- College Football, E: 60, SC Featured, NFL, Grand Slam Tennis and MLB Lead the Way
- Two Nominations for ESPN+ in Debut Year: Quest for the Stanley Cup, Always Late with Katie Nolan
ESPN, Inc. once again led the industry in Sports Emmy Award nominations, earning 56 for 2018, as announced today by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). Multiple nominations:
- ESPN’s college football coverage totaled 10 nominations, including the College Football Playoff National Championship in Live Special and Tech Team Remote, Kirk Herbsteit in both the Event and Studio Analyst categories (both of which he has won previously), Holly Rowe in the Reporter category and five for College GameDay – Host Rece Davis, Studio Show Weekly where it has won eight times including the last five years, two nominated features and Tech Team Studio.
- ESPN’s enterprise journalism is always highly recognized, and E:60 received eight nominations while SC Featured garnered five.
- NFL programming brought six nominations: Studio Show-Limited Run (Postseason NFL Countdown), Reporter (Monday Night Football’s Lisa Salters), Live Graphics (NFL Draft), Post-Produced Graphics (MNF) and two in Short Feature (Monday Night Countdown and Sunday NFL Countdown).
- ESPN’s coverage of Tennis’ Majors collected four nominations: Technical Achievement (ESPN ACES System), Tech Team Remote (US Open), Editing-Shortform and Studio Show-Limited Run (US Open Preview).
- Coverage of Major League Baseball earned four nominations: Live Series, Live Audio, Technical Achievement (K Zone 3D) and Digital Innovation (Home Run Derby Virtual Reality).
- In its debut year, ESPN+ was nominated twice: Serialized Sports Documentary (Quest for the Stanley Cup) and Social TV Experience (Always Late with Katie Nolan).
- Outside the Lines (Studio Show Daily) and host Bob Ley – a winner a year ago – were nominated.
- The NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four was nominated in Playoff Coverage and Studio Design/Art Direction.
In addition to those mentioned above, other individuals receiving nods include SportsCenter’s Scott Van Pelt (Host), NBA lead voice Mike Breen (Play-by-Play), Jay Bilas (Studio Host) plus ESPN Deportes’ Martin Ainstein and Jose Ramon Fernandez.
The winners will be announced Monday, May 20, in New York. In addition, as previously announced, ESPN’s Dick Vitale will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
ESPN has won 196 Sports Emmy Awards in 31 years of eligibility. ABC Sports won 160 from 1980 – 2008.
ESPN’s 56 nominations come from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN3, ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, SEC Network and WatchESPN. By category (all are ESPN, except as noted):
| Live Special | College Football Playoff National Championship |
| Live Series | Major League Baseball on ESPN |
| Playoff Coverage | NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four (ESPN2) |
| Edited Coverage | Tiger Woods – Return of the Roar |
| Short Sports Documentary | E: 60 – Identity: Deland McCullough’s Journey (ESPN2) |
| E: 60 – P9008: The Story of Charleston Hartfield (ESPN2) | |
| SC Featured – Respect (ESPNEWS) | |
| SC Featured – Who Says I Can’t (ESPNEWS) | |
| Long Sports Documentary | Crossroads |
| Serialized Documentary | Quest for the Stanley Cup (ESPN+) |
| Studio Show Weekly | College GameDay |
| Studio Show Daily | The Jump |
| Outside the Lines | |
| Pardon the Interruption | |
| Studio Show Limited Run | Postseason NFL Countdown |
| US Open Preview | |
| News Anthology | E: 60 (ESPN2) |
| SC Featured (ESPNEWS) | |
| Journalism | E: 60 – Crisis at Michigan State (ESPN2) |
| E: 60 – The Florida Shuffle (ESPN2) | |
| Short Feature | College GameDay – Up Syndrome |
| Monday Night Countdown – Paradise Football | |
| Sunday NFL Countdown – The Art of Inspiration | |
| Long Feature | College GameDay – Tyler Strong |
| E: 60 – Bonds of Earth (ESPN2) | |
| SC Featured – Shaquem Griffin | |
| Digital Innovation | Home Run Derby Virtual Reality |
| Social TV Experience | Always Late with Katie Nolan (ESPN+) |
| SportsCenter on Snapchat | |
| Studio Host | Rece Davis |
| Bob Ley | |
| Scott Van Pelt | |
| Play-by-Play | Mike Breen (ESPN / ABC) |
| Studio Analyst | Kirk Herbstreit |
| Event Analyst | Jay Bilas |
| Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN / ABC) | |
| Reporter | Holly Rowe (ESPN / ABC) |
| Lisa Salters (ESPN / ABC) | |
| Tech Team Remote | College Football Playoff National Championship |
| US Open Tennis Championship | |
| Tech Team Studio | College GameDay |
| Editing – Shortform | Grand Slam Tennis |
| Writing | SC Featured – Cleveland 22 |
| Live Event Audio/Sound | Indianapolis 500 (ABC) |
| Sunday Night Baseball | |
| Live Graphic Design | Major League Baseball |
| NFL Draft (ESPN / ABC) | |
| Post-Produced Graphic Design | Monday Night Football |
| Studio Design/Art Direction | NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four Tease (ESPN2) |
| Technical Achievement | College Football Line-to-Gain Pylon Cam (ESPN / ABC / SEC Network) |
| MLB K Zone 3D (ESPN / WatchESPN) | |
| US Open Tennis ACES System (ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN3) | |
| Promotional Announcement | This is SportsCenter |
| Live Coverage in Spanish | NBA Finals (ESPN Deportes) |
| On-Air Personality in Spanish | Martin Ainstein |
| Jose Ramon Fernandez |
-30-
