The WSA Roy Firestone Award
Roy began his career as a sports reporter in his hometown of Miami Beach. He then moved to Los Angeles where he was the sports anchor for KCBS-TV (1977-1985). In 1985, he began his successful run as host of ESPN’s Sports Look and Up Close and later Up Close Prime Time. Roy was also featured in the Academy Award-winning film, Jerry Maguire. He has hosted Face to Face with Roy Firestone on HDNet and published two books, including his memoirs Don’t Make Me Cry, Roy (Adventures in Interviewing). Currently, Roy is a regular contributor on KTTV’sGood Day LA and hosts LA Tonight with Roy Firestone on KCET. He has also released Another Voice, a pop album produced by legendary fusion band Hiroshima.
​
In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Roy has been widely honored for his tireless contributions to charity. In 2005, he received the Dick Schaap Humanitarian Award and was honored by the City of Los Angeles, Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush for his work with the Jewish Home for the Aged.
Roy was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. He is the father of two sons, Nicky and Andy.
Westcoast Sports Associates honored Roy Firestone in 1996 for his community service and contributions to disadvantaged youths in sports. Sharing a similar vision with WSA, Roy subsequently joined the organization at which time the award was officially renamed “The Roy Firestone Award.”
​
Roy has been critically acclaimed for his work in broadcast journalism. He has won seven Emmy Awards and seven ACE Awards for television excellence and was honored by the
Northeastern School of Journalism. Roy has interviewed more than 5,000 people, including some of the biggest names in sports.
​
In the August 2010 issue of Sports Illustrated, writer Lee Jenkins called Firestone “TV sports most compelling interviewer.” The magazine had previously described Roy as “the best interviewer in the business” and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Jim Murray called him the best interviewer he’d ever heard – that’s not the best interviewer in sports – that’s the best interviewer period.
Past Honorees
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Roy Firestone
Jim Brown
John Wooden
Sugar Ray Leonard
Wayne Gretzky
Howie Long
Cal Ripken Jr.
Terry Bradshaw
Arnold Palmer
Steve Young
Hank Aaron
Jack Nicklaus
Jerry West
Pete Carroll
​
​
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2022
2023
Andre Agassi
Vin Scully
Joe Montana
Clayton Kershaw
Bill Walton
George Foreman
Bob Costas
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Eric Dickerson
Rod Carew
Charles Barkley
Carl Lewis
Allyson Felix