening Day against New Mexico State in a single game, only second player to achieve feat.
- Miami Heat C Bam Adebayo: 83 points vs. Washington Wizards (second-highest scoring total in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100)
- Notre Dame G Hannah Hidalgo: NCAA record 16 steals vs. Akron
Best College Athlete, Men’s Sports
- Winner: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
- Duke F Cameron Boozer
- Penn State Wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 lb.)
- NC State F Donavan Phillip
Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports
- Winner: UCLA C Lauren Betts
- Pittsburgh Volleyball RS Olivia Babcock
- Northwestern Lacrosse A Madison Taylor
- Oklahoma Gymnast Faith Torrez
Best NFL Player
- Winner: Cleveland Browns (now Los Angeles Rams) DE Myles Garrett
- New England Patriots QB Drake Maye
- Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford
Best NBA Player
- Winner: New York Knicks G Jalen Brunson
- Oklahoma City Thunder G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokić
- San Antonio Spurs C Victor Wembanyama
Best WNBA Player
- Winner: Las Vegas Aces C A’ja Wilson
- Minnesota Lynx F Napheesa Collier
- Atlanta Dream G Allisha Gray
- Phoenix Mercury F Alyssa Thomas
Best Soccer Player
- Winner: Inter Miami CF and F Lionel Messi
- KC Current and Malawi F Temwa Chawinga
- PSG and France F Ousmane Dembélé
- Barcelona and Spain F/MF Alexia Putellas
Gatorade Players of the Year: Maddie DiMaria and Grady Emerson
