First awarded 1993 | Category of ESPY Award | |
People also search for Best Championship Performance ESPY Award Winners & Nominees Jake Arrieta, Jake Arrieta, Winner, Chloe Kim, Chloe Kim, Nominee, Conor McGregor, Conor McGregor, Nominee, Karl-Anthony Towns, Karl-Anthony Towns, Nominee, Mo'ne Davis, Mo'ne Davis, Winner, Cardale Jones, Cardale Jones, Nominee, Jordan Spieth, Jordan Spieth, Nominee, Odell Beckham Jr, Odell Beckham Jr, Nominee, Richard Sherman, Richard Sherman, Winner, Damian Lillard, Damian Lillard, Nominee, Nick Foles, Nick Foles, Nominee, Masahiro Tanaka, Masahiro Tanaka, Nominee, Colin Kaepernick, Colin Kaepernick, Winner, Johnny Manziel, Johnny Manziel, Nominee, Russell Wilson, Russell Wilson, Nominee, Yasiel Puig, Yasiel Puig, Nominee, Mike Trout, Mike Trout, Nominee, Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lin, Winner, Alex Morgan, Alex Morgan, Nominee, Robert Griffin III, Robert Griffin III, Nominee, Rob Gronkowski, Rob Gronkowski, Nominee, Anthony Davis, Anthony Davis, Nominee | ||
The Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the sportsperson, irrespective of nationality, gender, or sport contested, adjudged to have made the greatest breakthrough in a major international individual sport or North American professional team sport. The award is typically given to a sportsperson in his or her rookie season at a given level but may be won by any athlete who in a given year improves his or her performance dramatically or otherwise becomes well-recognized.
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.