Saquon Barkley, Shohei Ohtani, Simone Biles Lead ESPY Nominations

Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley, who led the NFL in rushing this year and the Eagles to victory in the Super Bowl, leads all nominees for the 2025 ESPY Awards, scoring a leading three mentions Thursday in the honors recognizing the year’s best in sports.

Barkley is up in the category for Best Athlete – Men’s Sports, joined by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, NFL MVP Josh Allen and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the newly crowned NBA champs Oklahoma City. Barkley is also up for Best NFL Player and Best Play, that viral mid-run backwards hurdle against the Jacksonville Jaguars in November.

Ohtani, up for Best Athlete – Men’s Sports for a second year in a row, is among a group with two noms that includes Allen, Gilgeous-Alexander, U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, and the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson, the latter of whom joins Biles and U.S. track gold medalists Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the race for Best Athlete – Women’s Sports.

Other multi-nominees include career Grand Slam golfer Rory McIlroy and former Duke basketball player Cooper Flagg, who on Wednesday was the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft and is headed to the Dallas Mavericks.

Winners in all 22 categories will be revealed July 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT live on ABC and ESPN+ from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Shane Gillis is the host.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

BEST ATHLETE – MEN’S SPORTS

Josh Allen – Buffalo BillsSaquon Barkley – Philadelphia EaglesShai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City ThunderShohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Dodgers

BEST ATHLETE – WOMEN’S SPORTS

Simone Biles – GymnastSydney McLaughlin-Levrone – Track & FieldGabby Thomas – Track & FieldA’ja Wilson – Las Vegas Aces

BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE

Cooper Flagg – Duke Men’s BasketballChloe Humphrey – North Carolina Women’s LacrosseIlona Maher – RugbyPaul Skenes – Pittsburgh Pirates

BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE

Geno Auriemma – UConn HuskiesCaitlin Clark – Indiana FeverKevin Durant – Olympic BasketballAlexander Ovechkin – Washington Capitals

BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE

Simone Biles – 2024 Olympics Women’s All-AroundStephen Curry – US Men’s Olympic BB teamFreddie Freeman – LA Dodgers – World Series MVPRory McIlroy – Wins first Masters title, completing career Grand Slam

BEST COMEBACK ATHLETE

Gabe Landeskog – Colorado AvalancheSuni Lee – GymnastMallory Swanson – USWNT/Chicago Red StarsLindsey Vonn – Skiing

BEST PLAY

Saquon Barkley’s backwards hurdle – NFL (11/3/24)Tyrese Haliburton Calls Game!!! – NBA Game 1 NBA Finals (6/5/25)Sabrina Ionescu Logo 3 Game Winner – WNBA Finals Game 3Trinity Rodman with the OT Goal to send USWNT to the semi-finals – 2024 Olympics

BEST TEAM

Florida Panthers – NHLLos Angeles Dodgers – MLBNew York Liberty – WNBAOhio State Buckeyes – NCAA FootballOklahoma City Thunder – NBAPhiladelphia Eagles – NFLNorth Carolina Tarheels – NCAA Women’s LacrosseUnited States Women’s National Team – SoccerUniversity of Connecticut Huskies – Women’s Basketball

BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE – MEN’S SPORTS

Cooper Flagg – Duke BasketballWyatt Hendrickson – Oklahoma State WrestlingTravis Hunter – Colorado FootballCJ Kirst – Cornell Lacrosse

BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE – WOMEN’S SPORTS

Olivia Babcock – University of Pittsburgh VolleyballKate Faasse – North Carolina SoccerGretchen Walsh – Virginia SwimmingJuJu Watkins – USC Basketball

BEST ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

Noah Elliott – SnowboardEzra Frech – Track & FieldTatyana McFadden – Track & FieldGrace Norman – Paratriathlete

BEST NFL PLAYER

Josh Allen – Buffalo BillsSaquon Barkley – Philadelphia EaglesLamar Jackson – Baltimore RavensPatrick Surtain II – Denver Broncos

BEST MLB PLAYER

Freddie Freeman – Los Angeles DodgersAaron Judge – New York YankeesShohei Ohtani – Los Angeles DodgersTarik Skubal – Detroit Tigers

BEST NHL PLAYER

Leon Draisaitl – Edmonton Oilers,Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg JetsNikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay LightningCale Makar – Colorado Avalanche

BEST NBA PLAYER

Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee BucksShai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City ThunderNikola Jokić – Denver NuggetsJayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

BEST WNBA PLAYER

Caitlin Clark – Indiana FeverNapheesa Collier – Minnesota LynxBreanna Stewart – New York LibertyA’ja Wilson – Las Vegas Aces

BEST DRIVER

Joey Logano – NASCARÁlex Palou – IndyCarOscar Piastri – F1Max Verstappen – F1

BEST UFC FIGHTER

Dricus Du PlessisMerab DvalishviliKayla HarrisonIslam Makhachev

BEST BOXER

Naoya InoueClaressa ShieldsKatie TaylorOleksandr Usyk

BEST SOCCER PLAYER

Aitana Bonmatí – FC Barcelona/SpainChristian Pulisic – AC Milan, USAlexia Putellas – FC Barcelona/SpainLamine Yamal – FC Barcelona/Spain

BEST GOLFER

Nelly KordaRory McllroyScottie SchefflerMaja Stark

BEST TENNIS PLAYER

Carlos AlcarazCoco GauffAryna SabalenkaJannik Sinner

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