How the 2019 ESPY Awards Focused on Sustainability, Inclusivity—and the USWNT

ESPN's 27th annual award show and its surrounding events were highlighted by eco-friendly decor, inspirational messaging, discussions of race and politics, and big wins for women.

Claire Hoffman

July 16, 2019

After their World Cup win last Sunday, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team unsurprisingly dominated the award show, winning Best Team and drawing chants for equal pay.Photo: Joe Faraoni/ESPN ImagesLOS ANGELES—It's no surprise that the United States women's national soccer team dominated this year's ESPY Awards, held on July 10 at the Microsoft Theatre. Coming off a World Cup win just three days earlier—and a ticker-tape parade across the country in New York the same day as the award show—the women capped it off with a Best Team trophy. "This is the second-best trophy we won this week," joked player Alex Morgan, who also took home the prize for Best Female Athlete.

The focus on the women's team continued the trends from last year's award show, which had its first woman host and a courage award for female survivors of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's sexual abuse. Chants of "equal pay" followed the USWNT win, referencing the movement to pay female athletes the same as their male counterpoints. In another highlight, U.C.L.A. gymnast Katelyn Ohashi gave a memorable speech on body shaming.

According to longtime executive producer Maura Mandt, the political and cultural moments the ESPYs have become known for are never planned. “The athletes are the biggest part of what this show has become,” she told the Hollywood Reporter last week. “It is because of their vulnerability in their speeches, and what they have done. We build a stage, quite literally, and offer them a platform … But I don’t think the production or the producers can take credit for any kind of impact that the athletes' stories we cover have on the world. We are only as good as the stories we have to tell.”

The themes of inclusivity and inspiration continued to the red carpet, where sponsor Nike asked athletes to write down the reasons sports matter to them. Similarly, an ESPN-hosted town hall the day of the show saw athletes discussing the role societal issues, including race, play in the sports community.

Throughout the week, ESPN also showcased its longtime commitment to sustainability, working with Kilowatt Events to create a red carpet made from recyclable materials and using drought-resistant succulents in place of flowers. The official post-party, produced by 15/40 Productions, continued that trend: All service ware was made from compostable materials, and a 70-foot tree—which served as a focal point of the event—was later repurposed as landscaping.

The ABC broadcast generated 3.9 million viewers, on par with last year's show. Scroll down for a look inside the live telecast, the pre- and post-parties, and more.

The 27th Annual ESPY Awards

Hosted by comedian Tracy Morgan, the 2019 ESPYs—which stands for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly—took place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on July 10. Maura Mandt produced the live broadcast for the 25th time.

Photo: Eddie Perlas/ESPN Images

After their World Cup win last Sunday, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team unsurprisingly dominated the award show, winning Best Team and drawing chants for equal pay.

Photo: Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images

ESPY Awards After-Party

ESPN’s event marketing associate director, Bianca Gomez, worked with 15/40 Productions to produce the ESPY Awards after-party for the seventh consecutive year. The event took over 60,000 square feet of the Event Deck at L.A. Live, and incorporated natural elements to create an environmentally friendly, modern space. Patina, concrete, and wood finishes had touches of live greenery to further the sustainable feel.

The party’s central focal point was a tree that spanned 70 feet in diameter with a trunk constructed from fiberglass. The 600 branches had been trimmed from trees on a farm, which producers describe as a natural process to help the trees grow stronger and longer. After the ESPYs party, the branches were repurposed as landscaping. Below the tree was a bar from sponsor Coors Light that was framed with mountain archways.

Catering stations were built underneath a series of patina-finished archways on the sides of the event space; at the end of the night, 3,000 doughnuts were served as a late-night snack. To honor ESPN’s environmental efforts, all service ware was made from compostable materials.

Throughout the evening, rapper 2 Chainz and DJ Niks entertained the crowd of athletes and other guests. Other entertainment included an immersive experience for Cadillac, which allowed guests to virtually drive a luxury car.

Lounge areas surrounded the dance floor.

Outside of the main tent, guests were welcomed with a massive sign displaying the #ESPYS hashtag.

Photo: ESPN Images

ESPY Awards Pre-Party

The official ESPYs pre-party on July 9, held at the Hotel Figueroa, was hosted by retired N.F.L. player Rob Gronkowski. Like the post-party, the event’s design and production from Event Eleven incorporated plenty of natural elements. Additional vendors included lighting and audio by CBC Technical, carpet by Primo XL, and scenic build by Lab Creative.

Photo: Courtesy of Event Eleven

Fiore Designs handled florals, which included a greenery-filled photo op at the entrance to the event.

Photo: Courtesy of Event Eleven

The greenery continued to the DJ booth, which was decorated with cacti.

Photo: Courtesy of Event Eleven

ESPY Awards Red Carpet

Kilowatt Events once again designed and executed the award show’s red carpet, which featured attention-grabbing letters and sponsor logos nestled in green hedging. The production company's sustainability arm, Kilowatt One, ensured a carbon-neutral event, creating a red carpet made from 100-percent recycled materials and drought-tolerant succulents in place of flowers. More than 1,000 reusable water bottles were provided for staff and crew, and tote bags were given to all showrunners to prevent single-use bag usage. The team also used a TerraCycle Zero Waste Box to recycle supplies from the production office.

Photo: Eddie Perlas/ESPN Images

Sponsor Nike asked athletes on the carpet to sign cards describing why sports matter to them. “Sport matters to me because it challenges you, and challenge is something I invite in my life,” wrote Rob Mendez, a high school football coach born without arms or legs who received the night’s Jimmy V Award.

Photo: Eddie Perlas/ESPN Images

ESPYs presenting sponsor Capital One hosted a red carpet camera, which recorded slow-motion videos of athletes.

Photo: Eddie Perlas/ESPN Images

The Undefeated Lounge

The Undefeated—ESPN’s content platform that focuses on how sports, race, and culture intersect—hosted a lounge at the Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles. A highlight of the space was a collection of portraits featuring current and past ESPY winners—such as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (pictured)—accompanied by an essay about each athlete.

Photo: Kelli Scates/ESPN Images

ESPN Town Hall

The day of the ESPY Awards, ESPN hosted a town hall with, from left, sportscaster Jay Harris, N.F.L. player Deatrich Wise Jr., L.A. Dodgers Foundation president Nichol Whiteman, N.H.L. player Evander Kane, N.F.L. player Myles Garrett, and N.B.A. player Reggie Bullock. Held at the Grammy Museum, the discussion centered around sports and societal issues.

Photo: Juan Ocampo/ESPN Images

ESPN's Sports Humanitarian Awards

The night before the ESPY Awards, ESPN hosted the fifth edition of its Sports Humanitarian Awards. Held at the Novo at L.A. Live for the first time and hosted by the singer Ciara, the evening honored former N.F.L. player Chris Long, as well as the National Hockey League, Under Armour, and other athletes and companies making positive impacts on the world. Former tennis star Billie Jean King presented her eponymous youth leadership award to four young people who are improving their communities through sports.

Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/ESPN Images