42nd Sports Emmy Nominations: ESPN Tops Among the Networks, Super Bowl LV Leads All Programs

By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 - 4:21 pm
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In a year of sports production unlike any other, ESPN led all network groups with 54 nominations, and CBS Sports’ presentation of Super Bowl LV topped all individual programs with 11 nods in the 42nd Annual Sports Emmy Awards nominations. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) unveiled the nominees today, and the ceremony will be live-streamed at Watch.TheEmmys.TV on June 8 at 8 p.m. ET.

ESPN’s 54 nods were the most of any network group, followed by Fox Sports (with 31), NFL Media (28), NBC Sports Group (25), CBS Sports (24), Turner Sports (20), HBO (13), MLB Network (10), Netflix (9), RBTV and Univision (5 each), and YouTube, Apple TV+, and Showtime (3 each).

CBS’s Super Bowl LV earned the most nominations of any program, while NFL Network’s NFL 360 had a breakout year with nine nods and ESPN’s E:60 had seven. Four nominations apiece went to Fos NASCAR, Fox NFL Sunday, NFL Network’s NFL Total Access, HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, Netflix’s Rising Phoenix, and ESPN’s SC Featured. Turner’s 2020 NBA All-Star Game on TNT, Fox NFL, Apple TV+’s Greatness Code, Turner’s Inside the NBA, MLB Network’s MLB Tonight, RBTV’s The Old World — A Mindtrip Through Europe, and ESPN’s The Undefeated Presents each earned three nominations.

“Today, we honor the talented professionals who, during this unprecedented time of a worldwide pandemic, still found ways to inform, entertain, and excite the passionate fan base that makes up the sports universe,” said NATAS President/CEO Adam Sharp in the announcement. “The challenges they have overcome and this inspiring and diverse set of nominees are nothing short of remarkable.”

“In a year when sports production literally ground to a halt,” added Justine Gubar, executive director, Sports Emmy Awards, NATAS, “we received a record number of submissions. From innovative solutions to the constraints of production during the pandemic to the superb storytelling that confronted the social-justice issues of our times, we are so proud of what our nominees were able to achieve. I’m particularly excited about the debut of our Outstanding Sports Personality – Emerging On-Air Talent category, which welcomes five new sports personalities into the Emmy-nominee family.”

On the technology side, the George Wensel Technical Achievement Award will go to one of the five nominees: Fox NASCAR’s Racing Drone, Fox NFL’s Megalodon, MLB Network Showcase’s Statcast 3D, MLB Postseason on TBS’s Base Cam, or NBC’s HDR LUTs on Notre Dame Football.

In the Outstanding Technical Team Event category, CBS earned nominations for its Masters and Super Bowl LV coverage, ESPN was nominated for its College Football Playoff National Championship, Fox for its NASCAR coverage, and ESPN/TNT/NBA for the NBA Bubble operation.

On the Outstanding Technical Team Studio side, nods went to the 2020 NFL Draft by ESPN/ABC/NFL Network, ESPN’s College GameDay, Fox’s NASCAR coverage, MLB Network’s MLB Tonight, and The Super Bowl Today on CBS.

Also of note in the live-event categories, Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound nominations went to NBC’s NASCAR coverage and Sunday Night Football, Fox MLB, The NFL on CBS, and ESPN’s US Open tennis coverage. In addition, the award for Outstanding Live Graphic Design will g to one of the following: ESPN’s College Football, Fox NFL, MLB Networks’ MLB Tonight (Welcome Home), Nickelodeon/CBS’s NFC Wild Card Game, or CBS’s Super Bowl LV.

Here is a full list of the nominees:

OUTSTANDING LIVE SPORTS SPECIAL

2020 NBA All-Star Game on TNT – TNT
The 116th World Series (Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers) – FOX
The 146th Kentucky Derby – NBC
The Match on TNT, Champions for Charity – TNT
Super Bowl LV (Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – CBS

OUTSTANDING LIVE SPORTS SERIES

FOX NASCAR – FOX/FS1
FOX NFL – FOX/NFL Network
NFL on CBS – CBS
PGA Tour on CBS – CBS
Sunday Night Football – NBC

OUTSTANDING PLAYOFF COVERAGE

2020 NBA Playoffs on TNT – TNT
AFC Playoffs – CBS
NASCAR Playoffs on NBC – NBC/NBCSN
NFC Wild Card Game (Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints) – Nickelodeon/CBS Sports
Sunday Night Football: Playoffs – NBC/Peacock

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM EVENT

College Football Playoff National Championship (Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Alabama Crimson Tide) – ESPN
FOX NASCAR – FOX/FS1
The Masters – CBS
NBA Bubble – ESPN/TNT/NBA
Super Bowl LV (Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – CBS

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM STUDIO

2020 NFL Draft – ESPN/ABC/NFL Network
College GameDay – ESPN
FOX NASCAR – FOX/FS1
MLB Tonight – MLB Network
The Super Bowl Today – CBS

THE GEORGE WENSEL TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

FOX NASCAR, The Racing Drone – FOX/FS1
FOX NFL, Megalodon – FOX
MLB Network Showcase, Statcast 3D – MLB Network
MLB Postseason on TBS, Base Cam – TBS
Notre Dame Football, NBC HDR LUTs – NBC

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS EVENT COVERAGE

America’s Game: The 2019 Kansas City Chiefs – NFL Network/NFL Films
Hey Rookie: Welcome To The NFL: 2020 NFL Draft – ESPN/NFL Films
NFL Game Day All-Access, Super Bowl LV – NFL Network/NFL Films
NHL on NBC, WIRED: Stadium Series – Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche – NBCSN
UFC The Walk, McGregor vs. Cowboy – UFC Fight Pass/UFC

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SPECIAL

Inside the NBA, Kobe Bryant Memorial – TNT
NFL 360, Black History Month – NFL Network
NFL 360, Women in Football – NFL Network
SC Presents: 2020 – Heroes, History and Hope – ESPN
The Undefeated Presents, The Stop – Living, Driving and Dying While Black – ESPN

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SERIES

Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women’s Gymnastics – YouTube/YouTube Originals
Greatness Code – Apple TV+/Religion of Sports/UNINTERRUPTED
The Playbook – Netflix/SpringHill Company/Delirio Films/Boardwalk Pictures
The Shop: UNINTERRUPTED – HBO/UNINTERRUPTED/Frēhand
We Are the Champions – Netflix/Dirty Robber

OUTSTANDING ESPORTS COVERAGE

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Challengers Finals (DAL Empire vs. ATL FaZe) – YouTube
IEM Katowice 2020 (Grand Final: NaVi vs. G2) – Twitch/ESL Gaming
iRacing (Pro Invitational: Homestead-Miami) – FOX/FS1
League of Legends World Final (DAMWON vs. Suning) – YouTube/Riot Games
Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals (San Francisco Shock vs. Seoul Dynasty) – YouTube

OUTSTANDING SHORT SPORTS DOCUMENTARY

Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible – ESPN+/ESPN/ESPN Films
E:60, Twice the Fight: A Family’s Battle and Love of Football – ESPN
NFL Films Presents, The Camden Comeback – FS1/NFL Films
UFC Chronicles, Love, Death and Prizefighting – UFC/UFC Fight Pass
The Undefeated Presents, Why I Play – ESPN

OUTSTANDING LONG SPORTS DOCUMENTARY

Ringside – Showtime/Motto Pictures/Sutor Kolonko
Rising Phoenix – Netflix/HTYT Films/Passion Pictures/Misfits Entertainment/Ventureland
The Scheme – HBO/Bat Bridge Entertainment/Mastry
The Weight of Gold – HBO/Podium Pictures/Octagon
Yellow Brick Road – Golf Channel/May Fifth Productions

OUTSTANDING SERIALIZED SPORTS DOCUMENTARY

All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur – Amazon/72 Films Limited/Amazon Studios
The Cost of Winning – HBO/The Story Lab US/SMAC Entertainment/ Gillette Productions/Valleyview Media
Formula 1: Drive to Survive – Netflix/Box to Box Films
Outcry – Showtime/Bat Bridge Entertainment
Texas 6 – CBS All Access

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW — WEEKLY

College GameDay – ESPN
Football Night in America – NBC
FOX NFL Sunday – FOX
Inside the NBA – TNT
The NFL Today – CBS

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW — DAILY

The Dan Patrick Show – Peacock/DIRECTV/Dan Patrick Productions
Good Morning Football – NFL Network/Embassy Row
MLB Tonight – MLB Network
NFL Total Access – NFL Network
Pardon the Interruption – ESPN/Rydholm Projects
SportsCenter – ESPN

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW — LIMITED RUN

College GameDay: NFL Draft – ESPN
FOX MLB: The Postseason – FOX/FS1 FOX
NFL Sunday: The Playoffs – FOX
Inside the NBA: 2020 NBA Playoffs – TNT
Postseason NFL Countdown – ESPN

OUTSTANDING SPORTS NEWS/FEATURE ANTHOLOGY

Dispatches – Outside TV/Blueline/Dream Lens Media/ Backroads Pictures/Novus Select
E:60 – ESPN
NFL 360 – NFL Network
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel – HBO
SC Featured – ESPN2/ESPNews

OUTSTANDING SPORTS JOURNALISM

E:60, Imperfect: The Roy Halladay Story – ESPN
E:60, The Hero of Goodall Park – ESPN
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, Dangerous Games: Playing on Amid the Pandemic – HBO
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, Fallout: Japan’s Olympic Secret – HBO
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, The Fight Before the Fight: Weight Cutting in MMA – HBO

OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE

E:60, Teddy Bear Toss – ESPN
NFL 360, I Love Jags – NFL Network
NFL Total Access, Reality vs. Perception – NFL Network
SC Featured, Tears – ESPN
SC Featured, Together – ESPN
Sunday NFL Countdown, The Big Mo Show – ESPN

OUTSTANDING LONG FEATURE

NFL 360, Darren Waller: The Other Side – NFL Network
NFL 360, The Gift of Gaba – NFL Network
NFL 360, Sincerely, Q – NFL Network
SC Featured, Fighting for Aniah – ESPN
Super Bowl LV, Before Jackie – CBS

OUTSTANDING OPEN/TEASE

2020 NBA All-Star Game on TNT, Something Beautiful – TNT
E:60, Imperfect: The Roy Halladay Story – ESPN
E:60, Project 11: Alex Smith – ESPN
The Masters, What Does the Masters Sound Like? – CBS
Super Bowl LV, Stand by Me – CBS

OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE — EVENT COVERAGE

2020 Youth Olympics AR – IOC Sports/Intel
FOX MLB: The Postseason – FOX/FS1/FOXSports.com/MLB Network
IRONMAN VR Pro Challenge, Virtual Racing Series – Facebook Watch
The Match: Champions for Change, BR Cart Cam Live – Bleacher Report
NBA App, Season Restart – NBA Digital

OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE – ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING

100K Cameras, The Return of NASCAR – FOX/FS1/NASCAR Productions
#NBATogether – TNT
#SandlotToTheShow – MLB Network
Inside the NBA – TNT
NBA on TNT Tuesday – TNT

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL INNOVATION

The Last Ascent – RBTV/Red Bull Media House
NBA on TNT, AT&T Holovision – TNT
NFL Media, Virtual Production – NFL Media Group/Tagboard/SoHi Media
SportsNation, Football Visualization Platform – ESPN/ESPN+/ESPN.com/Twitter
Super Bowl LV, As One: The Lombardi Comeback – CBS/72andSunny/Digital Domain

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK — SHORT FORM

The 146th Kentucky Derby, The Adjustment – NBC
FOX NFL Sunday, Social Justice: Oyate’ un Ito’wapi – Pictures of My People – FOX
Inside the NFL, Super Bowl LV – Showtime/CBS Sports/NFL Films
NFL GameDay Morning, Who Are We – NFL Network
One Shot – RBTV/Red Bull Media House

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK — LONG FORM

Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible – ESPN+/ESPN/ESPN Films
The Old World: A Mindtrip Through Europe – RBTV/Moment Pictures/Red Bull Media House
Return to Earth: The Series – Outside TV/Anthill Films
Rising Phoenix – Netflix/HTYT Films/Passion Pictures/Misfits Entertainment/Ventureland
Tua – Fox/Malka Media/GOAT Farm Media

OUTSTANDING EDITING — SHORT FORM

Greatness Code – AppleTV+/Religion of Sports/UNINTERRUPTED
NBA on TNT, Mamba – TNT
NFL GameDay Morning, Who Are We – NFL Network
NFL Total Access, Reality vs. Perception – NFL Network
Sunday NFL Countdown, The Big Mo Show – ESPN
Super Bowl LV, Stand by Me – CBS
The Undefeated Presents, The Stop: Living, Driving and Dying While Black Open – ESPN

OUTSTANDING EDITING — LONG FORM

NFL 360, The Gift of Gaba – NFL Network
The Old World – A Mindtrip Through Europe – RBTV/Moment Pictures/Red Bull Media House
Rising Phoenix – Netflix/HTYT Films/Passion Pictures/ Misfits Entertainment/Ventureland
The Scheme – HBO/Bat Bridge Entertainment/Mastry
We Are the Champions – Netflix/Dirty Robber

THE DICK SCHAAP OUTSTANDING WRITING AWARD — SHORT FORM

FOX NFL Sunday, And Justice for All – Fox
National League Division Series, Cutouts – MLB Network
NFL Total Access, Reality vs. Perception – NFL Network
PGA News Conference Show, Distance – ESPN
SC Presents: 2020 – Heroes, History and Hope, Enough – ESPN

OUTSTANDING WRITING AWARD — LONG FORM

The Arena on TNT, We Are Home – TNT
Hard Knocks, Los Angeles – HBO/NFL Films
NFL Films Presents, The Lumberman Quarterback – FS1/NFL Films
Super Bowl LV, Before Jackie – CBS
When New York Was One – FS1/Post Haste Creative/Patent Seven Production

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION

FOX NFL Sunday – FOX.Dawn of Venus/Jose Gonzalez Teardrop
Rising Phoenix – Netflix
Super Bowl LV, Stand by Me – CBS
Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story – HBO/MLB
Yellow Brick Road – Golf Channel

OUTSTANDING LIVE EVENT AUDIO/SOUND

FOX MLB– FOX/FS1
NASCAR on NBC, Playoffs – NBC
NFL on CBS – CBS
Sunday Night Football – NBC
US Open Tennis – ESPN

OUTSTANDING POST-PRODUCED AUDIO/SOUND

Hard Knocks, Los Angeles – HBO/NFL Films
NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure – MotorTrend/NASCAR Productions
NASCAR ALL IN: Battle for Daytona – MotorTrend/NASCAR Productions
The Old World – A Mindtrip Through Europe – RBTV
The Playbook – Netflix

OUTSTANDING LIVE GRAPHIC DESIGN

College Football – ESPN/ABC
FOX NFL – FOX/NFL Network
MLB Tonight, Welcome Home – MLB Network
NFC Wild Card Game (Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints) – Nickelodeon/CBS Sports
Super Bowl LV – CBS

OUTSTANDING POST-PRODUCED GRAPHIC DESIGN

Greatness Code – AppleTV+/Religion of Sports/UNINTERRUPTED
NFL 360, Sincerely, Q – NFL Network
NFL on ESPN– ESPN/ABC
Super Bowl LV, Before Jackie – CBS
Women in Sports Vignette Series – CBS Sports Network

OUTSTANDING STUDIO OR PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION

2020 NBA All-Star Game on TNT, Something Beautiful – TNT
NASCAR Race Hub – FS1
National League Division Series, Cutouts – MLB Network
The Shop: UNINTERRUPTED – HBO
Super Bowl LV, Before Jackie – CBS

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT

FOX MLB, Play Ball – FOX/FS1/FS2/FOX News
Hulu Doesn’t Just Have Live Sports, Tom Brady’s Big Announcement – Hulu
Hulu Has Live Sports, The Deepfake – Hulu
The Last Dance, Predictions – ESPN
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, #StrongerTogether – Olympic Channel/NBCSN
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games “Summer”, “Light of Mine”, “Even More” – NBC

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW IN SPANISH

ESPN Fútbol Center – ESPN Deportes
Fútbol Central – Univision/TUDN
La Liga Premier Extra – Telemundo
La Liga Premier Tercer Tiempo – Telemundo
República Deportiva – Univision/TUDN
SportsCenter Deportes – ESPN Deportes

OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY IN SPANISH

Greenland, Colombia – ESPN Deportes
República Deportiva, Gracias al Deporte – Univision/TUDN
SC Reportajes, 21 – Roberto Clemente – ESPN Deportes
SC Reportajes, El Paso Strong – ESPN Deportes

OUTSTANDING ON-AIR PERSONALITY IN SPANISH

Andrés Cantor– Telemundo
Ernesto Jerez – ESPN Deportes
Ana Jurka – Telemundo
Adriana Monsalve – Univision/TUDN
Mauricio Pedroz – ESPN Deportes
Pilar Pérez – ESPN Deportes
Luis Omar Tapia – Univision/TUDN

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/STUDIO HOST

Rich Eisen – NFL Network/Peacock/NBCSN/DIRECTV
Ernie Johnson – TNT
Rachel Nichols – ESPN
Mike Tirico – NBC/NBCSN/Golf Channel
Scott Van Pelt – ESPN

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/PLAY-BY-PLAY

Mike Breen – ABC
Joe Buck – FOX/FS1/NFL Network
Mike Emrick – NBC/NBCSN
Al Michaels – NBC
Jim Nantz – CBS

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/STUDIO ANALYST

Jay Bilas – ESPN/ESPN2
Nate Burleson – CBS/CBS Sports Network/NFL Network
Kirk Herbstreit – ESPN
Harold Reynolds – MLB Network
Kenny Smith – TNT

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/SPORTS EVENT ANALYST

Doris Burke – ESPN
Cris Collinsworth – NBC
Kirk Herbstreit– ESPN
John Smoltz – FOX/FS1/MLB Network
Jeff Van Gundy – ESPN/ABC

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/SPORTS REPORTER

Erin Andrews – FOX/NFL Network
Ken Rosenthal – FOX/FS1
Lisa Salters – ESPN/ABC
Michele Tafoya – NBC
Tracy Wolfson – CBS/CBS Sports Network

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/EMERGING ON-AIR TALENT

Emmanuel Acho – FOX/FS1
Malika Andrews – ESPN
Joe Davis – FOX/FS1/NFL Network
Andrew Hawkins – NFL Network
Joshua Perry – Big Ten Network

The live stream is available on the web at Watch.TheEmmys.TV and via The Emmy apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, and Roku (full list at apps.theemmys.tv). The program and many other Emmy Award events can be watched anytime and anywhere on this platform powered by Vimeo.