SBJ Unpacks: Welcome to the 17th annual Sports Business Awards!

Check out the lineup of presenters for this year's awards.

• Brand Activation of the Year: Hosts Jay Williams and Elle Duncan, ESPN

• Best in Sports Betting: Hosts Jay Williams and Elle Duncan, ESPN

• Best in Property Consulting, Sales & Services: Lisa Motley, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

• Sports Facility of the Year: David Staas, Winstead

• Celebration of Service: Jay Williams and Elle Duncan, ESPN

• Sports Event of the Year: Li Li Leung, USA Gymnastics

• Best in Sports Social Media: Jazzy Guerra, Jazzy's World TV

• Sports Sponsor of the Year: Jackie Woodward, Brand.Culture.Grow.

• Best in Sports Media: Alex Martins, Orlando Magic

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Matt Ryan, CBS Sports

• Best in Talent Representation: Liz Manthei, MGM Resorts

• Athletic Director of the Year: Ben Sutton, Teall Sports and Entertainment

• Sports Breakthrough of the Year: Kaylee Hartung, Prime Video

• Deal of the Year: Jason McCourty, CBS and NFL Network

• Agency of the Year, Brand Consulting: Jason McCourty, CBS and NFL Network

• Sports League of the Year: Len Perna, TurnkeyZRG

• Sports Team of the Year: Billie Jean King, Angel City FC

• Sports Executive of the Year: Joe Cohen, The Switch Sports

• Head to the 5th floor for tonight's pre-event reception, which got rolling at 5pm ET. Follow the signs, check in, stroll down the red carpet. The bartenders will be working until 6:40 pm, when dinner gets started down on the 6th floor. The awards program is set to start at 7:30 pm.

• The live event has more than 1,000 attendees. We are not offering a livestream option this year. 

• To keep up with the winners tonight on social media, follow @SBJ and the hashtag #SBJAwards on Twitter/X throughout the night. We'll also be posting frequently throughout the night on our Instagram Story. Keep an eye on nominees' accounts as well.

• Read the SBJ Behind the Scenes newsletter on Thursday for coverage of the event. Winners also will be listed on the SBJ website this evening, SBJ's daily feeds on Thursday and in next week's SBJ magazine.

Tonight’s co-hosts are ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor Elle Duncan and Jay Williams, an NBA analyst for ESPN.

Red carpet duties go to Niki Lattarulo, SNY's sports anchor and reporter.

Arthur M. Blank's success comes from a rare ability to see through the complexities of spreadsheets and operations right to the customer’s desires -- and to provide exactly what they want. It's at the heart of decision to honor Blank with SBJ's Lifetime Achievement Awardfor 2024. 

“He’s a really good listener,” said Dick Sullivan, the longtime CMO of The Home Depot, who Blank recruited to join his team with the Falcons in 2002 and today runs the PGA Tour Superstore. “And one of our core values is to listen and respond.”

Indeed, those core values -- Put People First, Listen and Respond, Include Everyone, Innovate Continuously, Lead by Example and Give Back to Others -- are more than just corporate speak. They come from the earliest business philosophies of a man who learned long ago that the best way to get results is to hear what your customers are saying. His approach has earned him the respect and praise of the NFL’s biggest power brokers.

“Arthur’s belief that success is a journey, not a destination, has guided his incredible career,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “As he is so fond of saying, ‘There is no finish line.’” And Cowboys owner Jerry Jones added with Blank, it's all about “integrity, integrity, integrity. I have seen him at his very best during stressful times. A great franchise owner and NFL partner. An even better man.”

Diana Camarillo has fond memories of the 2022 McLendon Leadership Weekend at the University of Kansas, where she was part of The McLendon Foundation cohort that gathered to participate in various programming aimed at professional development. The cohort competed in a 24-hour case study competition, with small groups working together to help a fictitious university implement name, image and likeness rules. They also met with recruiters from Adidas and visited local museums.What sticks out most in Camarillo’s mind, though, is a feeling that she has trouble articulating.

“Most of us are in predominantly white institutions as students, so the times when we get together like we did when we were in Kansas, and we look around and there’s so many people of color, it’s honestly hard to describe that feeling,” she said, “of seeing other people that look like you and being genuinely interested and invested in their success.”

At its core, that is the mission of The McLendon Foundation, which aims to not only create access and opportunities for historically excluded talent aspiring to make an impact on the sports industry, but also foster a community for those individuals.

“For me, that’s the main point about it,” said Chase Nixon, also a 2022 McLendon Foundation fellow. “Building that group and that sense of community is very important because you’re all going through similar battles.”

The McLendon Foundation will receive Sports Business Journal’s Celebration of Service Award at the Sports Business Awards ceremony on May 22.

The foundation was founded in 1999 by Mike Cleary shortly after the death of John McLendon, the Basketball Hall of Fame coach who became the first African American head coach in pro sports. Cleary was the general manager of the Cleveland Pipers of the now-defunct American Basketball League when he hired McLendon to that history-making role in 1962.

Adrien Harraway, senior vice president at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, took the reins of the nonprofit as its director when Cleary died in 2015. Harraway, a 2003 McLendon scholar, is aided by assistant director Ishita Tibrewal, another McLendon scholar, who is director of marketing and sponsorship analytics for NACDA.

Harraway’s charge has been making the foundation “transformational, not transactional,” he said.

“My mission is to build a community and make sure every scholar and fellow is connected with all the alumni so we create this network,” he said.

The foundation offers two programs: its annual scholarship and the Minority Leadership Initiative, designed to give participants on-the-job experience at campuses and companies around the country. The initiative started when Arkansas men’s basketball coach John Calipari and Harvard University men’s basketball head coach Tommy Amaker spearheaded its creation after watching the nation confront issues of social injustice and racial inequality. It has grown each year since its 2020 launch, beginning with an inaugural class of 29 participants, and reaching 52 this year.

The scholarship is for minority candidates pursuing a master’s degree in a sports-related field. Eight $10,000 scholarships are awarded each year, plus one fully funded spot in UMass Amherst’s graduate program.

Camarillo, the 2022 UMass recipient, has felt the impact of both programs.

After immigrating to the U.S. from Mexico when she was in fifth grade, she is the first in her family to get an undergraduate and graduate degree. Her scholarship allowed her invaluable exposure and networking opportunities, such as taking a class trip to London, where she connected with staffers from Formula 1, Manchester City and Wimbledon. She was also able to visit her mentor, Concacaf Chief Commercial Officer Heidi Pellerano, at the North American soccer governing body’s office in Miami, where she garnered a real-world learning experience.

Camarillo and Nixon turned their part-time opportunities via the Minority Leadership Initiative into full-time roles. Camarillo joined Wilson Sporting Goods’ operations department as a data analyst. Once she completes her fellowship in May, she will begin as a full-time staff member after receiving an offer from the company.

“The sports business world is so competitive now because everyone wants these jobs, so it’s really hard to actually get in front of the right people,” Camarillo said. “The McLendon Foundation offers that opportunity.

“If it weren’t for McLendon, I don’t know that I would be where I am today.”

Nixon joined NYU Athletics’ facilities and event management department last summer. He was asked to take part in the foundation’s educational leadership series for its current cohort by appearing on a panel as a speaker.

“It was a full-circle moment because I had just been in their shoes,” he said. “So it was great to speak to them and give back a little, the way [The McLendon Foundation] has given so much to me.”

Leaders in Sport and SBJ hosted the annual 4se event in at Chelsea Industrial in Manhattan ahead of the Sports Business Awards. The two-day slate included some of the biggest names in sports, culture, fashion and entertainment.

A highlight from Day 1 on Tuesday was having basketball legend Sue Bird and filmmaker Dawn Porter onstage breaking news about the drop date (June 18) on Prime Video for their new documentary, “Power of the Dream.” The film shows how the Atlanta Dream players took on a sitting U.S. senator -- who also co-owned their WNBA team -- during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement to eventually help elect Raphael Warnock to a senate seat in Georgia. Bird and Porter spoke about the documentary space on this week’s SBJ Sports Media Podcast, filmed at 4se.

Some other headlines coming out of 4se:

• Curry Brand/Under Armour GM Ryan Drew reflects on Stephen Curry's hands-on approach to business.

• U.S. Ski & Snowboard President/CEO Sophie Goldschmidt notes how brands are looking to sponsor athletes and organizations that better align with younger audiences. 

• Endstate co-founder and COO Stephanie Howard raced a 12-minute clock to lay out four things about transforming a sneaker design into a “marketing icon.”

• Execs from SpringHill/Uninterrupted, More Better and SMAC Entertainment dished on how authenticity is key to athlete partnerships with brands.

• Meta's Charlton Gholson talked about AI's impact on sports, entertainment industries.

• The NHL and MLB discussed how their leagues weave entertainment/music into their events and other content.

• Fan engagement and storytelling are key for what NASCAR is trying to deliver.

Among those spotted at Day 1 of the 4se event were the Ravens’ Adam Neuman, N.Y. Giants’ Russell Scibetti, Devils/Prudential Center’s Jillian Frechette, the Premier League’s Akash Jain, Nielsen’s Jon Stainer, BSE’s Madeline Frohling and Nicole Pincus, Verizon’s Ainsley Creamer, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Sophie Goldschmidt, Legends’ John Ruzich, Adidas’ Alyssa Ahern, the NHL’s Arielle Weissman, FanDuel’s Rachel Steinberg, the NBA’s Julie Morris, U.S. Soccer’s Alyx Wynn, Mastercard’s Keith Wong, SailGP’s Ben Johnson, FIFA’s Tom Lloyd and Wasserman’s Sarah Patti.

A few parties and receptions sprouted around the 17th annual SBAs.

Snap Head of Sports Partnerships Anmol Malhotra hosted a private gathering at the Snap Penthouse on Tuesday night.

UTA and Klutch Sports Group held a cocktail party Tuesday night at Zero Bond. UTA’s Andrew Thau was among the hosts, with colleagues Michele James, Roysi Erbes, Fara Leff and Andy Latack, among others. Plenty bold-face names were spotted, including PJT Partners’ Don Cornwell, Fanatics’ Gary Gertzog, Commanders investor Mark Ein and former MLB/NFL exec John Brody. Sushi, rice cakes and chicken sliders were among the dishes passed around.

SBJ invited more than 40 outside judges to study, debate and determine the winners for this year's awards. As with last year, our aim was a diverse group, who have a passion for sports business and represent various industries while bringing an open mind and interest in hearing various points of view. We asked them to come to New York City at their own expense and spend a great deal of time to prepare for the deliberations.

Judges had to declare any conflicts of interest that would affect their impartiality. For the third year in a row, we did the judging in person. Judges were given the documentation beforehand so they could make informed votes, and on May 7-8 in New York City, they voted.

Thanks to all the judges who helped us get to tonight's ceremony.