ESPN

Nominees and Winners

Special Awards

• Arthur Ashe Courage Award: John Carlos and Tommie Smith, 1968 Olympic medalists
• Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Kevin Everett, former Buffalo Bills TE
• Best comeback: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

Best in Sport Winners

• Best Female Athlete: Candace Parker, Tennessee Basketball/Los Angeles Sparks
• Best Male Athlete: Tiger Woods, Golf
• Best Moment: "Great Sportsmanship" (Central Washington University's Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace, Western Oregon University's Sara Tucholsky)
• Best Team: Boston Celtics
• Best Coach/Manager: Pat Summitt, Tennessee Women's Basketball
• Best Game: New York Giants over New England Patriots at the Super Bowl
• Best Championship Performance: Tiger Woods, 2008 U.S. Open
• Best Play: New York Giants Eli Manning's pass to David Tyree at the Super Bowl
• Best Finish: Western Kentucky over Drake in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, winning on a buzzer beater by Ty Rogers
• Best Upset: New York Giants over New England Patriots at the Super Bowl
• Best Breakthrough Athlete: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
• Best Record Breaking Performance: Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers
• Best Sports Movie: Semi-Pro
• Best Male College Athlete: Tim Tebow, Florida Football
• Best Female College Athlete: Candace Parker, Tennessee Basketball
• Best Male Athlete With a Disability: Ryan Kocer, Wrestling (Wagner, SD)
• Best Female Athlete With a Disability: Shay Oberg, Softball (Montana State-Billings)
• Best International Male Athlete: Rafael Nadal, Tennis
• Best International Female Athlete: Lorena Ochoa, Golf

Individual Sports Winners

• Best Baseball Player: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
• Best NBA Player: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
• Best WNBA Player: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm
• Best NFL Player: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
• Best NHL Player: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
• Best MLS Player: David Beckham, Los Angeles Galaxy
• Best Male Action Sport Athlete: Shaun White, Skateboarding/Snowboarding
• Best Female Action Sport Athlete: Gretchen Bleiler, Snowboarding
• Best Bowler: Norm Duke
• Best Driver: Jimmie Johnson
• Best Fighter: Floyd Mayweather, Boxing
• Best Golfer: Tiger Woods
• Best Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
• Best Outdoor Athlete: Captain Scott Smiley, Mountain Climber
• Best Male Tennis Player: Roger Federer
• Best Female Tennis Player: Maria Sharapova
• Best Track and Field Athlete: Tyson Gay

Sponsored Awards

• Hummer "Like Nothing Else" Award: George Martin walks across America
• Under Armour Undeniable Moment: Warner Robins, Georgia beats Tokyo to win the Little League World Series Championship Game with a Dalton Carriker walk-off home run in the bottom of the 8th inning (extra innings)

Nominees

Best Male Athlete

• TIGER WOODS, GOLF
• TOM BRADY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
• KOBE BRYANT, LOS ANGELES LAKERS
• ALEX RODRIGUEZ, NEW YORK YANKEES

Best Female Athlete

• LORENA OCHOA, GOLF
• CANDACE PARKER, TENNESSEE BASKETBALL/LOS ANGELES SPARKS, WNBA
• DANICA PATRICK, AUTO RACING
• LINDSEY VONN, SKIING

Best Momen

• GREAT SPORTSMAN SHIP, CENTRAL WASHINGTON VS. WESTERN OREGON SOFTBALL
• JON LESTER'S NO-HITTER
• DANICA PATRICK WINS

Best Team

• BOSTON RED SOX
• NEW YORK GIANTS
• BOSTON CELTICS
• KANSAS MEN'S BASKETBALL
• TENNESSEE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
• DETROIT RED WINGS

Best Coach-Manager

• TERRY FRANCONA, BOSTON RED SOX
• TOM COUGHLIN, NEW YORK GIANTS
• PAT SUMMITT, TENNESSEE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
• DOC RIVERS, BOSTON CELTICS

Best Game

• SUPER BOWL: GIANTS OVER PATRIOTS
• NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: KANSAS OVER MEMPHIS
• NBA FINALS, GAME 4: CELTICS OVER LAKERS

Best Championship Performance

• VENUS WILLIAMS, 2007 WIMBLEDON
• JOSH BECKETT, 2007 BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
• RAFAEL NADAL, 2008 FRENCH OPEN
• TIGER WOODS, 2008 U.S. OPEN

Best Plan

• MISSISSIPPI MIRACLE
• SUPER BOWL: ELI MANNING TO DAVID TYREE
• BIG 10 STUNNER
• NASH SHOOTS AND SCORES

Best Finish

• MCMURRAY EDGES BUSCH
• HILLTOPPERS ADVANCE
• SPURS PREVAIL
• PENS STAY ALIVE

Best Upset

• APPALACHIAN STATE: STUNS MICHIGAN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL, 34-32
• DA' TARA: WINS THE BELMONT STAKES AS A 38-1 LONGSHOT
• NEW YORK GIANTS: BEAT PATRIOTS IN THE SUPER BOWL
• FRESNO STATE: BEATS GEORGIA TO WIN THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Best Breakthrough Athlete

• ADRIAN PETERSON, MINNESOTA VIKINGS
• STEPHEN CURRY, DAVIDSON BASKETBALL
• KYLE BUSCH, NASCAR
• ANA IVANOVIC, TENNIS

Best Record Breaking Performance

• BARRY BONDS, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
• BRETT FARVE, GREEN BAY PACKERS
• USAIN BOLT, TRACK AND FIELD
• TOM BRADY & RANDY MOSS, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Best Sports Movie

• RESURRECTING THE CHAMP
• THE GAME PLAN
• SEMI-PRO
• LEATHERHEADS

Best Male College Athlete

• TIM TEBOW, FLORIDA FOOTBALL
• TYLER HANSBROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA BASKETBALL
• MICHAEL BEASLEY, KANSAS STATE BASKETBALL

Best Femail College Athlete

• CANDACE PARKER, TENNESSEE BASKETBALL
• ANGELA TINCHER, VIRGINIA TECH SOFTBALL
• RACHEL DAWSON, NORTH CAROLINA FIELD HOCKEY

Best Male Athlete with a Disability

• MATT SCOTT, BASKETBALL
• PHIL SCHOLZ, SWIMMING
• MARTHELL VAZQUEZ, SOCCER
• RYAN KOCER, WRESTLING

Best Female Athlete with a Disability

• PATTY CISNEROS, BASKETBALL
• JESSICA GALLI, TRACK AND FIELD
• SUSAN BETH SCOTT, SWIMMING
• SHAY OBERG, SOFTBALL

Best International Male Athlete

• KAKA, SOCCER
• MANU GINOBILI, BASKETBALL
• CRISTIANO RONALDO, SOCCER
• RAFAEL NADAL, TENNIS

Best International Female Athlete

• MARTA, SOCCER
• LORENA OCHOA, GOLF
• LAUREN JACKSON, BASKETBALL
• JUSTINE HENIN, TENNIS

Best Baseball Player

• ALEX RODRIGUEZ, NEW YORK YANKEES
• JOSH BECKETT, BOSTON RED SOX
• JIMMY ROLLINS, PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
• JAKE PEAVY, SAN DIEGO PADRES
• C.C. SABATHIA, CLEVELAND INDIANS

Best NBA Player

• LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
• KOBE BRYANT, LOS ANGELES LAKERS
• CHRIS PAUL, NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
• DWIGHT HOWARD, ORLANDO MAGIC
• KEVIN GARNETT, BOSTON CELTICS

Best WNBA Player

• LAUREN JACKSON, SEATTLE STORM
• DIANA TAURASI, PHOENIX MERCURY
• BECKY HAMMON, SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS
• SEIMONE AUGUSTUS, MINNESOTA LYNX

Best NFL Player

• TOM BRADY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
• RANDY MOSS, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
• LADAINIAN TOMLINSON, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
• BOB SANDERS, INDIANOPLIS COLTS
• BRETT FAVRE, GREEN BAY PACKERS
• ELI MANNING , NEW YORK GIANTS

Best NHL Player

• JAROME IGINLA, CALGARY FLAMES
• ALEXANDER OVECHKIN, WASHINGTON CAPITALS
• EVGENI MALKIN, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
• PAVEL DATSYUK, DETROIT RED WINGS
• SIDNEY CROSBY, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Best MLS Player

• LUCIANO EMILIO, D.C. UNITED
• JUAN PABLO ANGEL, NEW YORK RED BULLS
• DAVID BECKHAM, LOS ANGELES GALAXY
• CUAUHTEMOC BLANCO, CHICAGO FIRE
• LANDON DONOVAN, LOS ANGELES GALAXY
• MATT REIS, NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Best Male Action Sports Athlete

• SHAUN WHITE, SKATEBOARDING/SNOWBOARDING
• KEVIN ROBINSON, BMX
• CHAD REED, SUPERCROSS
• KEVIN PEARCE, SNOWBOARDING

Best Female Action Sports Athlete

• GRETCHEN BLEILER, SNOWBOARDING
• JESSICA PATTERSON, MOTOCROSS
• STEPHANIE GILMORE, SURFING
• LINDSEY JACOBELLIS, SNOWBOARDING

Best Bowler

• WALTER RAY WILLIAMS JR.
• CHRIS BARNES
• NORM DUKE

Best Driver

• JIMMIE JOHNSON
• DARIO FRANCHITTI
• LEWIS HAMILTON
• KYLE BUSCH
• SCOTT DIXON
• TONY SCHUMACHER

Best Fighter

• FLOYD MAYWEATHER, BOXING
• JOE CALZAGHE, BOXING
• KELLY PAVLIK, BOXING
• GEORGE ST. PIERRE, MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
• HOLLY HOLM, BOXING

Best Golfer

• TIGER WOODS
• LORENA OCHOA
• ANNIKA SORENSTAM
• PHIL MICKELSON

Best Jockey

• GARRETT GOMEZ
• ROBBY ALBARADO
• KENT DESORMEAUX

Best Outdoor Athlete

• SKEET REESE, ANGLER
• LANCE MACKEY, DOG MUSHER
• SKIP STORCH, MARATHON SWIMMER
• CAPTAIN SCOTT SMILEY, MOUNTAIN CLIMBER
• DAVE HAHN, MOUNTAIN CLIMBER

Best Male Tennis Player

• ROGER FEDERER
• RAFAEL NADAL
• NOVAK DJOKOVIC
• BOB AND MIKE BRYAN

Best Female Tennis Player

• JUSTINE HENIN
• MARIA SHARAPOVA
• ANA IVANOVIC

Best Track and Field Athlete

• TYSON GAY
• ALLYSON FELIX
• JEREMY WARINER
• USAIN BOLT
• HUMMER LIKE NOTHING ELSE AWARD
• MANNY RAMIREZ
• SIDNEY CROSBY
• ASHLEY FORCE
• GEORGE MARTIN