2025 ESPYs: Winners, Snubs, and Reactions

Shane Gillis Brought the Laughs—Too Bad the ESPYS Crowd Didn’t Get the Joke

Leave it to the ESPYs to prove that even in a room full of the greatest athletes on earth, nobody can catch a punchline.

Comedian Shane Gillis brought his trademark “I-don’t-care-if-you-like-me” humor to the stage and cooked everyone in sight. The jokes were sharp, the timing was perfect — but the crowd? About as lively as a WNBA preseason game in Alaska.

To be clear: Gillis crushed. The audience just sat there like they were waiting for a team bus. Someone tell these people you’re allowed to laugh even if you make $40 million a year

The ESPYs 2025: Who Showed Up, Showed Out, and Got Snubbed

Beyond the awkward laughs, the ESPYs delivered a healthy dose of big names, bigger wins, and at least three outfits that should never see daylight again. Let’s run it down

Main ESPY Award Winners 2025

Best Athlete – Men’s Sports: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai officially joined the Superstar Among Superstars club, winning Best Athlete – Men’s Sports after a monstrous season with the Thunder — beating Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, and Shohei Ohtani.

Still, you can’t ignore Barkley’s snub. In a pass-heavy NFL, he nearly broke the all-time rushing record, carrying the Eagles with historic, clutch performances. Seasons like that don’t come around often — voters missed it.

Best Athlete – Women’s Sports: Simone Biles

At this point they should just engrave her name on the trophy every year. Simone’s dominant comeback at the 2024 Olympics won her Best Athlete – Women’s Sports and also Best Championship Performance.

No one else even sniffed this one. Everyone else is playing checkers — Simone’s flipping over the board.

Best Team

Philly fans rejoice — the Eagles took Best Team, proving that relentless defense, creative offense, and vibes matter to the voters.

They claimed the title over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Florida Panthers.

Still, let’s be real: the Panthers got snubbed. After grinding their way to the historic first Stanley Cup, Florida’s grit and clutch playoff run deserved more than a runner-up finish.

Best Breakthrough Athlete: Ilona Maher

Rugby rarely gets center stage, but Ilona Maher owned it this year — winning Best Breakthrough Athlete thanks to her Olympic heroics and huge personality. Deserved.

Best Play

It’s exactly what it sounds like — and it looked like a Madden cheat code. Saquon hurdled backward over a defender and made it look easy. That play broke highlight reels and defenders’ ankles. Clear winner.

Best in Each League

• Best NFL Player: Saquon Barkley — Philadelphia Eagles.

• Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani — Los Angeles Dodgers.

• Best NBA Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Best NHL Player: Leon Draisaitl — Edmonton Oilers.

• Best WNBA Player: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

• Best College Athlete - Men's Sports: Cooper Flagg, Duke men's basketball

• Best College Athlete - Women's Sports: JuJu Watkins, USC women's basketball

The Jimmy V Award and Its 2025 Winner

Penn State women’s volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley brought the house down at the ESPYs, earning a standing ovation as she accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance after bravely overcoming cancer. A former Penn State player herself and now head coach of her alma mater, Schumacher-Cawley led her team with strength and grace even while undergoing treatment.

Her speech was raw, heartfelt, and inspiring — candidly reflecting on her diagnosis, the toll of treatment, and how the unwavering support of her family, players, and Penn State community carried her through. It was the kind of unforgettable moment the ESPYs are meant for: a reminder that sports are about more than wins and losses — they’re about resilience, hope, and the people who embody both

Other Notable Awards Winners

Best Championship Performance: Simone Biles, Olympic gymnastics all-around

Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Sloane Stephens

Best Breakthrough Athlete: Ilona Maher, USA Rugby

Capital One Cup Winners: UNC women and Ohio State men

Icon Award: Alex Morgan and Diana Taurasi

Pat Tillman Award for Service: Los Angeles County firefighters David Walters and Erin Regan

Gatorade Players of the Year: Jane Hedengren and Cameron Boozer

Best Comeback Athlete: Suni Lee, USA Gymnastics

Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Rishin Tandon, Maegha Ramanathan and Ian Waite

Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Oscar Robertson

Best Athlete - Men's Sports: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Best Record-Breaking Performance: Alexander Ovechkin, NHL all-time goals leader

Best Athlete with a Disability: Noah Elliott, Para Snowboarding

Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1

Best UFC Fighter: Merab Dvalishvili

Best Boxer: Katie Taylor

Best Soccer Player: Christian Pulisic, AC Milan, USMNT

Best Golfer: Scottie Scheffler

Best Tennis Player: Coco Gauff

Final Thoughts

The ESPYs remain a fascinating mix of awkward athlete speeches, elite athletic achievement, and the occasional comedy roast no one appreciates.

Simone dominated. Shai announced his arrival. Saquon defied physics. The Eagles reminded everyone that Philly runs deep. And Shane Gillis showed up to remind us: if the crowd doesn’t laugh, that’s on them.