JJK AND CARL EDWARDS AMONG HONOREES AT ONE-OF-A-KIND EVENT CELEBRATING SPORTSMANSHIP IN AMERICA
SHOW TO AIR AROUND U.S.; TICKETS TO LIVE EVENT STILL AVAILABLE
ST. LOUIS – Nov. 15, 2017 – An all-star lineup of class acts will be honored in St. Louis on Saturday night (Nov. 18) as the Musial Awards take place at Peabody Opera House. The national event celebrates the year’s greatest moments of sportsmanship and the biggest names in sports who embody class and character. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and at MusialAwards.com. The show also airs as a primetime special on KSDK Channel 5 in St. Louis in December and will be seen around the country on select Tegna stations.
This year’s Musial Awards honorees feature quite the mix of individuals who have shown extraordinary sportsmanship. Award winners include a NASCAR champion driver, an Olympic distance runner, an NFL team president, high school athletes, a four-time NCAA baseball coach of the year, Special Olympics athletes, college football fans, and an East St. Louis native known as the greatest female athlete of her time — Jackie Joyner-Kersee. On Saturday, the six-time Olympic medalist will receive the Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award for sportsmanship.
Joining JJK as honorees are those connected to remarkable displays of sportsmanship that represent the best in sports and humanity. Included in the group are NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, U.S. distance runner Abbey D’Agostino (responsible for the standout moment of sportsmanship at the 2016 Olympics), Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill, and the two Iowa Hawkeye football fans who created “The Hawkeye Wave.” Heralded as one of the most heartfelt new traditions in sports, Hawkeye fans now wave in unison to the patients at University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, which overlooks Kinnick Stadium, at the end of the first quarter at all Iowa home games. The tradition’s originators – fans Krista Young and Levi Thompson – will receive Musial Awards Saturday night.
The full lineup of award winners and their stories can be viewed by clicking on the “Honorees” link at MusialAwards.com.
TELEVISION SPECIAL:
In addition to the live awards show on Nov. 18, the Musial Awards will air as a primetime one-hour television special on KSDK-TV Channel 5, St. Louis’ NBC affiliate, on Monday, Dec. 18 at 9 p.m. A significant development for the event, KSDK’s parent company, Tegna, also is showing the broadcast in multiple cities where it has an affiliate. Tegna owns stations in 39 markets, including 14 of the top 25. Recently, the Musial Awards was recognized with a Mid-America Emmy Award for Sports – One Time Special. It’s the fourth Emmy the show has won in that category and its eighth Emmy overall.
MUSIAL AWARDS TICKETS:
Tickets for the Musial Awards are on sale through Ticketmaster and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, at the Scottrade Center box office and all Ticketmaster ticket centers, or by phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets are $50 and $35 in the orchestra level, and $25 and $10 in the mezzanine level. Additional fees may apply. On Saturday, tickets will be available for purchase at the Peabody Opera House box office starting at 10 a.m. Additionally, all-inclusive tickets that provide orchestra level seating for the awards show plus a pre-show dinner and reserved parking are available for $200 and can be purchased by calling 314-345-5111.
HONOREE INTERVIEWS:
Several of this year’s honorees – including Joyner-Kersee, Edwards, D’Agostino and Bidwill – will be available for interviews prior to the awards show at approximately 5 p.m. Media should enter Peabody Opera House through the main entrance on Market Street and check in at the Guest Services desk. Media wishing to interview honorees should contact Brent Shulman in advance at 314-369-8559.
MORE ON THE MUSIALS:
The Musial Awards – presented by Maryville University – takes place annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the historic 3,000-seat Peabody Opera House in Downtown St. Louis. The show is produced by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the National Sportsmanship Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. In addition to keeping alive the legacy of Stan The Man, the mission of the Musial Awards is to inspire selflessness, integrity and civility in sports and society. Its organizers want to have a transformational impact, empowering people across the nation to be good sports.
Recent Musial Award recipients include golf legend Arnold Palmer, baseball hall of famers Joe Torre and Cal Ripken Jr., women’s basketball star Tamika Catchings, pro tennis player Jack Sock, Little League World Series sensation Mo’ne Davis, and sportscaster Ernie Johnson.
This marks the 12th year the event has taken place in St. Louis. Since 2011, Maryville University has served as the presenting sponsor for the Musial Awards. The school’s involvement, leadership and generosity have helped make the show one of the great nights in sports.