Jalen Brunson and A'ja Wilson win top awards at 2026 ESPYs

Jalen Brunson won an armful of trophies at the ESPYS on Wednesday night.

The basketball player claimed the top gong of Best Athlete: Men's sports as well as Best Championship Performance and Best NBA Player. His team, the New York Knicks, took home Best Team prize.

"Thank you to my family for sacrificing everything day in and day out," Brunson gushed in his speech. Thank you to the entire Knicks organisation and my teammates. Without them, none of this would be possible. They allow me to be me, I'm forever indebted to them."

It was a golden night for basketball, with Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson winning Best Athlete: Women's sports and Best WNBA Player.

Best Breakthrough Athlete went to figure skater Alysa Liu.

"I've been at my sport since I was five years old, and I've had some really rough times in it," she shared on accepting the trophy. "I took two years off, so for me it really feels like I broke through for myself and for my sport."

Lionel Messi won the ESPY Award for Best Soccer Player. He was unable to attend.

This year's ESPYs returned to New York after more than 25 years in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, with Saturday Night Live star Marcello Hernandez as host.

Often described as the sports world's equivalent of the Oscars or Grammys, the ESPYS are a premier annual awards show produced by ESPN that recognises individual and team athletic achievements.