In the midst of all that’s happening this month, the annual ESPY Awards will take place in Los Angeles to honour the coolest and best star athletes and most memorable moments from the past year.

Nominees for the 16th annual ESPYs, which will be televised on July 20, were announced this week in 37 categories. Votes - there were 12.5million last year - can be sent in online or via mobile phone.

Major nods this year for Best Female Athlete include Danica Patrick (also a presenter), golfer Lorena Ochoa, basketball's Candace Parker and skier Lindsey Vonn.

Among the nominations for best moment are Danica Patrick’s win of the Indy Japan 300, and the Central Washington University’s sportsmanship when members of the team carried Western Oregon University’s Sara Tucolsky around the bases after she collapsed in a play-off game.

In case you missed the latter, Tucolsky hit her very first home run ever only to come up lame going around first. Since rules state that if any team-mate touches you on the base path you are automatically out, the other team picked her up and carried her around so her first home run would count.

Women’s Motocross multi-time National Champion Jessica Patterson has also been nominated for a 2008 ESPY award in the Female Action Sports category. The 25-year-old racer dominated the 2007 AMA/WMA Women’s Motocross National Championship, winning an impressive 10 out of 12 motos and the title.

Other nominations in the category include snowboarders Gretchen Bleiler and Lindsey Jacobellis, and surfer Stephanie Gilmore. Steph has the honour of being the only professional surfer, male or female, to be nominated for any ESPY award in 2008.

The ESPY - Excellence in Sports Performance - is a premier sports awards event, put on by ESPN, that honours individual and team athletic achievements and other sports-related performances each year. Other girls nominated for the 2008 awards include Allyson Felix, Serena Williams, Pat Summitt, Diana Taurasi and Angela Tincher.

This year’s event will be hosted by Justin Timberlake (not exactly sure why, but hey - we love him!) and takes place on July 16 at the Nokia Theatre. The winner of each category is decided by fan votes, so visit www.espys.tv to cast your ballot. Voting continues until July 12 and fans of women’s sports are encouraged to vote for their favourite female athlete. Let's give the girls the recognition they deserve!

For more on women's sports, visit http://www.prettytough.com