TheBest Sports Movie ESPY Award was an annual award honoring the achievements of an individual from the world ofsports film making. It was first awarded as part of theESPY Awards in 2002, and was discontinued nine years later.[1] The Best Sports Movie ESPY Award trophy, designed by sculptorLawrence Nowlan,[2] was bestowed annually to the sports film adjudged to be the best in a givencalendar year.[1] From 2004 onward, the winner was chosen by online voting through choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee.[3] Before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts.[4] Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in July and reflect performance from the June previous.[a][5]
The inaugural winner of the Best Sports Movie ESPY Award in 2002 was thebaseball themed filmThe Rookie released the same year. It is based on the true story ofJim Morris' minor but notableMajor League Baseball career.[6] Films that predominantly featureAmerican football have received the award more than any other sport, with three wins and six further nominations, followed by baseball andbasketball with two victories apiece, and were nominated twice.John Lee Hancock is the director who holds more victories than any one else, one forThe Rookie, and a second forThe Blind Side (2010).[7] The two sports with the most nominations that did not win the award aregolf andhorse racing, with three each.[7][8] The final winner of the Best Sports Movie ESPY Award in 2011 was the Boxing filmThe Fighter, which centers on the lives of former professional boxersMicky Ward andDicky Eklund, and the issues they are confronted with in both their personal and professional lives.[9][10]
^Because of therescheduling of the ESPY Awards ceremony, the award presented in 2002 was given in consideration of performance betwixt February 2001 and June 2002.[5]
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