The 12th annual Sports Humanitarian Awards will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, leagues and members of the sports industry who use the power of sport to make a positive impact on society. This year’s Sports Humanitarian Awards, hosted by SportsCenter studio anchor and analyst Christine Williamson, will take place on Tuesday, July 14, at Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan the evening before the ESPYS, as part of ESPYS Week. The Awards will be featured in ESPN studio programming and during The 2026 ESPYS, airing live on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on ABC and streaming on the ESPN App from the David H Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
“For over a decade, the Sports Humanitarian Awards have been a key pillar of ESPN’s commitment to the teams and people who use the power of sports to drive meaningful changes in the world,” said Kevin Martinez, Vice President, ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “We are honored to be back in New York City as part of ESPYS week and are eager to celebrate our peers who leverage the power of sports to highlight the importance of advocacy, education, and giving back to their communities.”
This year’s nominees and honorees include:
- Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award honoree: Laurie Tisch
- Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award honoree: Jeffrey Lurie
- Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award finalists: Adam Thielen, Damar Hamlin, Stephen Curry
- Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year finalists: Baltimore Ravens, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Storm
- Corporate Community Impact Award finalists: American Express, Colgate-Palmolive, Jersey Mike’s
- Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award honorees: Julia Howe, Kelis Armstrong, and Sam Phillips
Demonstrating an industry-wide commitment to philanthropy and public service, multiple sports leagues and governing bodies, along with sports brands, including NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, USTA, WWE/TKO, NHL, Fanatics, Under Armour and Salesforce joined as sponsors of the Sports Humanitarian Awards. The proceeds from the Sports Humanitarian Awards and ESPYS will support Pediatric Cancer Research at the V Foundation.
Below are the award descriptions, as well as details about the nominees and honorees for the 2026 Sports Humanitarian Awards.
Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award Honoree
The Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award celebrates someone that is creating measurable social change through sports by using a comprehensive philanthropic funding strategy. This may be a team owner, a former athlete, a current or former front office executive or coach or an individual whose primary charitable giving is directed towards sports.
Laurie Tisch
Laurie M. Tisch is a philanthropist and civic leader whose foundation, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, is dedicated to expanding access and opportunity for all New Yorkers and fostering healthy, vibrant communities. As co-owner of the New York Football Giants and Gotham FC, Laurie uses strategic investments and cross-sector partnerships to advance innovative approaches to challenges in public health, education, healthy food access, the arts, and community wellbeing. In 2025, the Illumination Fund launched Play to Thrive, a $10 million multi-year initiative that harnesses the power of sports to support youth development. The initiative provided catalytic support for Gotham FC’s Keep Her in the Game, in partnership with Girls Leadership, and Elevate Play, in partnership with Playworks, while also supporting organizations including Street Soccer USA, South Bronx United, City Parks Foundation, and the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative. Together, these investments are expanding access to sports, strengthening coaching and mentorship, and creating more opportunities for girls and underserved youth. Beyond Play to Thrive, Laurie Tisch has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to innovative philanthropy through landmark investments including the Illumination Fund’s $25 million Arts in Health initiative, which supports organizations using the arts to address mental health stigma, trauma and aging-related disease. Serving on many non- profit boards, including the Women’s Sports Foundation, she is also a founding board member of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) and currently chairs the campaign to create the museum’s new home in a historic building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Across her decades of leadership, Laurie Tisch has shown how strategic philanthropy can spark innovation, build lasting partnerships, and improve lives.
Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honoree
In honor of former ESPN commentator Stuart Scott, this award celebrates individuals that have taken risks and used an innovative approach to helping the disadvantaged through the power of sports.
Jeffrey Lurie
Jeffrey Lurie has redefined how a professional sports organization can drive meaningful social impact through his longstanding commitment to autism research and advocacy. As Owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, Lurie is turning autism awareness into action by leveraging the reach and platform of one of the NFL’s most recognizable franchises. What began as a deeply personal mission inspired by his family’s connection has evolved into one of the most impactful initiatives in professional sports. Under Lurie’s leadership, the Eagles Autism Foundation has funded cutting-edge autism research, clinical care programs, and global inclusion initiatives. His work has even positioned Lincoln Financial Field as a model for sensory-inclusive sports experiences. In 2025, the Lurie family launched the Lurie Autism Institute through a landmark partnership with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, sparking a new era of scientific discovery in autism and establishing Philadelphia as a global hub for autism research. Through the Lurie Autism Institute and the Eagles Autism Foundation, his philanthropic impact has contributed more than $100 million to autism research and care programs. Beyond the financial investment, Lurie has embedded inclusion across the organization, presenting itself in a variety of ways such as neurodiverse employment opportunities, sensory-inclusive programming, player engagement, and international community initiatives. Through innovation and sustained leadership, Lurie continues to demonstrate how sports can serve as an influential platform for acceptance, belonging, and fundamental change.
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award Finalists
The Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a measured positive impact on their community through sports. The candidate must embrace the core principles that Muhammad Ali embodied so well, including confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and respect.
Adam Thielen
Adam Thielen has made youth mental health and wellness the cornerstone of his philanthropic mission at the Thielen Foundation. Founded in 2018 alongside his wife Caitlin, the foundation is dedicated to removing economic, social and emotional barriers for young people by investing in mental health resources, youth sports access, education and community wellness initiatives. Thielen has demonstrated a sustained commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for children and families across underserved communities. To date, the Thielen Foundation has invested more than $4.6 million in nonprofit organizations and programs focused on improving youth wellness and expanding access to sports and education. The foundation’s impact includes supporting behavioral health programming and therapeutic spaces at University of Minnesota M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, funding athletic facility upgrades and scholarships at Brooklyn Center High School, and restoring community gathering spaces that help bring young people together through sport. Beyond philanthropy, Thielen consistently supports community initiatives firsthand, whether by dedicating his time to mentoring youth or visiting hospitals. A two-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, Thielen continues to use his platform to advocate for resilience and long-term opportunity for the next generation.
Damar Hamlin
No athlete in professional football has experienced what Damar Hamlin experienced. Faced with a moment that could have defined his life, he chose to build something greater. Damar turned one of the most extraordinary moments in professional sports into a mission of service. After surviving cardiac arrest during an NFL game, he used his platform to advance CPR education, expand AED access, support policy change, and inspire a national movement around emergency preparedness and public health. Through the Chasing M’s Foundation, Damar has become a leading advocate for cardiac emergency preparedness and youth empowerment. Under his leadership, the foundation has provided CPR education to millions, donated more than $1 million worth of AEDs to schools and youth-serving organizations, and supported legislative efforts that helped advance critical cardiac emergency response policies across 29 states. Beyond health advocacy, Damar’s foundation has given back more than $1 million through scholarships, mentorship, violence prevention initiatives, and grants to community programs that support children and families facing barriers to success. His ultimate vision is a Youth Empowerment Center in his hometown, a first-of-its-kind hub where young people and families can learn, heal, grow, and thrive. Creating a Stronger safer community. Today, Damar’s impact extends far beyond football. His humanitarian work reflects resilience, purpose, and service. He continues to save lives, strengthen communities, and inspire others to transform adversity into purpose while building a legacy that will benefit future generations.
Stephen Curry
Four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry has leveraged sports, education, and community to create lasting change through his Oakland-based charity, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Founded in 2019 in partnership with his wife Ayesha, Eat. Learn. Play. is rooted in the belief that every child deserves access to nutritious meals, quality education, and safe spaces to play. By directly investing in community-driven programming, the foundation is one of the Bay Area’s leading forces for youth development. To date, Eat. Learn. Play. has provided 35 million nutritious meals to kids and families experiencing food insecurity. The foundation has also worked to close the literacy gap in Oakland public schools, committing more than $20 million to literacy programs and resources. This includes high-impact tutoring for elementary students who are furthest behind, literacy coaching for elementary teachers and tutors, restocked school libraries, and free book fairs across 47 elementary schools. More than 1 million books have been distributed to Oakland students. Eat. Learn. Play. has also transformed 24 schoolyards and 6 gyms, creating safe, joyful environments where students can play and be active. The Currys cover all operating costs, so 100% of donations directly support Oakland youth. As co-founders they remain deeply involved in the foundation’s mission, using their platforms to advocate for equity, opportunity, and the transformative impact of sports and education on young people’s lives.
Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Finalists
The Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year honors a sports club/team that demonstrates how teamwork can create a measurable impact on a community or cause.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have built one of the most comprehensive youth development platforms in professional sports, leveraging the power of football to create educational opportunities, strengthen communities and support young people at every stage of their development. Guided by the belief that meaningful impact requires long-term investment, the Ravens have aligned ownership, players, staff, alumni, nonprofit partners and fans around a shared commitment to helping the next generation succeed both inside and outside the classroom. Through strategic initiatives focused on literacy, food security, leadership development, college access and youth sports participation, the organization continues to create lasting pathways to opportunity throughout Maryland. The Ravens’ impact is reflected in a continuum of support that begins in childhood and extends through college and career readiness. Through the Ravens Bookmobile program, more than 1.3 million books have been distributed to children across Maryland, while partnerships addressing food insecurity have helped provide hundreds of thousands of meals to students and families in need. In 2025, the organization opened the Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club at Hilton Recreation Center through a $20 million investment from the Ravens and the Bisciotti Family Foundation, creating a state-of-the-art community hub serving hundreds of youth through academic support, mentorship, wellness programming and athletics. The Ravens have also committed $30 million over 10 years to organizations focused on college access and career readiness, while the Ravens and Ozzie Newsome Scholarship programs have invested $6 million to help Maryland students pursue higher education. Beyond direct investment, the organization consistently mobilizes its entire team around community impact, with players participating in hundreds of community appearances annually and the Ravens’ Caw to Action initiative generating more than 11.5 million minutes of volunteer service.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have demonstrated how the collective power of a sports organization can strengthen communities, restore hope and create lasting impact far beyond the game. Through their community impact platform, the Hornets unite ownership, players, staff, corporate partners and community leaders around a shared commitment to service, investment and long-term community development across the Carolinas. The Hornets Legacy Project powered by Lowe’s is a signature annual initiative that this year mobilized hundreds of volunteers and partners to restore the Riverview Community Center in Ashe County, North Carolina following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Through a six-month collaborative effort, the Hornets and Lowe’s helped transform a damaged facility into a revitalized community hub supporting youth sports, after-school programming, wellness initiatives, food distribution and community gatherings for thousands of residents each year. The project restored critical community services while providing a symbol of hope and recovery for families impacted by the storm. Beyond the Legacy Project, the Hornets continue to invest in communities throughout the Carolinas through mentorship and innovative learning experiences for youth, creating equitable opportunities, promoting holistic health and supporting small businesses and entrepreneurship. By aligning the resources and talents of ownership, leadership, players, staff and partners around a shared mission, the organization has created a model for how teamwork can drive meaningful, sustainable change and strengthen communities for generations to come.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have leveraged the power of sport to create one of the most ambitious youth sports infrastructure initiatives in professional athletics, expanding access to safe play spaces and opportunities for young people across Northeast Ohio. Guided by the Haslam and Johnson families and Browns Give Back, the organization has built a long-term strategy focused on youth football participation, education and equitable access to community resources. Since launching the Field Projects initiative in 2016, the Browns have completed 17 synthetic turf field installations across Northeast Ohio, with two additional projects underway. These spaces serve as more than athletic facilities, functioning as year-round hubs for youth development, education and community engagement. Since 2014, the Browns have invested more than $23 million in youth football initiatives, helping drive a 163 percent increase in youth football participation across the region since 2020. The organization also activates these spaces through LEGENDS Clinics, Rookie Tackle and girls flag football programs, creating opportunities for more than 30,000 young people to engage with the game. Browns leadership helped advance girls high school flag football across Ohio, culminating in approval as a state championship sport in 2025 and statewide varsity sanctioning in 2026. Through strategic investment, innovative programming and strong partnerships with schools, nonprofits, players, alumni and corporate partners, the Browns continue to demonstrate how professional sports organizations can create lasting opportunities for young people and strengthen communities for generations to come.
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm have built one of the most comprehensive and collaborative community impact models in professional sports, using the power of basketball to expand access, elevate underrepresented voices and strengthen communities across the Pacific Northwest. Their work is driven through initiatives including StormCares, Force4Change and Community Hoops, which collectively focus on youth development, civic engagement, equity, wellness and access to opportunity. Organization-wide alignment between ownership, executives, players, alumni and staff has embedded social impact into every level of the franchise’s identity.Since 2020, the organization has impacted more than 53,000 youth and raised and donated more than $2.5 million in support of community initiatives. Programs focused on literacy, youth basketball access, leadership development and wellness education provide thousands of young people with opportunities to learn, grow and participate in sport each year. The Storm have also emerged as leaders in advocacy and inclusion through initiatives like Kicks for Equality, Believe in Women and Storm Surge, which integrate storytelling and action into the fan experience. Supported by one of the WNBA’s largest Community & Social Impact teams, the organization continues to demonstrate how a professional sports franchise can serve as a trusted civic partner and force for meaningful, long-term change.
Corporate Community Impact Award Finalists
The Corporate Community Impact Award recognizes a corporation that uses the power of sports to help advance a social issue, cause or community organization.
American Express
American Express has leveraged the power of tennis to expand educational opportunity, unlock potential and create pathways to higher education for young people from under-resourced communities. Through its longstanding partnership with the USTA Foundation and sponsorship of the American Express National Excellence Team, the company has invested in breaking down the financial and systemic barriers that often prevent talented student-athletes from accessing competitive sports and college opportunities. By combining athletic development with academic support, mentorship and career exposure, American Express has helped ensure that participation in sport becomes a launchpad for long-term success both on and off the court. Since 2018, the American Express National Excellence Team has impacted more than 1,800 young people nationwide, providing year-round access to high-performance coaching, elite competition, educational resources and college-readiness programming. The initiative supports more than 500 student-athletes annually, helping participants pursue collegiate opportunities while developing leadership, resilience and life skills. In 2025, 91 percent of the program’s high school seniors matriculated to college and 100 percent advanced to the next grade level on time, while 95 percent reported strengthened leadership and personal development skills. The program has also helped elevate participants to the highest levels of junior tennis competition, with dozens competing in prestigious national tournaments including the Orange Bowl and Easter Bowl. Through sustained investment and meaningful mentorship, American Express continues to demonstrate how corporate leadership can leverage the power of sport to create lasting impact for the next generation.
Colgate-Palmolive
For more than five decades, Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all, has demonstrated the transformative power of sport as a pathway to education, confidence and opportunity through Colgate Women’s Games. As the founding and sole sponsor of the nation’s longest-running indoor track and field series for girls and women, Colgate-Palmolive has created a unique model that combines athletic competition, mentorship and educational scholarships to empower generations of women – and has removed financial barriers by ensuring every athlete can compete free of charge. Since its founding in 1974, Colgate Women’s Games has awarded more than 5,000 educational scholarships and helped launch the careers of 30 Olympians, hundreds of national champions and countless community and business leaders, including doctors, judges, teachers, entrepreneurs and more. The program’s impact extends far beyond the track, providing young women with the confidence, resilience and leadership skills needed to succeed in all areas of life. During its landmark 50th season, Colgate Women’s Games welcomed more than 1,200 competitors and awarded 113 scholarships while expanding partnerships with organizations dedicated to advancing opportunities for girls through sport. Through sustained investment, generational mentorship and an unwavering commitment to educational opportunity, Colgate-Palmolive continues to demonstrate how corporate leadership can leverage the power of sport to inspire future generations of female leaders and create lasting social impact.
Jersey Mike’s
For more than 50 years, Jersey Mike’s has demonstrated how a company can harness the power of sport to create opportunity, belonging and inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Through its longstanding partnership with Special Olympics, Jersey Mike’s has invested in breaking down barriers that prevent athletes from accessing the life-changing benefits of sport, while helping elevate inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities nationwide. What began as a local commitment in New Jersey to giving back has grown into one of the most enduring and impactful corporate partnerships in the sports and nonprofit sectors. Since 1975, Jersey Mike’s has contributed more than $55 million to the Special Olympics movement, including a $24 million raised through its 2026 Month of Giving campaign in support of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. By mobilizing more than 3,200 restaurant locations, thousands of franchise owners and team members, and millions of customers across the country, the company helped ensure that nearly 3,000 athletes from all 50 states could compete on one of the nation’s largest stages for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Beyond fundraising, Jersey Mike’s has used its national platform to amplify the stories, achievements and potential of Special Olympics athletes by selecting the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games for its 2026 Month of Giving campaign, helping shift perceptions and advance a more inclusive culture. Through decades of sustained investment, community engagement and advocacy, Jersey Mike’s continues to demonstrate how corporate leadership can leverage the power of sport to create meaningful social impact and expand opportunities for generations of athletes and families.
The Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award Honorees
The Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award celebrates and honors young people who are using the power of sport as a catalyst for change and making a positive impact on society. The Award includes three Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award honorees and 20 regional recipients. National honorees are:
Julia Howe
Julia Howe is a Team USA triathlete, student-athlete and founder of Hitting The Wall, a youth-led organization advancing health and body education for teen female-identifying athletes. After seeing how competitive sports culture normalized under fueling, missed periods, injury and pressure to push through pain, Julia built a peer-led research and resource platform covering topics including Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, injury prevention, body image, mental health and self-advocacy. Through Hitting The Wall, she has created more than 250 athlete-centered resources and reached more than 15,000 athletes. Julia is carrying forward Billie Jean King’s legacy by using sport as a platform for equity, education, and systemic change, helping girls stay in sport without sacrificing their health to do it.
Kelis Armstrong
Kelis Armstrong is a recent Howard University graduate, Division I track and field athlete and public health advocate from Dallas who is using sport to advance youth health education, safety and community equity in Washington, D.C. Through Grassroots Health, Run Your City and student-athlete service leadership at Howard, Kelis has used athletics to teach practical health literacy, create safe after-school spaces and mobilize athletes as community leaders. As a Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award honoree, she will support her Master of Public Health studies at Columbia University and continue building a broader health and fitness framework for young people in cities facing food deserts and limited safe spaces.
Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips is a Black, queer former NCAA gymnast, advocate and full-time staff member at Athlete Ally who is using sport to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion, athlete wellbeing and representation in college athletics. As a student-athlete at the University of Nebraska and University of Illinois, Sam became a visible leader for inclusion by serving as SAAC president, co-founding advocacy spaces for Black and LGBTQ+ athletes and launching Nebraska’s first LGBTQ+ student-athlete group. Through Athlete Ally, he is helping expand athlete-led inclusion work nationwide and will use the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award to strengthen campus chapters, fellowships and storytelling that help athletes succeed without compromising who they are.
In addition to the three Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award national honorees, the following young people have been named regional recipients:
Rohan Anand, Georgia
Sarah Brannigan, New York
Kristen Carney, Florida
Kate Casciato, New York
Franceska Colorado, Texas
Leah Croom, Washington, D.C.
Lily Farris, Delaware
Miranda Freedman, Illinois
Will Gibson, Ohio
Muriel Harris, California
Jett Hatfield, Tennessee
Lucy Henkel, New York
Graham Hernandez, North Carolina
Harry Honig, New York
Mia Lerner, California
Tanner Oberg, Massachusetts
Mia Swenson, Rhode Island
Lillie Vehling, California
Ryan Wang, California
Lawson Watt, Virginia
About ESPN Corporate Citizenship
ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplift the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use the power of sport to positively address society’s needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. For more information go to www.espn.com/citizenship.
Media Contacts
Grayson Shirey | Grayson.Shirey@espn.com
Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis | ESPYS@ssmandl.com