Best Male Athlete ESPY Award
The Best Male Athlete ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Outstanding Male Athlete ESPY Award, has been presented annually since 1993 to the male voted irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best athlete in a given calendar year.
Between 1993 and 2004, the award voting panel comprised variously fans; sportswriters and broadcasters, sports executives, and retired sportspersons, termed collectively experts; and ESPN personalities, but balloting thereafter has been exclusively by fans over the Internet from amongst choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee.
Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in June and reflect performance from the June previous.[1]
List of winners
Three athletes, American golfer Tiger Woods, American road cyclist Lance Armstrong, and American basketball player LeBron James, have won the award multiple times. Woods was honored in 1998 (jointly with Ken Griffey, Jr.), 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2008, Armstrong between 2003 and 2006 (inclusive), and James in 2012 and 2013 and 2016.
Winners by sport contested
| Sport contested | Number of awards | Individual winners |
|---|---|---|
| Golf | 5[2] | 1 |
| Baseball | 4[3] | 4 |
| Basketball | 7 | 5 |
| Road cycling | 4 | 1 |
| American football | 3 | 3 |
| Track and field | 1 | 1 |
| Swimming | 1 | 1 |
Winners by nation represented
| Nation represented | Number of awards | Individual winners |
|---|---|---|
 United States |
21[4] | 14 |
 Germany |
1 | 1 |
See also
- Best Female Athlete ESPY Award
- Best International Athlete ESPY Award
- Athlete of the Year
- Associated Press Athlete of the Year
- Sporting News Sportsman/Pro Athlete of the Year
- Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
- United Press International Athlete of the Year Award (defunct)
- Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year (Laureus World Sports Academy)
- Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year
- BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year
- L'Équipe Champion of Champions
Notes
- ↑ Because of the rescheduling of the ESPY Awards ceremony, the award presented in 2002 was given in consideration of performance betwixt February 2001 and June 2002.
- ↑ Includes Tiger Woods, who shared the 1998 award with American baseballer Ken Griffey, Jr..
- ↑ Includes Ken Griffey, Jr., who shared the 1998 award with American golfer Tiger Woods.
- ↑ Includes both winners from 1998, when Americans golfer Tiger Woods and baseballer Ken Griffey, Jr., garnered the award jointly.