ESPY Awards winners list: Michelle Obama honours late Special Olympics founder

The 25<sup>th ESPY Awards event took place on 12 July to recognise individual and team athletic achievements among sportspersons in the US. This year, the event was hosted by Peyton Manning at the Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles and saw numerous celebrities from the entertainment world mingle with the stars of the sporting community.

With winners chosen solely through an online voting system, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player Russell Westbrook were named best female and male athlete of the year respectively.

One pleasant surprise for the evening was the stage arrival of former First Lady Michelle Obama who presented the Arthur Ashe Courage Award posthumously to Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. "I am here tonight to honour a remarkable woman, a woman who believed everyone has something to contribute, and everyone deserves the chance to push themselves and find out what they are made of and to compete and win," Obama said to a round of thunderous applause.

Other celebrities also played presenters for the event. Jon Stewart presented Master Sgt Israel Del Toro, who was injured in an explosion in Afghanistan, with the Pat Tillman award for service. Bryan Cranston presented retired Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully with the icon award, and Bill Murray took to the stage to accept the best moment award on behalf of the Chicago Cubs, who won their first World Series Cup since 1908.

Find the complete list of ESPY Award winners below:

Best Male Athlete

Winner: Russell Westbrook, NBA

Kris Bryant, MLB

Sidney Crosby, Stanley Cup Finals

Michael Phelps, Swimming

Best Female Athlete

Winner: Simone Biles, Gymnastics

Katie Ledecky, Swimming

Candace Parker, WNBA

Serena Williams, Tennis

Best Championship Performance

Winner: Kevin Durant, NBA Finals

Tom Brady, Super Bowl

Shay Knighten, WCWS

Deshaun Watson, CFB National Championship

Best Breakthrough Athlete

Winner: Dak Prescott, NFL

Giannis Antetokounmpo, NBA

Laurie Hernandez, Gymnastics

Aaron Judge, MLB

Christian Pulisic, Soccer

Best Record-Breaking Performance

Winner: Michael Phelps extends his own record of most gold medals/most Olympic medals

Bill Belichick most Super Bowl wins by a head coach

Diana Taurasi breaks WNBA career scoring record

Russell Westbrook most triple doubles in a season

Best Upset

Winner: Mississippi State defeats Connecticut, Women's NCAA Basketball Final Four

Clemson defeats Alabama, CFB National Championship

Denis Istomin over Novak Djokovic, Australian Open 2nd Round

Best Game

Winner: Patriots vs. Falcons, Super Bowl

Cubs vs Indians, World Series Game 7

Federer vs Nadal, Australian Open Final

Best Comeback Athlete

Winner: Jordy Nelson, NFL

Matt Bush, MLB

Roger Federer, Tennis

Candace Parker, WNBA

Best Play

Winner: Aaron Rodgers to Jared Cook vs Lamar Jackson hurdles defender

Julian Edelman Super Bowl catch vs Noah Brown TD catch around defender

Morgan Williams buzzer beater vs UConn vs Larry Nance dunk

Northwestern buzzer beater vs Edwin Encarnacion walk off HR

Russell Westbrook buzzer beater vs LeBron James dunk off the backboard

Chris Coghlan leaps over catcher vs Sidney Crosby one-handed goal

Olivier Giroud scorpion kick goal vs Warriors jump ball transition dunk

Mario Mandzukic goal in UEFA Final vs Jarrod Dyson catch

Best Team

Winner: Golden State Warriors, NBA

Chicago Cubs, MLB

Clemson Tigers, CFB

Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL

New England Patriots, NFL

South Carolina Gamecocks, Women's NCAA Basketball

US Women's Gymnastics

Best International Athlete

Winner: Usain Bolt, Track & Field

Canelo Alvarez, Boxing

Katinka Hosszu, Swimming

Conor McGregor, MMA

Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer

Best NFL Player

Winner: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Best MLB Player

Winner: Mike Trout, LA Angels

Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox

Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

Best NHL Player

Winner: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Best Driver

Winner: Lewis Hamilton, Formula One

Ron Capps, NHRA

Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR

Simon Pagenaud, IndyCar

Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR

Best NBA Player

Winner: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

James Harden, Houston Rockets

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Best WNBA Player

Winner: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks

Tina Charles, New York Liberty

Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics

Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx

Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks

Best Fighter

Winner: Demetrious Johnson, MMA

Terence Crawford, Boxing

Gennady Golovkin, Boxing

Conor McGregor, MMA

Andre Ward, Boxing

Best Male Golfer

Winner: Sergio Garcia

Brooks Koepka

Dustin Johnson

Rory McIlroy

Henrik Stenson

Best Female Golfer

Winner: Ariya Jutanugarn

In Gee Chun

Lydia Ko

So Yeon Ryu

Lexi Thompson

Best Male Tennis Player

Winner: Roger Federer

Andy Murray

Rafael Nadal

Stan Wawrinka

Best Female Tennis Player

Winner: Serena Williams

Angelique Kerber

Jelena Ostapenko

Monica Puig

Best Male College Athlete

Winner: DeShaun Watson, Clemson football

Ian Harkes, Wake Forest soccer

Frank Mason, Kansas basketball

Matt Rambo, Maryland lacrosse

Zain Retherford, Penn State wrestling

Best Female College Athlete

Winner: Kelly Barnhill, Florida softball

Inky Ajanaku, Stanford volleyball

Kadeisha Buchanan, West Virginia soccer

Kelsey Plum, Washington basketball

Zoe Stukenberg, Maryland lacrosse

Best Male Action Sports Athlete

Winner: Mark McMorris, Snowboard

Oystein Braaten (NOR), Ski

John John Florence, Surf

Nyjah Huston, Skateboard

Best Female Action Sports Athlete

Winner: Anna Gasser, Snowboard

Lacey Baker, Skateboard

Kelly Sildaru, Ski

Tyler Wright, Surf

Best Jockey

Winner: John Velasquez

Javier Castellano

Mike E Smith

Best Male Athlete With a Disability

Winner: Steve Serio, Wheelchair Basketball

Will Groulx, Cycling

Mike Minor, Snowboarding

Brad Snyder, Swimming

Roderick Townsend, Track and Field

Best Female Athlete With a Disability

Winner: Becca Meyers, Swimming

Oksana Masters, Nordic Skiing

Tatyana McFadden, Track and Field

Shawn Morelli, Cycling

Grace Norman, Triathlon

Best Bowler

Winner: Jason Belmonte

Francois Lavoie

EJ Tackett

Best MLS Player

Winner: David Villa, New York City FC

Andre Blake, Philadelphia Union

Stefan Frei, Seattle Sounders FC

Matt Hedges, FC Dallas

Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls

Best Male US Olympic Athlete

Winner: Michael Phelps, Swimming

Ashton Eaton, Decathlon

Ryan Murphy, Swimming

Kyle Snyder, Wrestling

Best Female US Olympic Athlete

Winner: Simone Biles, Gymnastics

Allyson Felix, Track & Field

Katie Ledecky, Swimming

Simone Manuel, Swimming