Nominees Announced for "The 2015 ESPYS" as Fan Voting Begins

Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Serena Williams, American Pharoah, Aaron Rodgers, Ronda Rousey, JJ Watt, Mo'ne Davis, Tom Brady, Jordan Spieth, Maria Sharpova, Peyton Manning and Victor Espinoza are all nominees for The 2015 ESPYS on ABC, hosted by Joel McHale

WHAT:

Initial list of nominees for The 2015 ESPYS presented by Capital One, are revealed today and voting has begun.

Pardon the Interruption's Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will host The ESPY Nomination Special on Wednesday, July 1, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

WHERE:

A current list of The 2015 ESPYS nominees is available to members of the media at http://es.pn/1J2hTnM and for voters at ESPYS.com. Additional nomination categories will be released before the show.

WHEN:

Voting is underway and all categories will close when the live show starts Wednesday, July 15, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

HOW:

Fans will determine the winners in most ESPYS categories by voting online at ESPYS.com up to the start of The 2015 ESPYS.

2015 ESPYS FACTS & FIGURES:

· For the first time since 2000, none of the nominees for Best Male Athlete are returning from the previous year. 2015's fresh slate includes NBA MVP Stephen Curry, NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt, and two-time Best Male Athlete-winner LeBron James.

· UFC-champion Ronda Rousey is in pursuit of a 2nd-straight "Best Female Athlete" honor. She faces stiff competition from 2-time winners Serena Williams and Lindsey Vonn, as well as returning nominee Breanna Stewart.

· LeBron James is the only returning nominee for "Best NBA Player," gracing the category for an 11th-straight year. He is joined by first-timers Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.

· Serena Williams is after her 7th "Best Female Tennis Player" award. She will have to top returning winner, Maria Sharapova, who is after her 6th.

· Peyton Manning is in contention to repeat as "Best Record-Breaking Performance." While the Denver signal caller was honored at the 2014 awards for single-season passing records, this year the attention is on a career accomplishment--the most passing touchdowns ever thrown by an NFL quarterback.

· Rory McIlroy is chasing his second "Best Male Golfer" award. He faces stiff competition from Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth and FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel.

· Little League standout Mo'ne Davis is looking to become the youngest athlete ever to win the "Best Breakthrough Athlete" Award.

· The "Best Male College Athlete" nominees stretch the category's age range in both directions. 18-year-old BU hockey star Jack Eichel would be the youngest player ever to win the award, while 24-year-old OSU wrestling champ Logan Stieber would be the oldest.

· Fresh off winning the Triple Crown, American Pharoah is the first horse ever to be nominated in the "Best Championship Performance" category. He is up against MLB World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner, Women's College World Series MVP Lauren Haeger, and NBA Finals leading-scorer LeBron James.

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 2015 ESPYS will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as "Best MLB Player" and "Best WNBA Player," and best-in-sport winners, such as "Best Team" or "Best Female Athlete" that pit nominees from different sports against each other. Inspiring human stories are showcased through three pillar awards - the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, the Jimmy V Perseverance Award and the Pat Tillman Award for Service. The ESPYS support ESPN's ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, launched by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano in 1993.

Voting will be open June 24 through July 15 at 8 p.m. ET at ESPYS.com. Follow The 2015 ESPYS on Twitter @ESPYS.

A limited amount of ESPYS tickets are available for public purchase now at axs.com.