PlayersTV’s “Players Honors” Celebrates Athlete Impact Beyond the Game

Premiering Sunday, August 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET across the PlayersTV network, “Players Honors” presented by Novartis celebrates athletes creating extraordinary impact beyond the game centered around the theme of health and wellness, hosted by AJ Andrews and featuring a closing performance by multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning rapper 2 Chainz.

DALLAS – An athlete’s greatest impact is not always measured by what happens in the game. It can be found in the families they fight for, the communities they invest in, the health priorities they bring out of the shadows, and the opportunities they create for others. 

PlayersTV’s second annual Players Honors presented by Novartis, premiering Sunday, August 16, at 8:00 p.m. ET across the PlayersTV network, celebrates the athletes who have transformed lived experience into advocacy, service and lasting impact across physical and mental health, medical innovation, youth mentorship, education, financial and community empowerment. The health-and-wellness-themed televised program is hosted by trailblazing professional softball legend, Rawlings Gold Glove winner, and broadcaster AJ Andrews and culminates with a performance by multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning artist 2 Chainz. 

Taped before a full-capacity audience at the MGM Grand Theatre in Las Vegas, with MGM Grand serving as the Official Hospitality Partner, the program honors a powerful truth: an athlete’s most meaningful legacy is not the records they break, but the lives they change.

“Players Honors presented by Novartis is the only awards show recognizing athletes’ true impact,” said PlayersTV Co-Founder Deron Guidrey. “As the first player and fan-owned media network, we are proud to honor athletes making extraordinary contributions beyond the game, using their own social capital to make a difference. When you watch Players Honors and witness these emotional moments, you’ll feel it and understand the greater purpose of these outstanding individuals.”

The 2026 Players Honors recipients include:

• Sloane Stephens, Trailblazing Woman Honor – Honoring groundbreaking leadership that empowers women, breaks barriers, and inspires future generations. The Grand Slam champion founded the Sloane Stephens Foundation to expand access to tennis, academic support and life-skills programming for underserved young people. Since 2013, the foundation has reached more than 10,000 students across the country.
• CJ McCollum, Hometown Hero Honor – Honoring athletes who create opportunities and inspire through education, leadership, and service. Through the McCollum Scholars Program, the NBA veteran is helping Pell-eligible students from New Orleans attend college with scholarships of up to $80,000, along with mentorship, academic coaching and career-readiness support. One of those scholars, Kiali Brown, joins McCollum during an emotional full-circle moment at Players Honors.
• Monique Billings, Beyond the Game Wellness Honor – Honoring leaders who inspire physical, mental, and emotional wellness beyond the game. The WNBA veteran, author, wellness advocate and host of “Breathe Through It” uses yoga, mindfulness and candid conversation to help athletes and fans navigate pressure, protect their mental well-being and pursue balance in high-performance lives.
• Dr. Myron Rolle, Living Legacy Honor – Honoring a lifetime of leadership, service, and excellence that inspires generations. The former NFL safety became a pediatric neurosurgeon and now works to expand access to neurosurgical care and strengthen health systems through the Caribbean Neurosurgery Foundation, whose initiatives have touched millions of lives. As the host of “Health is Wealth” sponsored by Novartis, Dr. Rolle and prominent celebrities and athletes share personal health stories to educate and inspire audiences along their own health journeys. 
• Wale Ogunleye, Legacy Architect Honor – Honoring visionary leaders who build enduring legacies through stewardship, purpose, and leadership. Drawing on his own experience as an 11-year NFL veteran, Ogunleye has made financial education and long-term wealth building a second career, helping athletes, entertainers, students and underserved communities gain the tools to create sustainable legacies.
• Jerome “Junkyard Dog” Williams, Community Impact Honor – Honoring transformational leadership, purpose, and community impact that inspires lasting change. The former NBA player leads Shooting for Peace, a national youth-empowerment initiative that uses sports, education, mentorship and financial literacy to steer young people toward opportunity and away from violence.

The program also features one of the evening’s most emotional moments as Cindy “CeCe” Boozer receives the Legacy of Love Honor, presented by her son, collegiate basketball player Carmani Boozer. The award honors extraordinary resilience, devotion, and love that transforms families and inspires generations. Facing her son’s sickle cell diagnosis, CeCe made the extraordinary decision to conceive through IVF specifically to have stem-cell-matched twin brothers, a choice that ultimately cured Carmani. Their story is one of maternal courage, medical innovation, and CeCe’s continued advocacy for a cure for sickle cell disease.

Players Honors also acknowledges the growing impact of ALS and the families living with the disease, including a tribute spotlighting former NFL star Chris Johnson following his diagnosis.

Additional program presenters included Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, Chris Paul, Aerial Powers, Mariah Harris, Doug Lee, and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, while the show featured video spotlights of Mookie Betts, Stephen Curry, Ayesha Curry, Kevin Love, Chaunte Lowe, and CJ Watson.

Players Honors culminates in a performance by 2 Chainz, bringing an inspired MGM Grand Theatre audience to its feet to conclude a remarkably unique celebration, as the industry’s only awards program dedicated specifically to honoring contributions beyond the game from athletes across all sports.

HOW TO WATCH

Players Honors presented by Novartis premieres Sunday, August 16, at 8:00 p.m. ET on PlayersTV. PlayersTV is available on DIRECTV, YouTube TV, Fubo, Amazon Fire TV and Philo, PlayersTV’s YouTube channel, and at PlayersTV.com/watch.

About PlayersTV

PlayersTV is the first media network and content provider owned by athletes and their fans. As the premier athlete lifestyle content destination, PlayersTV empowers athletes to own their stories while engaging fans through authentic and meaningful connections across sports, lifestyle and entertainment. PlayersTV’s 24/7 channel is available on DIRECTV, YouTube TV, Fubo, Amazon Fire TV and Philo. For more information, visit PlayersTV.com.