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ESPYS Posthumously Award Jason Collins, Add Abbott, Ruskan Honors

6/23/2026

26 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Collins Honored

ESPYS will honor Jason Collins with Arthur Ashe Award for Courage on July 15, 2026, with his twin Jarron accepting after Collins died May 12, 2026, from glioblastoma.
Jim Abbott and Scott Ruskan will receive Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and Pat Tillman Award for Service, respectively, for July 4, 2025 rescue at Camp Mystic.
Marcello Hernández will host ESPYS, which will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET and stream on ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu.

Summary

ESPYS Fund Cancer

The ESPYS have raised more than $292 million for the V Foundation over the past 30 years.
The V Foundation has funded over $458 million in cancer-research grants and directs 100 % of ESPYS donations to research.
Media outlets can request ESPYS credentials through an online form posted on the event’s website.
The ceremony is co-produced by ESPN, Full Day Productions, Words + Pictures’ live-production arm, and Fanatics Studios.

History

Historical Context

The ESPY Awards launched in March 1993, created by ESPN to honor athletic achievement and to support the V Foundation, which Jim Valvano announced during his Arthur Ashe Courage Award acceptance. The ceremony has run annually since 1993, and this year it recognized Jason Collins with the same Courage Award, continuing the event’s charitable legacy.

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Collins Honored

ESPYS will honor Jason Collins with Arthur Ashe Award for Courage on July 15, 2026, with his twin Jarron accepting after Collins died May 12, 2026, from glioblastoma.
Jim Abbott and Scott Ruskan will receive Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and Pat Tillman Award for Service, respectively, for July 4, 2025 rescue at Camp Mystic.
Marcello Hernández will host ESPYS, which will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET and stream on ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu.

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