Warriors’ Stephen Curry receives Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award

Each year since 1993, sports programming channel ESPN has hosted an annual event honoring the top athletes and sports performances of the year in an event called the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, or ESPY Awards.

The ESPYs highlight and recognize the best male and female athletes, most influential athletes and those who have spent countless hours giving back to communities. As part of the ESPYs are the Sports Humanitarian Awards.

The Sports Humanitarian Awards recognize those who have shown an industry-wide commitment to philanthropy and public service across six major honors: Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award, Corporate Community Impact Award, the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year.

The Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry was named a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award in recognition of his community impact through the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Curry and his wife, Ayesha, in 2019.

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The Savannah Bananas perform onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards. Top athletes, musicians and Hollywood stars will gather to recognize the best from the past year in sports on Wednesday, July 15 for ESPN’s 2026 ESPYs.
Hosted by comedian Marcello Hernandez, ESPN’s annual sports awards show brings together people from across the sports landscape to celebrate the top athletes, plays and moments from the last year. Traditionally held in Los Angeles, the awards show was moved to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York this year.
People who have made significant contributions to their sport and community are also honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)

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(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)

(L-R) Folarin Balogun and Eileen Gu speak onstage.

(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)

DJ Khaled performs.

(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)

Marcello Hernández speaks onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards.

(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)

“When we launched Eat. Learn. Play. in 2019, we saw the tremendous need that existed in our adopted hometown of Oakland and set out to use our platform and resources to work to unlock the full potential of the kids in our community,” Curry said in a statement on their website.

Curry accepted the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award from the Muhammad Ali Center president and CEO, Lonnie Ali.

“Oakland gave us so much love, support and energy, and this is how we are able to continue to get back to the community that has wrapped its arms around us from the very beginning back in 2009,” Curry said. “We’re just excited to meet kids where they already are every single day, because if you invest in a child, you’re investing in everything that’s possible for their future.”

Other award recipients include Philadelphia Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie with the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, co-owner of the New York Giants and Gotham FC Laurie Tisch received the Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Additionally, there were three recipients of the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award — Julia Howe, Kelis Armstrong, and Sam Phillips. The Baltimore Ravens were recognized as the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, which was accepted by team president Sashi Brown.

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Chloe Kim and Myles Garrett- Top athletes, musicians and Hollywood stars will gather to recognize the best from the past year in sports on Wednesday, July 15 for ESPN’s 2026 ESPYs.

Hosted by comedian Marcello Hernandez, ESPN’s annual sports awards show brings together people from across the sports landscape to celebrate the top athletes, plays and moments from the last year. Traditionally held in Los Angeles, the awards show was moved to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York this year.

People who have made significant contributions to their sport and community are also honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

(ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images)