ESPN Reveals Special Honorees for ‘The 2024 Espys Presented by Capital One,’ Airing July 11 on ABC

During “The 2024 ESPYS,” hosted by Serena Williams, ESPN will honor athletes and sports leaders for their courage, perseverance and service with three special accolades. Steve Gleason will receive The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage; Dawn Staley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance; and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service. “The 2024 ESPYS” will air live Thursday, July 11, at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT on ABC.

Former NFL safety Steve Gleason will be honored with The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his heroic fight against ALS. The award is given to a deserving member of the sports world who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in, impacting people worldwide. After being diagnosed with ALS in 2011, Gleason resolved to face the incurable disease head-on. He established his nonprofit, Team Gleason, to empower people with ALS to live purposeful lives by providing broad-reaching programming and support services to help others thrive and ultimately bring an end to the disease. After years of advocacy, Team Gleason successfully lobbied for The Steve Gleason Act, which ensures the availability of life sustaining communication devices in the U.S. Since then, Gleason has inspired technology companies like Microsoft to continue developing technology for ALS patients worldwide. Prior to his diagnosis, Gleason enjoyed a successful career in the NFL. During his eight years with the New Orleans Saints, he shocked fans with his astonishing punt block in the Louisiana Superdome’s first game back after Hurricane Katrina, which became a symbol of recovery in the city. Past recipients of The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage include the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors (2018), Bill Russell (2019), Kevin Love (2020), Maya Moore (2021), Vitali Klitschko (2022) and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (2023).

University of South Carolina (USC) women’s basketball head coach, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame member, and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame member Dawn Staley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance on the heels of her epic 38-0 perfect season and NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship title. The award not only recognizes her resilience on the court and ongoing support for women’s sports and equality in the sports world but also for her leadership in the fight against cancer. In the last several years, Staley has been profoundly impacted by cancer, with both her sister, Tracy Underwood, and her friend and former assistant coach, Nikki McCray-Penson, being diagnosed. Their battles motivated Staley to take action and become a prominent advocate for cancer research. She partnered with an organization to mobilize potential donors – especially those in the Black community – to sign up on a bone marrow registry, Be The Match; she advocated for patient care, research and resources; and she visited and supported those undergoing treatment. In her 24-year coaching career, Staley has tirelessly stood up for women in sports, speaking out regularly to ensure gender equality and diversity in sports, particularly basketball. She has demonstrated incredible leadership and catapulted South Carolina into the national spotlight, leading the team to five SEC regular season championships, seven Sweet Sixteens, four Final Fours and three NCAA championships. Past recipients of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance include Jim Kelly (2018), Rob Mendez (2019), Taquarius Wair (2020), Chris Nikic (2021), Dick Vitale (2022) and Liam Hendriks (2023).

In honor of his tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service, an award given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman. After serving for 10 years in the British Armed Forces, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a forward air controller and Apache helicopter pilot, Harry founded The Invictus Games Foundation, continuing his service by creating an international platform to support wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women – both active duty and veterans – who are navigating both physical and invisible injuries. Since inception, the Games have transcended borders and impacted lives across every continent, bringing together competitors from 23 nations, with continued support and programming 365 days of the year. Now celebrating its 10th year, The Invictus Games has evolved into a globally celebrated and acclaimed organization that celebrates resilience, community and healing through the power of sport. Past recipients of the Pat Tillman Award for Service include Jake Wood (2018), Kirstie Ennis (2019), Kim Clavel (2020), Marcus Rashford (2021), Gretchen Evans (2022) and the Buffalo Bills Training Staff (2023).

“It’s our privilege to recognize three incredible individuals – Steve Gleason, Dawn Staley and Prince Harry,” said Kate Jackson, VP, Production, ESPN. “These honorees have used their platforms to change the world and make it more inclusive for marginalized and suffering communities, demonstrating incredible resilience, positivity and perseverance, and we’re thrilled to celebrate them at ‘The 2024 ESPYS.’”

“The ESPYS” helps raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first “ESPYS” in 1993. ESPN has helped raise more than $200 million for the V Foundation over the past 31 years. “The ESPYS” are co-produced by ESPN and Full Day Productions.

Any media interested in applying for credentials for “The 2024 ESPYS” can apply here.

About “The ESPYS”
“The 2024 ESPYS Presented by Capital One” will take place Thursday, July 11, from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Top celebrities from sports and entertainment will come together to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major athletic achievements, reliving unforgettable moments, and saluting the leading performers and performances. “The ESPYS” will be broadcast live on ABC Thursday, July 11, at 8 p.m. ET / PT. “The ESPYS” helps to raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS back in 1993. ESPN has helped raise more than $200 million for the V Foundation over the past 30 years. “The ESPYS” is co-produced by ESPN and Full Day Productions. Follow on X/Twitter @ESPYS.

About The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is presented each year to individuals whose contributions transcend sports. Past honorees include: Jim Valvano (1993); Steve Palermo (1994); Howard Cosell (1995); Loretta Claiborne (1996); Muhammad Ali (1997); Dean Smith (1998); Billie Jean King (1999); Dave Sanders (2000); Olympian Cathy Freeman (2001); Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, four passengers who lost their lives September 11 on United Flight 93 (2002); Pat and Kevin Tillman (2003); Liberian-born soccer legend George Weah (2004); disabled athletes Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and Jim MacLaren (2005); Afghan female athletes (2006); and Trevor Ringland and Dave Cullen for their work with PeacePlayers (2007); U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos (2008); former president Nelson Mandela (2009);  the Thomas family of Parkersburg, IA (2010); boxer Dewey Bozella (2011); women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt (2012); Robin Roberts (2013), Michael Sam (2014), Caitlyn Jenner (2015), Zaevion Dobson (2016), Eunice Kennedy Shriver (2017), “Sister Survivors” (2018), Bill Russell (2019), Kevin Love (2020), Maya Moore (2021), and Vitali Klitschko (2022).

About the V Foundation for Cancer Research
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach and ESPN commentator. The V Foundation has funded over $353 million in game-changing cancer research grants nationwide through a competitive process strictly supervised by a world-class Scientific Advisory Committee. This year’s fundraising for ESPYS Week will be benefiting the Stuart Scott Memorial Research Fund at the V Foundation in honor of the 10th anniversary of Scott’s ESPYS speech. Because the V Foundation has an endowment to cover administrative expenses, 100% of direct donations are awarded to cancer research and programs. The V team is committed to accelerating Victory Over Cancer®. To learn more, visit v.org.

About The Pat Tillman Foundation
The Pat Tillman Foundation identifies remarkable veterans and military spouses as the next generation of leaders and helps them scale their impact as they enter their next chapter of service beyond self through academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development, and a global community of peers and supporters. For more information on the Pat Tillman Foundation and the impact of the Tillman Scholars, visit pattillmanfoundation.org.

Media Contacts:
ESPN
Garrett Cowan | garrett.cowan@espn.com
Jay Jay Nesheim | jayjay.nesheim@espn.com

ABC Entertainment
Michaela Zukowski | michaela.zukowski@abc.com