ESPN, Fox Sports Lead Sports Emmy Nominations

ESPN scored the most 2020 Sports Emmy Awards nominations, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced Thursday (March 26).

ESPN's portfolio of networks drew 58 Sports Emmy nominations -- which celebrate excellence in the field of sports television -- to lead all networks. The Fox Sports finished second with 48 nominations, followed by the NBC Sports Group with 24 nods, according to NATAS.

ESPN’s E:60 magazine series drew 10 nominations to lead all programs, while Fox Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl LIV finished second with seven nominations. Fox’s coverage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and its NFL on Fox series, along with HBO’s 24/7 documentary franchise as well as ESPN’s SC Featured show all tied for third with three nominations.

The 41st Annual Sports Emmy Awards ceremony was postponed from its original April 28 date and has not been rescheduled. A full list of nominations can be found below. 

OUTSTANDING LIVE SPORTS SPECIAL

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (FINAL: USA vs. Netherlands) FOX

2019 Stanley Cup Final (Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues) NBC

The 61st Daytona 500 FOX

The 115th World Series (Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros) FOX

The 145th Kentucky Derby NBC

The Masters CBS

Super Bowl LIV (San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs) FOX

OUTSTANDING LIVE SPORTS SERIES

College Football ESPN/ABC

NFL on CBS CBS

NFL on FOX FOX/NFL Network

SEC on CBS CBS

Sunday Night Football NBC

OUTSTANDING PLAYOFF COVERAGE

2019 College Football Playoff Semifinal (Clemson Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes) ESPN

2019 NBA Playoffs on TNT TNT

AFC Playoffs CBS

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV

NFC Wild Card (Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints) FOX

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS EVENT COVERAGE

24/7 (College Football: Arizona State Sun Devils [Lucky 27 Media/Sport & Story]) HBO

America’s Game: The 2018 New England Patriots ([NFL Films]) NFL Network

Ironman World Championship (Age Group Athletes [IRONMAN]) NBC

NFL Turning Point (Super Bowl LIV [NFL Films]) FS1

UFC Fight Flashback (Khabib vs. McGregor) UFC Fight Pass

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SPECIAL OR SERIES

24/7 (Kelly Slater) HBO

Game of Zones Bleacher Report

Losers ([Topic Studios]) Netflix

Peyton’s Places ([NFL Films]) ESPN+

The Shop: UNINTERRUPTED ([UNINTERRUPTED/N2ition]) HBO

OUTSTANDING ESPORTS COVERAGE

2019 ELEAGUE on TBS (Road To The Rocket League World Championship) TBS

2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals ([Epic Games/NGE/Victory Pictures]) YouTube

EXP APEX Legends Pro Am ([ADVNCR]) ABC/ESPN

EXP Invitational (Apex Legends at the X Games [So-Hi Media]) ESPN2

FIFA eWORLD Cup Grand Final 19 London ([FIFA TV]) FS2

League of Legends World Final [Riot Games] YouTube

OUTSTANDING SHORT SPORTS DOCUMENTARY

E: 60 (All Heart) ESPN

E: 60 (Hilinski’s Hope) ESPN

E: 60 (Lovely Finish) ESPN

E: 60 (Paradise: From the Ashes) ESPN

Golf Films (Chi Chi and Devo) Golf Channel

OUTSTANDING LONG SPORTS DOCUMENTARY

Any One of Us ([Red Bull Films]) HBO

The Dawn Wall ([Red Bull Media House/Sender Films]) Netflix

Q Ball FS1

Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story ([Bleacher Report]) Showtime

What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali Part I ([Sutter Road Picture Company/

Fuqua Films/SpringHill Entertainment]) HBO

OUTSTANDING SERIALIZED SPORTS DOCUMENTARY

Basketball or Nothing ([WorkShop Content Studios]) Netflix

Hard Knocks (Training Camp with the Oakland Raiders [NFL Films]) HBO

Last Chance U ([Condé Nast Entertainment/Endgame Entertainment/One Potato Productions]) Netflix

Quest for the Stanley Cup ([Ross Greenburg Productions]) ESPN+

Why We Fight ([Dirty Robber]) ESPN+

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – WEEKLY

College GameDay ESPN

Football Night in America NBC

FOX NFL Sunday FOX/FS1

FOX NFL Thursday FOX

Inside the NBA TNT

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – DAILY

The Dan Patrick Show B/R Live/DirecTV/NBCSN

MLB Tonight MLB Network

NHL Live NBC/NBCSN

Outside the Lines ESPN

Pardon The Interruption ([Rydholm Projects]) ESPN

SportsCenter ESPN

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – LIMITED RUN

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup FOX/FS1

Inside the NBA: 2019 NBA Playoffs TNT

MLB on FOX: The Postseason FOX/FS1

NFL 100 All-Time Team ([NFL Films]) NFL Network

Road to the Final Four TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV

OUTSTANDING SPORTS NEWS/FEATURE ANTHOLOGY

E: 60 ESPN

NFL 360 NFL Network

NFL on FOX (NFL100) FOX

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel HBO

SC Featured ESPNews

OUTSTANDING SPORTS JOURNALISM

E: 60 (Enes Kanter: Enemy of the State) ESPN

E: 60 (Southmost: Football & Life on the Border) ESPN

E: 60 (The Squad: 44 Years, 41 Allegations) ESPN

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (Game Change: The Changing Demographics of Football in America) HBO

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (Overheated: Heat Stroke Deaths in High School Football) HBO

OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE

2019 NBA Awards on TNT (Bird and Magic for a New Generation) TNT

Championship Drive (For Carley) ESPN

College GameDay (SC Featured – Casey at the Snap) ESPN.com

NCAA Golf Championships (Life Without Katie: The Jason Enloe Story) Golf Channel

NFL 360 (I Got You) NFL Network

SC Featured (Saving the Tenement) ESPNews

OUTSTANDING LONG FEATURE

College GameDay (SC Featured – A Hero’s Journey) ESPN

E: 60 (Cliff Diving) ESPN

E: 60 (Kelly’s Sign) ESPN

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (Running Free: The Huwe Burton Story) HBO

SC Featured (Taquarius Wair: Unstoppable) ESPN

OUTSTANDING OPEN/TEASE

The 120th Army-Navy Game (The Choice) CBS

AFC Championship (Believe) CBS

Jimmy V Classic ESPN

NFL on CBS (Jim Kelly: Still Thankful) CBS

Super Bowl LIV (Next 100 [72andSunny/Prettybird]) FOX

OUTSTANDING TRANS-MEDIA SPORTS COVERAGE

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup FOX/FS1/FOXSports.com

2019 NCAA March Madness (March Madness Live [Turner Sports]) NCAA.com

2020 College Football Playoff National Championship Megacast (Clemson Tigers vs. LSU Tigers) Multiple ESPN Platforms

NFL 100 Greatest & All-Time Team NFL Network

Premier League NBC/NBCSN

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL INNOVATION

Major League Baseball (MLB Sporty Bot) MLB Network

MLB Tonight (Postseason P.O.V.) MLB Network

Red Bull Rampage (Virtual Production) Red Bull TV

Tales From the Edge: Jeb Corliss (VR/360Video Wingsuit BASE jump [RYOT]) YouTube

Fox Sports (Watch Parties) FOX/FS1/FOXSports.com

OUTSTANDING SOCIAL TV EXPERIENCE

#SandlotToTheShow MLB Network

2019 NBA Twitter Live ([Turner Sports]) Twitter

Always Late w/ Katie Nolan ESPN2/ESPN+/Facebook

Inside the NBA on TNT TNT

NBA Desktop The Ringer

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – STUDIO HOST

James Brown (Inside the NFL, The NFL Today) Showtime/CBS

Ernie Johnson (Inside the NBA) TNT

Brian Kenny (MLB Now) MLB Network

Mike Tirico (The Kentucky Derby, Football Night in America, NHL on NBC) NBC/NBCSN

Scott Van Pelt (SportsCenter) ESPN

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – PLAY-BY-PLAY

Kenny Albert (NFL on FOX, FOX Boxing, MLB on FOX, NBA on MSG, NHL on NBC) FOX/FS1/NBC/NBCSN/MSG

Mike Breen (NBA on ABC) ABC

Mike Emrick (NHL on NBC) NBC/NBCSN

Al Michaels (Sunday Night Football) NBC

Jim Nantz (The Masters, NFL on CBS, NCAA March Madness) TBS/CBS/TNT/truTV

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – STUDIO ANALYST

Charles Barkley (Inside the NBA) TNT

Bill Belichick (NFL 100 All-Time Team) NFL Network

Jay Bilas (College GameDay) ESPN

Al Leiter (MLB Tonight) MLB Network

Kenny Smith (Inside the NBA) TNT

Michael Strahan (NFL on FOX) FOX

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – SPORTS EVENT ANALYST

Troy Aikman (NFL on FOX) FOX/NFL Network

Cris Collinsworth (Sunday Night Football) NBC

Kirk Herbstreit (College Football on ESPN/ABC) ESPN/ABC

Tony Romo (NFL on CBS) CBS

John Smoltz (MLB on FOX, MLB on MLB Network) FOX/FS1/MLB Network

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – SPORTS REPORTER

Tom Rinaldi (College Football on ESPN, US Open on ESPN, The Masters) ESPN/ABC

Ken Rosenthal (MLB on FOX, MLB on MLB Network) FOX/FS1/MLB Network

Holly Rowe (College Football on ESPN, College Basketball on ESPN, College Softball on ESPN) ESPN/ABC

Michele Tafoya (Sunday Night Football) NBC

Tom Verducci (MLB on FOX, MLB on MLB Network) FOX/MLB Network

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM REMOTE

2020 College Football Playoff National Championship Clemson Tigers vs. LSU Tigers) ESPN

The Masters CBS/CBS Sports Network

MLB on FOX FOX/FS1

Sunday Night Baseball ESPN

Tour de France NBC/NBCSN

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM STUDIO

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup FOX/FS1

2019 NFL Draft NFL Network

College GameDay ESPN

FOX NFL Sunday (Super Bowl LIV) FOX

MLB Tonight MLB Network

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK

24/7 (Kelly Slater) HBO

The Dawn Wall ([Red Bull Media House/Sender Films]) Netflix

Inside the NFL (Shots Of The Year [NFL Films]) Showtime

Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season ([Teton Gravity Research]) HBO

Super Bowl LIV (Next 100 [72andSunny/Prettybird]) FOX

OUTSTANDING EDITING – SHORT FORM

AFC Championship (Believe) CBS

I Got You NFL Network

NFL 360 (Unapologetic) NFL Network

SC Featured (Saving the Tenement) ESPNews

Super Bowl LIV (Next 100 [72andSunny/Work Editorial]) FOX

OUTSTANDING EDITING – LONG FORM

24/7 (Kelly Slater) HBO

Any One of Us ([Red Bull Films]) HBO

Drive Like Andretti NBC/NBCSN

Portrait of a Fighter (Caleb “Sweethands” Plant) FS1

SC Featured (Taquarius Wair: Unstoppable) ESPN

THE DICK SCHAAP OUTSTANDING WRITING AWARD

100 Years of Change NFL Network

24/7 (Kelly Slater) HBO

American League Division Series on MLB Network (Baseball is Us) MLB Network

NFL Films Presents (Mike Pope [NFL Films]) FS1

UEFA Champions League (Road To The Final [IMG Media]) Bleacher Report

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION

2019 Jimmy V Classic (Don’t Give Up on Me) ESPN

2020 College Football Playoff National Championship ([Bluefoot Entertainment]) ESPN

Q Ball FS1

Road To The Super Bowl ([NFL Films]) FOX

This is Football ([Amazon Studios]) Amazon Prime Video

OUTSTANDING LIVE EVENT AUDIO/SOUND

MLB on FOX FOX/FS1

NASCAR on FOX FOX/FS1

NASCAR on NBC NBC/NBCSN

NFL on CBS CBS

NFL on FOX FOX

OUTSTANDING POST-PRODUCED AUDIO/SOUND

Radioactive: The Championship Race ([NASCAR Productions]) FS1

Road To The Super Bowl ([NFL Films]) FOX

Super Bowl LIV (Next 100 [72andSunny/LIME Studios]) FOX

That Other Pregame Show (Fantasy Man) CBS/CBS Sports Network

Zero Gravity ([Red Bull Media House]) Red Bull TV

OUTSTANDING LIVE GRAPHIC DESIGN

2019 NBA All-Star on TNT TNT

ACC Network ACC Network

NFL on ESPN ESPN

NHL on NBC NBC/NBCSN

SEC Network SEC Network

OUTSTANDING POST-PRODUCED GRAPHIC DESIGN

Inside College Football (CFB 150 Animated) CBS Sports Network

Losers ([Topic Studios]) Netflix

MLB Now (B=ASe+BA(L)²) MLB Network

NFL on ESPN ESPN

NFL on FOX FOX

The NFL Today CBS

OUTSTANDING STUDIO OR PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION

FOX NFL Sunday (Super Bowl LIV: Johnny Cash’s “Ragged Old Flag”) FOX

NASCAR Race Hub FS1

NFL on FOX (NFL100) FOX

Super Bowl LIV (Next 100 [72andSunny/Prettybird]) FOX

That Other Pregame Show (Fantasy Man) CBS/CBS Sports Network

THE GEORGE WENSEL TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

ESPN Monday Night Football/ESPN College Football (C360 PylonCam-MarkerCam) ESPN/ABC

Super Bowl LIV (UHD HDR) FOX

The Masters (Every Shot, Every Hole) CBS

NASCAR on FOX (Broadcast Analytics) FOX/FS1

NASCAR on FOX (Virtual Set) FOX/FS1

Tour de France (Augmented Reality) NBC/NBCSN

OUTSTANDING SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (All Eyes on Us) FOX/FS1/FS2/FOX Deportes

ESPN (There’s No Place Like Sports) ESPN

Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season (Trailer [Teton Gravity Research]) HBO

Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston (Trailer) Showtime

Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon ([NASCAR Productions/DLP Media Group]) FS1

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW IN SPANISH

A Los Golpes ESPN Deportes

Futbol Central Univision/TUDN

Hoy en la Copa Mundial Femenina de la FIFA Telemundo

Mision Europa UniMás/TUDN

SportsCenter Deportes ESPN Deportes

OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY IN SPANISH

Destino Confidencial (Campeonas) ESPN Deportes

The ESPN Bucket List (Boca vs. River) ESPN Deportes

Golf Central (Dylan Reales: El Loco del Palo) Golf Channel

Reportajes Especiales (El Síndrome del Jamaicón) ESPN Deportes

SC Reportajes (Los Leones de la Habana) ESPN Deportes

OUTSTANDING ON-AIR PERSONALITY IN SPANISH

Andres Cantor (FIFA Women’s World Cup, Copa America, Que Momento, Liga Premier) Telemundo

José Ramón Fernández (Futbol Picante, Los Capitanes, Cronometro) ESPN Deportes

Ernesto Jerez (MLB en ESPN Deportes, Beisbol Esta Noche, SportsCenter Deportes, Serie del Caribe) ESPN Deportes

Adriana Monsalve (Campeones Cup, Futbol Central, Republica Deportiva, Contacto Deportivo, Super Bowl LIV, Mision Europa, El Madruguete, Linea de 4) Univision/TUDN

Jorge Eduardo Sánchez (SportsCenter Deportes, A Los Golpes, NBA en ESPN Deportes, LMP en ESPN Deportes) ESPN Deportes

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.