LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon today announced the nominations for the second annual Kids’ Choice Sports 2015, the only awards show for kids where NFL champions go head-to-head with tennis legends, and NBA record holders compete with NASCAR racers celebrating kids’ favorite athletes and sports moments of the year. Additionally, leading up to the highly anticipated telecast, Nickelodeon is kicking off tryouts for the Kids’ Choice Sports 2015 “Triple Shot Challenge,” which will give three kids ages 9-14 an opportunity to score $50,000 each during the live broadcast. Beginning June 8, fans can cast their votes in 12 total categories on Nick.com/sports. Hosted by Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Quarterback, Russell Wilson, trophies will be handed out LIVE on Thursday, July 16 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) from Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
This year’s list of nominees welcomes a number of first-timers, rising stars and iconic sports fan-favorites competing for the win including Jose Abreu, Carmelo Anthony, Odell Beckham Jr., Drew Brees, Malcolm Butler, Kelly Clark, Sidney Crosby, Stephen Curry, Skylar Diggins, Novak Djokovic, Gabby Douglas, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Roger Federer, Rickie Fowler, Blake Griffin, Rob Gronkowski, Nyjah Huston, LeBron James, Joey Logano, Andrew Luck, Andrew McCutchen, Rory McIlroy, Lionel Messi, Maya Moore, Alex Morgan, DeMarco Murray, Marshawn Lynch, Rafael Nadal, Cam Newton, Alexander Ovechkin, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronda Rousey, Jordan Spieth, Mike Trout, Ashley Wagner, Abby Wambach, J.J. Watt, Andrew Wiggins, Serena Williams, Russell Wilson and many more.
Beginning this month, Nickelodeon will kick off tryouts for the Kids’ Choice Sports 2015 “Triple Shot Challenge,” which will give three kids ages 9-14 an opportunity to score $50,000 each during the live broadcast. The three finalists chosen will each be tasked with completing one athletic feat across either soccer (hit the crossbar of a soccer goal from up to 22-yards away), football (throw a football to hit a target from up to 30-yards) or basketball (sink a half-court shot). Auditions will be held in three locations, kicking off with the soccer tryouts on June 13 in the Bronx, NY at the New York City FC vs. Montreal Impact match. On June 20, Nickelodeon will partner with the New York Giants to host the football tryouts at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Auditions for the “Triple Shot Challenge” will come to a close on June 27 in Los Angeles, CA at the LA Convention Center hosted by the BET Experience at L.A. Live, where Nickelodeon will hold tryouts for the basketball challenge. The “Triple Shot Challenge” builds upon the excitement of last year’s half-court contest which saw Ricardo Jacobo Jr. of Los Angeles, CA win $50K for sinking a half-court shot during the live show. For more information about “Triple Shot Challenge” tryouts please visit http://at.nick.com/crossbarchallenge (soccer), http://at.nick.com/perfectpass (football) or http://at.nick.com/halfcourtshot (basketball).
For the second straight year, kids from around the country will show their support for their favorite athletes, teams and sports moments and decide who will take home a cherished, one-of-a-kind Nickelodeon orange mohawked blimp trophy. Nick.com/sports will serve as the official kids’ destination for Kids’ Choice Sports. Beginning June 8, kids will be able to watch online, and via the Nick app, hilarious short-form sports video content featuring their favorite Nick shows, access photo galleries of athletic all-stars, and play brand new Kids' Choice Sports games. Kids will also be able to start casting their votes for their favorite athletes and moments this year. And, on the day of the big event, kids can watch a live photo stream straight from the Orange Carpet, and see pictures of all the athletes in action, with photo coverage across all of Nickelodeon's digital platforms.
Recently, Nickelodeon announced that Derek Jeter will be honored with the Legend Award at this year’s show in recognition of his unmatched talent, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field. The Legend Award honors athletes who are the ultimate role models to kids across the globe, inspiring generations year after year.
Kids’ Choice Sports 2015 Presenting Sponsors include Verizon. Associate Sponsors include Nationwide and Popsicle®.
The categories and nominees for Kids’ Choice Sports 2015 are:
BEST MALE ATHLETE
They are, simply put, the best athletes in the world. Driving the offense or barreling through the toughest defense, they never cease to amaze us with their athleticism, their moves and their mastery of the game. In short, the nominees for these two categories represent the best male and female athletes currently competing in traditional sports.
Aaron Rodgers (NFL, Green Bay Packers)
LeBron James (NBA,
Cleveland Cavaliers)
Lionel Messi (Spanish club FC Barcelona and
the Argentina Men’s National Team)
Mike Trout (MLB, Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim)
Rory McIlroy (PGA and PGA European)
Russell
Wilson (NFL, Seattle Seahawks)
Stephen Curry (NBA, Golden State
Warriors)
Clayton Kershaw (MLB, Los Angeles Dodgers)
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE
Abby Wambach (USWNT)
Alex Morgan (USWNT and NWSL, Portland Thorns
FC)
Candace Parker (WNBA, Los Angeles Sparks)
Danica Patrick
(NASCAR)
Maria Sharapova (WTA)
Maya Moore (WNBA, Minnesota
Lynx)
Serena Williams (WTA)
Stacy Lewis (LPGA)
FAVORITE NEWCOMER
The excitement surrounding a new sports prospect can be incredible, especially when that prospect starts to deliver on the anticipation of greatness. The nominees in this category represent the first or second year pros who have lived up to the hype -- in other words, the newbie that is most likely to succeed.
Amy Purdy (Professional Snowboarder)
Andrew Wiggins (NBA, Minnesota
Timberwolves)
Joey Logano (NASCAR)
Jordan Spieth (PGA)
Jose
Abreu (MLB, Chicago White Sox)
Malcolm Butler (NFL, New England
Patriots)
Mikaela Shiffrin (Professional Alpine Ski Racer)
Odell
Beckham Jr. (NFL, New York Giants)
HANDS OF GOLD
Every season has its most talked about, spectacular or awe-inspiring catches and saves. The nominees in this category represent the MLB and NFL athletes who have made the most unbelievable, highlight reel worthy catches of the year from baseball or football, as well as the goalies of hockey and soccer who have made the most incredible saves of the year.
Andrew McCutchen (MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates)
Carey Price (NHL,
Montreal Canadiens)
Dez Bryant (NFL, Dallas Cowboys)
Henrik
Lundqvist (NHL, New York Rangers)
Mike Trout (MLB, Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim)
Odell Beckham Jr. (NFL, New York Giants)
Pekka
Rinne (NHL, Nashville Predators)
Rob Gronkowski (NFL, New England
Patriots)
CLUTCH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Teammates rely on these athletes to make the plays when it counts the most. Their participation is clutch to the success of their teams, and the fans know it. The nominees in this category come from a variety of sports and alter the game just by being on the field.
Abby Wambach (USWNT)
Alexander Ovechkin (NHL, Washington Capitals)
Cristiano
Ronaldo (Spanish club Real Madrid C.F. and the Portugal National Team)
DeMarco
Murray (NFL, Dallas Cowboys)
Marshawn Lynch (NFL, Seattle Seahawks)
Maya
Moore (WNBA, Minnesota Lynx)
Rob Gronkowski (NFL, New England
Patriots)
Stephen Curry (NBA, Golden State Warriors)
SICKEST MOVES
Professional athletes make it look so easy that sometimes we forget the sheer agility required to play with the best of the best. Until you see the nominees of this category do their thing– they’re the soccer players with the mind-blowing dribble, the hockey players who can do amazing things on skates or the football players who dazzle us with their fancy footwork.
Ashley Wagner (US Figure Skating)
Blake Griffin (NBA, Los Angeles
Clippers)
Gabriel Medina (Professional Surfer)
Lionel Messi
(Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina Men’s National Team)
Novak
Djokovic (ATP)
Ronda Rousey (UFC)
Sidney Crosby (NHL,
Pittsburgh Penguins)
Stephen Curry (NBA, Golden State Warriors)
DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME AWARD
They flip, fly and soar their way into the highlight reels of the X games and other action sports competitions on the regular-- and kids can’t get enough. They’re the death-defying athletes of slopestyle, the BMX racers or the skateboarders who risk life and limb every day to accomplish the impossible.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR)
Danny Davis (Professional Snowboarder)
Kelly
Clark (Professional Snowboarder)
Lindsey Vonn (Professional Alpine
Ski Racer)
Nyjah Huston (Professional Skateboarder)
Travis
Pastrana (Motorsports)
MOST ENTHUSIASTIC PLAYER
This award honors those athletes who, win or lose, always show heart and enthusiasm for the game! Filled with spirit, they let it all hang out – dancing in the end zone, pumping their fists and sliding across the field in exaltation. The nominees in this category represent the athletes who know how to celebrate!
Aaron Rodgers (NFL, Green Bay Packers)
Cam Newton (NFL, Carolina
Panthers)
Dwight Howard (NBA, Houston Rockets)
Gabby Douglas
(US Gymnastics)
J.J. Watt (NFL, Houston Texans)
Novak Djokovic
(ATP)
Rob Gronkowski (NFL, New England Patriots)
Serena
Williams (WTA)
KING OF SWAG
All professional athletes do incredible things, but there are a select few who also look incredible while they’re doing it. The male and female nominees in this category are the best dressed, and most stylin’ couple of athletes off the court. The King of Swag and the Queen of Swag are two separate awards that will be presented together.
Cam Newton (NFL, Carolina Panthers)
Carmelo Anthony (NBA, New York
Knicks)
Chris Paul (NBA, Los Angeles Clippers)
Cristiano
Ronaldo (Spanish club Real Madrid C.F. and the Portugal National Team)
LeBron
James (NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers)
Rickie Fowler (PGA)
Roger
Federer (ATP)
Russell Wilson (NFL, Seattle Seahawks)
QUEEN OF SWAG
Alex Morgan (USWNT and NWSL, Portland Thorns FC)
Lolo Jones (US
Track and Field and Bobsled)
Maria Sharapova (WTA)
Ronda
Rousey (UFC)
Serena Williams (WTA)
Skylar Diggins (WNBA, Tulsa
Shock)
BEST CANNON
Some of the most incredible arms in sports belong to athletes from the worlds of baseball, football and tennis. This category honors the outfielders, pitchers, catchers, quarterbacks and tennis players with the strongest arms in the game.
Andrew Luck (NFL, Indianapolis Colts)
David Ortiz (MLB, Boston Red
Sox)
Drew Brees (NFL, New Orleans Saints)
Mike Trout (MLB, Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Peyton Manning (NFL, Denver Broncos)
Rafael
Nadal (ATP)
Russell Wilson (NFL, Seattle Seahawks)
Serena
Williams (WTA)
BIGGEST POWERHOUSE
This award honors those players that are an undeniable force on the field and on the court. Like a freight train or a Mack Truck, these athletes have so much power in their play, they cannot be stopped. They are the sluggers who hit the farthest homeruns, the tennis players with the fastest serves, the power forwards that slam dunk with such force they can shatter a backboard, and the running backs that move with such power that it takes an entire team to stop them.
Blake Griffin (NBA, Los Angeles Clippers)
David Ortiz (MLB, Boston
Red Sox)
J.J. Watt (NFL, Houston Texans)
LeBron James (NBA,
Cleveland Cavaliers)
Marshawn Lynch (NFL, Seattle Seahawks)
Prince
Fielder (MLB, Texas Rangers)
Ronda Rousey (UFC)
Serena
Williams (WTA)
With special guests, performances, outrageous competitions and unique categories, Kids’ Choice Sports 2015 will be bursting with fun, unforgettable moments, epic slimings and sheer ‘fan’-demonium that can only happen on Nickelodeon. Kids from around the country will show their support for their favorite athletes, teams and sports moments and decide who will take home a cherished, one-of-a-kind Nickelodeon orange mohawked blimp trophy.
Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2015 is produced by Done + Dusted in association with Nickelodeon Productions. Jay Schmalholz and Shelly Sumpter Gillyard are executive producers. Constance Schwartz and Michael Strahan of SMAC Entertainment will serve as executive producers, alongside Ian Stewart and Hamish Hamilton of Done + Dusted with Hamilton also serving as director of the show.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 36th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
