Overview
The 16th annual ESPYs was hosted by first timer, Justin Timberlake, who will be joined by an all-star lineup of top athletes and entertainers to celebrate the best sports stories of the year. The two-hour event moved to the new NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE, a world-class 7,100-seat venue located across the street from STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2008 ESPYs presented by HUMMER and Under Armour was televised on July 20th at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD with additional unique content that was available on a variety of ESPN multimedia platforms including ESPN.com and ESPN International.
The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2008 ESPYs included both sport-specific awards such as Best MLB Player and Best WNBA Player and distinguishing “Best in Sport” awards, categories that pit different sports against each other, such as Best Team or Best Female Athlete. The ESPYs are committed to the advancement of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, established by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano and announced at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.
For the fifth consecutive year, fans determined the winners in all categories (except the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and other special awards) by voting online at www.espys.tv starting Tuesday, July 1.