Watch: Commercial Appeal Sports Awards On-Demand Show

Khari Thompson
Memphis Commercial Appeal

The fourth-annual Commercial Appeal Sports Awards presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans is almost here! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have transformed the in-person show to a star-studded, on-demand broadcast featuring some of the biggest names in professional sports. The show will continue the annual tradition of honoring the best in local high school sports from the past year. The show premieres at 6 p.m. local time on June 18 and is free to watch using any desktop or smart device on our website:  sportsawards.usatoday.com/events/memphis.

The show will be hosted by sports broadcasters Jesse Palmer, Sage Steele, Dr. Jerry Punch and Courtney Cronin. The show will also feature numerous professional sports figures as award presenters, including: Patrick Mahomes, Stephen Curry, Michael Phelps, Venus Williams, Wayne Gretzky, Bill Belichick and many more!

Q: What if I can’t watch the show at 6 pm on June 18?

A: Although the show goes live on our website at 6 pm on June 18, the show will be posted on our website for a month so you can watch it at any time (or as many times as you want!) thereafter.

Q: Where can I see the nominees that have been announced so far?

A: Nominees that have been announced so far can be found on our website by clicking the “Nominees” button in the navigation bar at the top of the page.

Q: Who will have their name featured on screen during the show?  

A: During the show, we will narrow down the nominees for each award to 3 finalists. Only the 3 finalists’ photos will be shown on screen. Then the winner’s name will be read aloud and their photo shown on screen. There will also be an Athlete of the Week honoree recognition moment in show.

At the end of the show, there will be a scrolling list of all the athletes and coaches that were nominated for awards and also Athlete of the Week honorees.

Q: How are nominees, finalists, and winners selected?

A: Nominees, finalists, and winners are selected by the sports department at the Commercial Appeal.

Q: Will spring sports be awarded during the show?

A: Due to the fact that spring sports could not be completed, we cannot award spring sport winners at the show.

Q: Will there be a live in-person event next year?

A: As long as the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a threat to our safety and health, we plan to host a live event in the spring of 2021 and celebrate with the community in-person once again.

Also, be sure to mark yourself as "interested" or "going" on this Facebook event and join the conversation on social using #MemSportsAwards and #HighSchoolSportsAwards. We can’t wait to celebrate all of the amazing local athletes!