ESPN, NBC Sports Top Sports Emmy Award Nominations
Story Highlights
ESPN networks and NBC Sports Group led the industry with 57 and 42 Sports Emmy Award nominations, respectively, as the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) unveiled the 36th Annual list of nominees today. In terms of specific networks, ESPN led the way with 37 nods, while NBC earned 33. NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi was also a big winner, earning 15 nominations – most of any program.
CLICK HERE OR SEE BELOW FOR FULL LIST OF NOMINEES
Breaking It Down By Network
ESPN’s 57 nominations are the most ever for the network and is up from 46 a year ago. Leading the way were seven nods each for E:60 and SportsCenter, while the FIFA World Cup from Brazil provided six more. The SEC Network – which just launched in August – garnered three nominations, and WatchESPN earned its first, for the College Football Playoff Championship “Megacast.” ESPN earned two nods in the Live Special category, for the FIFA World Cup Final on ABC and for the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship. ESPN’s NFL programming also earned 15 nominations (including four for NFL Primetime; three apiece for Monday Night Football, NFL Countdown, and Sunday NFL Countdown, and two for NFL Live). In addition, former ESPN Chairman George Bodenheimer will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sports Emmy Award ceremony.
NBC Sports Group’s 42 nominations are the most it has ever received in a Winter Olympic year. In addition to 15 Olympics nominations, the Peacock’s NFL coverage also earned an additional 12 nods, including four for Super Bowl XLIX and an Outstanding Live Sports Series nomination for Sunday Night Football, a category that it has won a record six times in a row (2008-13).
Fox Sports Media Group came in third with 26 nominations, the most for the company since 2008 (29 nods). Fox Sports Live received seven nominations – more than tripling its nominations from last year (2) and trailing only the XXII Olympic Winter Games as the highest nominated program. Fox also dominated the Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound category, earning three of the five nominations for its MLB, NASCAR, and NFL on FOX coverage. Fox’s NASCAR coverage also notched nominations for Live Sports Series, Technical Team Remote, and Live Sports Special (for the Daytona 500).
CBS and Showtime combined for 18 nominations, highlighted by four Inside the NFL, three for All Access, and two for 60 Minutes Sports. CBS and Turner Sports teamed up to earn three nominations for its NCAA March Madness coverage.
On top of its March Madness coverage, Turner Sports’ MLB on TBS Postseason coverage received five nominations – all for its “One-Man Show” promo featuring Bryan Cranston.
MLB Media’s 17 nominations included three for MLB Network’s Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony coverage and two for MLB Tonight.
HBO Sports rung up a dozen nominations, including two in the Documentary Series category (24/7 and Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Atlanta Falcons, which earned two and four total nods, respectively) and towering over the Sports Journalism category by earning four of the five slots – all for Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel.
In addition, NATAS doled out 12 nominations to NFL Media, five to Univision, two to Pac-12 Networks and one apiece to DirecTV, National Geographic Channel, and DirecTV.
Next-Gen Tools Highlight Tech Achievement, New Approaches Categories
Nominees for this year’s George Wensel Technical Achievement Award are Turner Sports for its use of FreeD replay system on TNT’s NBA All-Star Weekend; ESPN for its VFX technology on Monday Night Football and Digital Center 2 facility for SportsCenter, NFL Primetime, and NFL Countdown; Pac-12 Networks’ IP production workflows; and NBC’s Maximum Access for the XXII Olympic Winter Games.
Outstanding Live Sports Coverage in Spanish nominees are Univision for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Telemundo for Futbol Estelar La Gran Final (Leon vs. Pachuca) and Futbol Estelar (Premier League Championship Sunday), Mun2 for NASCAR Toyota 120, and NBCUniverso for Super Bowl XLIX.
In addition to Fox’s nominations in the Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound for its MLB, NASCAR, and NFL coverage, HBO Boxing and NBC Olympics notched nominations.
NBC picked up three nominations in Outstanding Live Graphic Design for Sunday Night Football, Super Bowl XLIX, and the XXII Olympic Winter Games. ESPN earned two for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and SportsCenter, along with the MLB on FOX.
The Awards will be given out at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s prestigious Frederick P. Rose Hall, located in the Time Warner Center on Tuesday, May 5th, 2015 in New York City.
Here’s a full rundown of the nominations:
Outstanding Live Sports Special
146th Belmont Stakes; NBC
2014 FIFA World Cup Final; ABC, Germany vs. Argentina
College Football Playoff National Championship; ESPN, Oregon vs. Ohio State
Daytona 500; FOX
Super Bowl XLIX; NBC, Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
Outstanding Live Sports Series
ESPN College Football; ABC/ESPN/SEC Network
ESPN Monday Night Football; ESPN
NASCAR on FOX; FOX/FOX Sports 1
Sunday Night Football; NBC
Outstanding Edited Sports Coverage
All Access; Showtime, Epilogue: Mayweather vs. Maidana
Derek Jeter: Night 2 Remember; FOX Sports 1 [MLB Productions]
Ironman World Championship; NBC [Texas Crew Productions]
NFL Turning Point; NBCSN [NFL Films]
Sound FX; NFL Network
Super Bowl XLVIII; [NFL Films]
Outstanding Edited Sports Special
E: 60; ESPN2, Dream On: Stories of Boston’s Strongest
Football America: Our Stories; FOX [NFL Films]
Mr. Baseball: Bob Uecker; MLB Network
Outstanding Playoff Coverage
NASCAR Chase for the Cup; ESPN
National League Championship Series; FOX Sports 1, San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals
NCAA March Madness; TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV
NFC Championship Game; FOX, Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks
NFL Playoffs; NBC, AFC Wild Card (Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers) & AFC Divisional Playoff (Baltimore Ravens vs.New England Patriots)
Outstanding Sports Documentary
McConkey; Starz, [Red Bull Media House]
Payne; Golf Channel
SEC Storied; SEC Network
It’s Time; [ESPN Films]
We Could Be King; ESPNews [Tribeca Digital Studios]
Outstanding Sports Documentary Series
24/7; HBO
30 for 30; ESPN [ESPN Films]
A Football Life; NFL Network [NFL Films]
All Access; Showtime
Hard Knocks; HBO
Training Camp with the Atlanta Falcons [NFL Films]
Undrafted; NFL Network
Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly
College GameDay; ESPN Football
Football Night In America; NBC
Inside the NBA on TNT; TNT
Sunday NFL Countdown; ESPN
Outstanding Studio Show – Daily
Inside The NBA on TNT: Playoffs; TNT
MLB Tonight; MLB Network
NFL Live; ESPN2
Pardon the Interruption; ESPN [Rydholm Projects]
SportsCenter; ESPN
Outstanding Sports News Anthology
E: 60; ESPN2
Outside the Lines; ESPN
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO
SC Featured; ESPN
Outstanding Sports Journalism
60 Minutes Sports; Showtime, Phil Ivey [CBS News]
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO, Death at the Track
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO, Higher Education?
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO, Kids & Guns
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; HBO, Sport in Qatar: The Price of Glory
Outstanding Short Feature
E: 60; ESPN2, Loud and Proud
FOX Sports Live; FOXSports.com, Corked: The Albert Belle Bat Heist
Inside the NFL; Showtime, The Final Stitch [CBS Sports/NFL Films]
Road to the Final Four; CBS, Buzz’s Bunch
Sunday NFL Countdown; ESPN, Danny’s Day
The NFL Today; CBS, Homes for Wounded Warriors: Jared Allen
Outstanding Long Feature
E: 60; ESPN2, Catching Kayla
E: 60; ESPN2, Owen and Haatchi
SportsCenter; ESPN, SC Featured – Lauren Hill: One More Game
SportsCenter; ESPN, SC Featured – Pete’s Challenge
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC, Long Way Home: The Jessica Long Story
Outstanding Open/Tease
2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; MLB Network, Hall of Heroes
College Football on CBS; CBS, The Army-Navy Game: A Different Kind of Game
E: 60; ESPN2, Dream On: Stories of Boston’s Strongest
MLB on TBS Postseason; TBS, One-Man Show
NCAA March Madness; TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV, March Madness Tease
NFL on CBS; CBS, AFC Championship 2014: Would You Watch?
Outstanding New Approaches – Sports Event Coverage
College Football Playoff National Championship; ESPN/WatchESPN, MegaCast
ESPN Sport Science; ESPN, X Games
NCAA March Madness; TBS/TNT/truTV, NCAA Teamcast
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBCOlympics.com
Outstanding New Approaches – Sports Programming
Anatomy Of A Pitch; ESPN.com
Enduring Guilt; ESPN.com
Games of Zones; BleacherReport.com
Together We Make Football Together; WeMakeFootball.com
The Contest; [NFL Films]
The XXII Olympic Winter Games NBCOlympics.com, As the Athletes Experienced Them
Outstanding New Approaches – Sports Programming – Short Format
Captain’s Curtain Call; FOXSports.com
NFL UP!; NFL Digital Media
PK Thanks Chicago; MLB.com [312 Media]
Putt Putt Perfection; grantland.com
Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Host
Bob Costas; NBC/MLB Network
Rich Eisen; NFL Network/DirecTV
Ernie Johnson; TNT
Keith Olbermann; ESPN2
Stuart Scott; ESPN
Matt Vasgersian; MLB Network
Outstanding Sports Personality – Play-by-Play
Mike Breen; ABC/ESPN
Bob Costas; MLB Network
Ian Eagle; TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV
Mike Emrick; NBC/NBCSN
Dan Hicks; NBC/Golf Channel
Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Analyst
Charles Barkley; TNT
Rick Neuheisel; PAC-12 Network
Harold Reynolds; MLB Network
Tom Verducci; MLB Network
Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst
Cris Collinsworth; NBC
Jon Gruden; ESPN
Jeff Van Gundy; ABC/ESPN
Kirk Herbstreit; ABC/ESPN
Harold Reynolds; FOX/FOX Sports 1/MLB Network
Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Reporter
Ken Rosenthal; FOX/FOX Sports 1/MLB Network
Holly Rowe; ESPN/espnW
Lisa Salters; ESPN
Michele Tafoya; NBC
Tom Verducci MLB Network
Tracy Wolfson; TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV/NFL Network
Outstanding Technical Team Remote
ESPN College Football; ESPN
Golf on CBS; CBS
NASCAR on FOX; FOX/FOX Sports 1
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC
Outstanding Technical Team Studio
Football Night In America; NBC
FOX NFL Sunday; FOX/FOXSPORTS.COM, Super Bowl XLVIII – Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos
MLB Tonight; MLB Network
Premier League; NBC/NBCSN
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC
Outstanding Camera Work
2014 FIFA World Cup; ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
24/7; HBO, Cotto – Martinez
FOX Sports Live; FOX Sports 1, Terrance West: “Football, Family, and NFL Dreams”
Inside the NFL; Showtime, Super Bowl XLIX Season 7 Finale [NFL Films]
Ironman World Championship; NBC, [Texas Crew Productions]
NFL Films Presents; NFL Network, Shots of the Year [NFL Films]
Outstanding Short Form Editing
FOX Sports Live; FOXSports.com, Captain’s Curtain Call
FOX Sports Live; FOXSports.com, Corked: The Albert Belle Bat Heist
FOX Sports Live; FOXSports.com, Driven: Jay Blake
NBA on TNT; TNT, Kendrick Lamar “I”
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC, Profiles of the XXII Olympic Winter Games
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC, Remember The Titans
Outstanding Long Form Editing
All Access; Showtime, Epilogue: Mayweather vs. Maidana II
Deep Dive; National Geographic Channel [Bluefoot Entertainment]
FOX Sports Live; FOX Sports 1, Finding Rico Harris: The Vanishing Man
Hard Knocks; HBO, Training Camp with the Atlanta Falcons [NFL Films]
Inside the NFL; Showtime, Super Bowl XLIX [NFL Films]
Notre Dame: Reborn; NBC
The Third Team; MLB Network
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC, Long Way Home: The Jessica Long Story
The Dick Schaap Outstanding Writing Award
60 Minutes Sports; Showtime, All Blacks [CBS News]
E: 60; ESPN2, Owen and Haatchi
MLB on TBS Postseason; TBS, One-Man Show
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC, Lokomotiv
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC, Winter’s Theatre
Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics
2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; MLB Network, Hall of Heroes
2014 FIFA World Cup; ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, Six Degrees
Hard Knocks; HBO, Training Camp with the Atlanta Falcons [NFL Films]
Road To The Super Bowl; FOX [NFL Films]
SEC Storied; SEC Network, It’s Time [ESPN Films]
Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound
HBO Boxing; HBO
MLB on FOX; FOX/FOX Sports 1
NASCAR on FOX; FOX/FOX Sports 1
NFL on FOX; FOX
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC/NBCSN/CNBC/USA/MSNBC
Outstanding Post-Produced Audio/Sound
FOX Sports Live; FOX Sports 1, Walking Dead: The Charlie Rowan Story
Hard Knocks; HBO, Training Camp with the Atlanta Falcons [NFL Films]
Inside the NFL; Showtime, Super Bowl XLIX Season 7 Finale [NFL Films]
MLB on TBS Postseason; TBS, One Man Show
NBA on TNT; TNT
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC, Winter’s Theater
Outstanding Live Graphic Design
2014 FIFA World Cup; ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
MLB on FOX; FOX/FOX Sports 1
SportsCenter; ESPN
Sunday Night Football; NBC
Super Bowl XLIX; NBC
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC/NBCSN/CNBC/USA/MSNBC
Outstanding Post-Produced Graphic Design
2014 NBA Draft; ESPN
ESPN Monday Night Football; ESPN
ESPN Sport Science; ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
The Grantland Basketball Hour; ESPN
Outstanding Studio Design/Art Direction
FOX NFL Sunday; FOX, Super Bowl XLVIII – Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos
SportsCenter; ESPN
Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Live, NFL Insiders, Monday Night Countdown, NFL PrimeTime; ESPN
ESPN Studio W; ESPN
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC/NBCSN
Outstanding Production Design/Art Direction
2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; MLB Network, Hall of Heroes
MLB on TBS Postseason; TBS, One-Man Show
Sunday Night Football; NBC, Waiting All Day For Sunday Night Open
Super Bowl XLIX; NBC, Waiting All Day For A Super Bowl Fight Open
The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award
2014 NBA All-Star Weekend; TNT, Free D Replay System
ESPN Monday Night Football; ESPN, VFX
IP Production; PAC-12 Network
SportsCenter, NFL Primetime and NFL Countdown; ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNews, ESPN Digital Center 2
The XXII Olympic Winter Games; NBC, Maximum Access
Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement
2014 FIFA World Cup; ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, World Cup Big Event/Time Zone/I Believe [Picture Farm, Other Films, &Wieden + Kennedy]
MLB on FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports 1, MLB Awareness Campaign – Ready/Working/Sweet
MLB on TBS Postseason; TBS, One-Man Show
Monuments; MLB Network
NBC Sports; NBC/NBCSN, Best Seat
Outstanding Live Sports Coverage in Spanish
2014 FIFA World Cup; Univision
Futbol Estelar; Telemundo, La Gran Final – Leon vs. Pachuca
Futbol Estelar; Telemundo/Mun2, Premier League Championship Sunday
NASCAR Toyota 120; Mun2
Super Bowl XLIX; NBCUniverso, Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
Outstanding Studio Show in Spanish
Contacto Deportivo; Univision
Fuera de Juego; ESPN Deportes
Futbol Central; Univision
SportsCenter Deportes; ESPN Deportes
Univision Deportes Futbol Club; Univision
Outstanding On-Air Sports Personality in Spanish
Enrique Bermudez; Univision
Andres Cantor; Telemundo
José Ramon Fernandez; ESPN Deportes
Ernesto Jerez; ESPN Deportes
Marion Reimers; FOX Deportes
NOMINATION BY NETWORK GROUP
Network Group |
Nominations |
ESPN |
57 |
NBC Sports Group |
42 |
Fox Sports Media Group |
26 |
CBS |
18 |
Turner Sports |
18 |
MLB Media |
17 |
HBO Sports |
12 |
NFL Media |
8 |
Univision |
5 |
Pac-12 Networks |
2 |
DirecTV |
1 |
National Geographic Channel |
1 |
Starz |
1 |
NOMINATIONS BY NETWORK
Network |
Nominations |
ESPN |
37 |
NBC |
33 |
MLB Network |
16 |
ESPN2 |
15 |
FOX |
14 |
FOX Sports 1 |
13 |
HBO |
12 |
TNT |
12 |
ABC |
10 |
tbs |
10 |
CBS |
9 |
Showtime |
9 |
NBCSN |
7 |
FOXSports.com |
6 |
NFL Network |
6 |
truTV |
5 |
Univision |
5 |
ESPN Deportes |
4 |
SEC Network |
3 |
Telemundo |
3 |
CNBC |
2 |
ESPN.com |
2 |
ESPNews |
2 |
Golf Channel |
2 |
MSNBC |
2 |
Mun2 |
2 |
nbcolympics.com |
2 |
PAC-12 Network |
2 |
USA |
2 |
BleacherReport.com |
1 |
DirecTV |
1 |
espnW |
1 |
FOX Deportes |
1 |
grantland.com |
1 |
MLB.com |
1 |
National Geographic Channel |
1 |
NBCUniverso |
1 |
NFL Digital Media |
1 |
Starz |
1 |
TogetherWeMakeFootball.com |
1 |
WatchESPN |
1 |
NOMINATIONS BY PROGRAM
Network |
Nominations |
The XXII Olympic Winter Games (NBC/NBCSN/CNBC/USA/MSNBC /nbcolympics.com) |
15 |
E:60 (ESPN2) |
7 |
Fox Sports Live (FOX Sports 1/FOXSports.com) |
7 |
SportsCenter (ESPN) |
7 |
2014 FIFA World Cup (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2) |
6 |
MLB on TBS Postseason (TBS) |
5 |
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (HBO) |
5 |
Hard Knocks (HBO) |
4 |
Inside the NFL (Showtime) |
4 |
NFL PrimeTime (ESPN) |
4 |
Super Bowl XLIX (NBC) |
4 |
2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (MLB Network) |
3 |
All Access (Showtime) |
3 |
ESPN Monday Night Football (ESPN) |
3 |
NASCAR on FOX (FOX/FOX Sports 1) |
3 |
NCAA March Madness (CBS/tbs/TNT/truTV) |
3 |
NFL Countdown (ESPN) |
3 |
Sunday NFL Countdown (ESPN) |
3 |
Sunday Night Football (NBC) |
3 |
24/7 (HBO) |
2 |
60 Minutes Sports (Showtime) |
2 |
College Football Playoff National Championship (ESPN) |
2 |
ESPN College Football (ABC/ESPN/SEC Network) |
2 |
ESPN Sport Science (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2) |
2 |
Football Night In America (NBC) |
2 |
FOX NFL Sunday (FOX/FOXSPORTS.COM) |
2 |
Futbol Estelar (Telemundo/Mun2) |
2 |
Ironman World Championship (NBC) |
2 |
MLB on FOX (FOX/FOX Sports 1) |
2 |
MLB Tonight (MLB Network) |
2 |
NBA on TNT (TNT) |
2 |
NFL Live (ESPN2) |
2 |
SEC Storied (SEC Network) |
2 |