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Arthur Ashe Courage Award

Annual athletic award

Annual athletic award

FieldValue
nameArthur Ashe Courage Award
awarded_for"reflect[ing] the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs"
presenterESPN
locationDolby Theatre, Los Angeles ([2024](2024-espy-awards))
year1993
holderSteve Gleason
website

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award (sometimes called the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage or Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award) is presented as part of the ESPY Awards. It is named for the American tennis player Arthur Ashe. Although it is a sport-oriented award, it is not limited to sports-related people or actions, as it is presented annually to individuals whose contributions "transcend sports". According to ESPN, the organization responsible for giving out the award, "recipients reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost". The award was presented as part of the ESPY Awards ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles from 2008 to 2019. The 2020 ESPYs ceremony was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Ashe Award being one of the few awards presented, and the 2021 ceremony was held in New York City.

The inaugural award, made at the 1993 ESPY Awards, was presented to the American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster Jim Valvano. Suffering from cancer, Valvano gave the inaugural Arthur Ashe Courage Award acceptance speech which "brought a howling, teary-eyed Madison Square Garden to its feet". Valvano died two months after receiving the award. Although the award is usually given to individuals, it has been presented to multiple recipients on seven occasions: former athletes on United Airlines Flight 93 (2002), Pat and Kevin Tillman (2003), Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and Jim MacLaren (2005), Roia Ahmad and Shamila Kohestani (2006), Trevor Ringland and David Cullen (2007), and Tommie Smith, John Carlos (2008), and survivors of the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal (2018). The accolade has been presented posthumously on five occasions.

The award has not been without controversy: in June 2015, ESPN's announcement of Caitlyn Jenner as the recipient of that year's Arthur Ashe Courage Award led to significant criticism among online commenters and some members of the media, with Bob Costas calling the decision to give Jenner the award a "crass exploitation play". Many critics of the Jenner award considered Lauren Hill, who played college basketball despite suffering from a brain tumor that would claim her life only a few months later, a more worthy recipient. Others cited Noah Galloway, an Iraq War double amputee who competes in extreme sports and was also a finalist in the 20th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2015, as a worthy candidate.

Recipients

Indicates posthumous award
YearImageRecipient(s)NotesRef(s)Todd Beamer
Mark Bingham
Tom Burnett
Jeremy GlickPat Tillman *(pictured)*
Kevin Tillman
Jim MacLaren
Shamila Kohestani *(pictured)*
David Cullen *(pictured)*
John CarlosCaitlyn JennerSurvivors of the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal
*(The Fierce Five pictured)*United States women's national soccer team
1993[[File:Jim Valvano, Duke Chronicle 1982-11-30.jpg100pxalt=Jim Valvano]]American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster, died from adenocarcinomafirst=Emily Maelast=Czachortitle=Celebrating 25 years, the ESPYs have become more than a sports awards showurl=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-st-ahead-of-its-25th-anniversary-the-espys-look-back-20170711-story.htmlnewspaper=Los Angeles Timesdate=July 13, 2017access-date=November 5, 2017url-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014235008/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-st-ahead-of-its-25th-anniversary-the-espys-look-back-20170711-story.htmlarchive-date=October 14, 2017}}
1994–Major League Baseball umpire paralysed from the waist down after attempting to prevent a mugging
1995[[File:Howard cosell 1975.JPG100pxalt=Howard Cosell in 1975]]Journalist, creator of *ABC SportsBeat*, the first serious investigative sports journalist program
1996–Multi-sports Special Olympics athlete
1997[[File:Ali WorldEconomicForum 2006.jpg100pxalt=Muhammad Ali in 2006]]Boxer, an example of racial pride for African Americans and resistance to white domination during the civil rights movement
1998[[File:DeanSmithcropped2.jpg100pxalt=Dean Smith in 2007]]College basketball coach for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
1999[[File:Billie Jean King (24628688726).jpg100pxalt=Billie Jean King in 2016]]Tennis player, campaigned for equal prize money in both men's and women's tennis
2000-High school sports coach killed defending students during the Columbine High School massacrefirst=Marissalast=Paynetitle=ESPYs to honor Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver with posthumous courage awardurl=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/06/06/espys-to-honor-special-olympics-founder-eunice-kennedy-shriver-with-posthumous-courage-award/newspaper=The Washington Postdate=June 6, 2017access-date=November 6, 2017url-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107144708/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/06/06/espys-to-honor-special-olympics-founder-eunice-kennedy-shriver-with-posthumous-courage-award/archive-date = November 7, 2017}}
2001[[File:Cathy Freeman (cropped).jpg100pxalt=Cathy Freeman in 2008]]Track and field athlete, first Indigenous Australian person to become an Olympic Games gold medallist
2002[[File:Flight 93 National Memorial6.JPG100pxalt=Flight 93 National Memorial]]Athletes onboard United Airlines Flight 93 *(National Memorial pictured)* who tried to reclaim control from the hijackers
2003[[File:Corporal Patrick Tillman.jpg100pxalt=Pat Tillman in 2003]]Pat was an American football player who played for the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL, his brother Kevin a Minor League Baseball player; both enlisted, forgoing their sporting careerstitle=Tillman brothers to receive Ashe Awardurl=http://www.espn.com/espy2003/s/2003/0701/1575429.htmlpublisher=ESPNdate=1 July 2003access-date=29 January 2018url-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701044303/http://www.espn.com/espy2003/s/2003/0701/1575429.htmlarchive-date=July 1, 2017}}
2004[[File:George Weah 2019 (cropped).jpg100pxalt=George Weah in 2019]]Association footballer who became a UN Goodwill Ambassador
2005–Yeboah brought attention to disabled people in Ghana, himself with a deformed leg, by cycling across the country. McLaren became a successful triathlete after having his leg amputated.
2006[[File:Shamila Kohestani at TEDxUNC.jpg100pxalt=Shamila Kohestani in 2012]]Championing girls' and women's sport, specifically the Afghan women's association football team
2007[[File:Davidcullen.jpg100pxalt=David Cullen in 2008]]Members of PeacePlayers International which uses basketball to unite and educate children
2008[[File:John Carlos, Tommie Smith 1968.jpg100pxalt=Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968]]Olympic track athletes, medalists at the [1968 Summer Olympics](1968-summer-olympics), who gave the [Black Power salute](1968-olympics-black-power-salute) on the podium
2009[[File:Nelson Mandela-2008 (edit).jpg100pxalt=Nelson Mandela in 2008]]South African President, his presentation of the [1995 Rugby World Cup](1995-rugby-world-cup) to Francois Pienaar was described as "an iconic moment in sports history"
2010–High school American football coach, shot and killed by a former student
2011–Boxer, wrongly imprisoned for 26 years
2012[[File:Pat-Summitt-Texas-vs-Tennessee-Dec-14-08.jpg100pxalt=Pat Summit in 2008]]College basketball coach with, , the most wins in NCAA basketball history, retired with early-onset Alzheimer's disease
2013[[File:Robin Roberts at Heart Truth 2010 cropped.jpg100pxalt=Robin Roberts in 2010]]Broadcaster, increased awareness in bone marrow donation through public coverage of her own illness
2014[[File:Michael Sam final Mizzou home game.jpg100pxalt=Michael Sam in 2008]]American football player, first publicly gay player to be drafted in the NFL
2015[[File:Caitlyn Jenner.jpeg100pxalt=Caitlyn Jenner in 2015]]Former Olympic track and field athlete and transgender television personality
2016Fifteen-year-old American football player who used his body to shield three girls from a drive-by shooting
2017[[File:Eunice-Kennedy.jpg100pxalt=Eunice Kennedy Shriver]]Founder of the Special Olympics
2018[[File:Oval Office - members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team.jpg100pxThe Fierce Five in 2012]]Over 300 girls and women, mostly gymnasts, including but not limited to Rachael Denhollander, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas, and Maggie Nichols, who survived the abuse of Larry Nassar, spoke out about and shined a light on sexual abuse in sports, and demanded change and accountabilityurl=https://www.si.com/olympics/2018/05/16/larry-nassar-victims-arthur-ashe-award-espytitle=Larry Nassar Sexual Assault Survivors to Receive Arthur Ashe Award For Courage At ESPYsmagazine=Sports Illustrateddate=May 16, 2018access-date=May 17, 2018archive-date=November 9, 2020archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109041450/https://www.si.com/olympics/2018/05/16/larry-nassar-victims-arthur-ashe-award-espyurl-status=live}}
2019[[File:Bill Russell in the Green Room.jpg100pxalt=Bill Russell]]First African American coach in NBA history, a role he held while also continuing to playurl=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2019/05/30/bill-russell-will-receive-the-2019-arthur-ashe-courage-award-at-the-espystitle=Bill Russell will receive the 2019 Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYswork=Boston.comdate=May 30, 2019access-date=October 23, 2019archive-date=May 30, 2019archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530200613/https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2019/05/30/bill-russell-will-receive-the-2019-arthur-ashe-courage-award-at-the-espysurl-status=live}}
2020[[File:Kevin Love (31915891514).jpg100pxalt=Kevin Love]]Advocacy for openness about mental healthurl=https://people.com/sports/2020-espy-winners-already-announced/title=All the 2020 ESPY Winners That Have Been Announced, Including Kevin Love and Boxer Kim Clavelwork=People.comdate=June 18, 2020access-date=June 22, 2020archive-date=June 19, 2020archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619132721/https://people.com/sports/2020-espy-winners-already-announced/url-status=live}}
2021[[File:Maya Moore speaking at the Marshall Project in Washington DC (48751715837) (cropped).jpg100pxalt=Maya Moore]]Walked away from basketball to help free a wrongfully convicted man.url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/31725790/wnba-legend-maya-moore-presented-arthur-ashe-courage-award-2021-espystitle=WNBA legend Maya Moore to be presented with Arthur Ashe Courage Award at 2021 ESPYSwork=ESPN.comdate=June 28, 2021access-date=July 4, 2021archive-date=June 28, 2021archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628180520/https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/31725790/wnba-legend-maya-moore-presented-arthur-ashe-courage-award-2021-espysurl-status=live}}
2022[[File:2014-09-12 - Vitali Klitschko - 9019 (cropped).jpg100pxalt=Vitali Klitschko]]Defended Ukraine as a soldier along with his brother Wladimir Klitschko and was vocally critical of Vladimir Putin, using his position of mayor (longest serving mayor of Kyiv) to do so
2023[[File:USWNST 2023.jpg100pxalt=USWNST in 2023]]Fought for equal pay
2024[[File:Steve Gleason 2020.jpg100pxalt=Gleason in 2020]]Advocate for ALS
2025[[File:Oscar Robertson 2024.jpg100pxalt=Robertson in 2024]]Fought for free agency in the NBA

References

References

  1. (June 16, 2021). "Actor-producer Anthony Mackie named host of the 2021 ESPYS". [[ESPN]].
  2. Jenkins, Nash. (July 15, 2015). "Caitlyn Jenner at the ESPY Awards: 'It's About What Happens From Here'".
  3. "About the award – Arthur Ashe Award". [[ESPN]].
  4. "Microsoft Theater Tickets". [[Microsoft Theater]].
  5. Smith, Gary. (January 11, 1993). "As time runs out".
  6. "Eric LeGrand receives Jimmy V Award". [[ESPN]].
  7. "V Foundation". [[ESPN]].
  8. Czachor, Emily Mae. (July 13, 2017). "Celebrating 25 years, the ESPYs have become more than a sports awards show". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  9. Falzone, Diana. (June 3, 2015). "Anger over Caitlyn Jenner being chosen over Lauren Hill for ESPY courage award". [[Fox News]].
  10. (June 10, 2015). "Bob Costas slams ESPN over Caitlyn Jenner ESPY courage award". [[Fox News]].
  11. Moyer, Justin Wm.. (16 June 2015). "Why some critics don't think Caitlyn Jenner deserved the Arthur Ashe Courage Award". [[The Washington Post]].
  12. Schilken, Chuck. (4 June 2015). "Caitlyn Jenner, Noah Galloway or Lauren Hill: Who should get the ESPY?". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  13. Falzone, Diane. (June 3, 2015). "ESPN criticized for rewarding Caitlyn Jenner over cancer-fighting hoopster". [[New York Post]].
  14. Czachor, Emily Mae. (July 13, 2017). "Celebrating 25 years, the ESPYs have become more than a sports awards show". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  15. Snyder, Matt. (May 14, 2017). "Former MLB umpire Steve Palermo dies at age 67". [[CBS Sports]].
  16. Sandomir, Richard. (February 17, 1995). "Sports of The Times; A Celebration Of Virtuosity That Is Cosell". [[The New York Times]].
  17. Cavenagh, Lauren K.. (December 15, 2016). "Adapted Physical Education and Sport". Human Kinetics.
  18. Chadwick, David. (June 1, 2015). "It's How You Play the Game: The 12 Leadership Principles of Dean Smith". [[Harvest House]].
  19. (January 23, 2017). "Women in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection". [[ABC-CLIO]].
  20. Payne, Marissa. (June 6, 2017). "ESPYs to honor Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver with posthumous courage award". [[The Washington Post]].
  21. Miller, Jeff. (April 19, 2009). "Coach remembered on anniversary of Columbine tragedy". [[ESPN]].
  22. (6 February 2001). "Cathy Freeman selected as Arthur Ashe Award winner". [[ESPN]].
  23. (1 July 2003). "Tillman brothers to receive Ashe Award". [[ESPN]].
  24. (June 14, 2004). "Weah to receive award in US". [[BBC Sport]].
  25. Dylan, Jesse. (March 30, 2009). "The Good Life with Jesse Dylan: Redefining Your Health with the Greatest Visionaries of Our Time". [[John Wiley & Sons]].
  26. (June 12, 2006). "Afghan soccer players to be honored". [[ESPN]].
  27. (July 4, 2007). "ESPY winners unite kids divided by Belfast conflict". [[ESPN]].
  28. Rhoden, William C.. (August 25, 2008). "Contributing to the Struggle With Grace and Dignity". [[The New York Times]].
  29. (June 15, 2009). "Mandela named Ashe Award recipient". [[ESPN]].
  30. Onwuazor, Chudi. (October 21, 2011). "Dewey Bozella's one and only shows Bernard Hopkins the way to go". [[The Guardian]].
  31. Quinn, Sam R.. (July 12, 2012). "Pat Summitt: Arthur Ashe Courage Award Is Great Honor for Legendary Coach". [[Bleacher Report]].
  32. Scott, Nate. (July 17, 2013). "Robin Roberts wins Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs". [[USA Today]].
  33. Lutz, Tom. (July 15, 2015). "Caitlyn Jenner accepts courage award: 'If you want to call me names, I can take it'". [[The Guardian]].
  34. (May 16, 2018). "Larry Nassar Sexual Assault Survivors to Receive Arthur Ashe Award For Courage At ESPYs".
  35. (May 30, 2019). "Bill Russell will receive the 2019 Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs". [[Boston.com]].
  36. (June 18, 2020). "All the 2020 ESPY Winners That Have Been Announced, Including Kevin Love and Boxer Kim Clavel". [[People.com]].
  37. (June 28, 2021). "WNBA legend Maya Moore to be presented with Arthur Ashe Courage Award at 2021 ESPYS". [[ESPN]].com.
  38. (July 21, 2022). "Kyiv Mayor And Boxer Vitali Klitschko Wins ESPY's Arthur Ashe Award For Courage". huffpost.com.
  39. (June 28, 2023). "USWNT to receive Arthur Ashe Award at ESPYS for equal pay fight".
  40. Terrell, Katherine. (June 27, 2024). "Steve Gleason to receive Arthur Ashe Courage Award at 2024 ESPYS".
  41. Cowan, Garrett. (June 30, 2025). "Oscar Robertson to Receive The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage".
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