Tom Coughlin, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Jeremy Lin, Los Angeles Kings, Aaron Rodgers, Maria Sharapova, Abby Wambach, Bubba Watson all nominees for The 2012 ESPYS, hosted by Rob Riggle
**MEDIA ALERT**
WHAT:
Nominees for The 2012 ESPYS presented by Capital One, hosted by Rob Riggle, are revealed and voting has begun.
Colin Cowherd and Charissa Thompson will host The ESPY Nomination Special on Wednesday, June 27, at 11 p.m. on ESPN2. Along with special guest Rob Riggle, they will debate and discuss this year’s categories and nominees.
WHERE:
The complete list of The 2012 ESPYS nominees is available to members of the media at https://es.pn/2012ESPYSNominees and for voters at ESPN.com/ESPYS.
WHEN:
Voting is underway and, aside from Best Team, all categories will close when the live show starts Wednesday, July 11, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPNHD.
HOW:
Fans will determine the winners by voting online at ESPN.com/ESPYS up to the start of The 2012 ESPYS.
The Best Team category will stay open for voting on ESPN.com/ESPYS during the live show. Additionally, fans can vote on Twitter using the hashtag #BestTeam. ESPN.com and Twitter votes will be combined at the end of the show to determine the winner.
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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 2012 ESPYS will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” as well as best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. The ESPYS honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.
A limited amount of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase at www.ticketmaster.com/espys.
OTHER 2012 ESPYS FACTS & FIGURES:
- Shaun White is going for his ninth ESPY. He is also trying for his fifth straight ESPY for Best Male Action Sports Athlete.
- Roger Federer is looking for his eighth ESPY as a nominee for Best Male Tennis Player. He is an underdog going up against Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in that category.
- Lindsey Vonn is looking for a three-peat in the Best Female Athlete category.
- Diana Taurasi is looking for her third consecutive ESPY for Best WNBA Player.
- Sidney Crosby is a four-time ESPY winner for Best NHL Player. This year he is nominated for Best Comeback.
- Maria Sharapova, a four-time ESPY winner, is nominated in three categories: Best Female Athlete, Best Female Tennis Player and Best Comeback.
- LeBron James, who has won three ESPYS, is nominated for three more this year: Best Male Athlete, Best Championship Performance and Best NBA Player. His team, the Miami Heat, is one of seven candidates in the Best Team category.
- College basketball has scored the Best Upset the last two years, and a pair of #15 seeds from the NCAA tournament, Lehigh (over Duke) and Norfolk State (over Missouri) are among this year’s contenders.
- The NBA has produced the last three winners for Coach/Manager of the Year. Miami’s Erik Spoelstra would like to make it four in a row.
Official ESPYS media kit can be found here.
The 2012 ESPYS are Presented by Capital One and associate sponsors include, in alphabetical order: Belvedere, Buick, CLEAR MEN SCALP THERAPY™, EA SPORTS, Gatorade, Jockey, Miller64, Nokia, Twentieth Century Fox’s upcoming film “The Watch” and Under Armour. Nokia will serve as presenting sponsor of ESPN’s Tuesday night BODY at ESPYS pre-party and Miller64 returns as presenting sponsor of the official ESPYS Post Party.
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