Simone Biles recently whisked away to Belize with husband Jonathan Owens, escaping an already-packed schedule. After the trip, her social media highlights included barefoot seaside walks, ceviche-filled beach meals, and loving “HONEY, I’M HOME” moments in swimwear. For those who missed it, this peaceful break came right after a turbulent month of online backlash and her X (formerly Twitter) account deactivation. Now, refreshed and recharged, Simone has returned home with big, beautiful news for us all…

Simone Biles took to her Instagram story on July 15 to share a photo from the ESPYS (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards)—an annual event by ESPN recognizing athletic excellence. The story had the red-carpet shot that captured the glowing ESPYS logo. And the best part?

The greatest gymnast of all time wrote below it in her story, “nominated for 2 awards 🥺✌️🤍“. Simone Biles was nominated for two prestigious categories at the 2025 ESPY Awards. The first category is the Best Athlete in Women’s Sports, alongside top stars like Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone, Gabby Thomas, and A’ja Wilson, and the other is Best Championship Performance, honoring her historic all-around victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She’s the only woman nominated in that category, competing with Stephen Curry, Freddie Freeman, and Rory McIlroy.

Her second IG story featured a lot and lot of thread, a shot down the scale, needles, and all of it mysteriously ended at an envelope that read, “Simone Biles Project.” And then there was the third story where she had to write,” STOP IT” with many shock-face emojis. This was a post from the Religion of Sports, which was captioned, “ROS’s Simone Biles Rising’ just received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series! 🤸🏾” Her documentary had now earned a nomination in this category at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. Interestingly, her teammate has won an Emmy before her. But this can be her chance.

Source: Instagram/Simone Biles

The nominated series, Netflix’s four‑part docuseries Simone Biles Rising premiered in two halves. Part 1 debuted July 17, 2024, exploring Simone’s mental‑health hiatus after her withdrawal from Tokyo 2020, and Part 2 arrived October  25, 2024, delving into her victorious return during the 2024 Paris Olympics. And mind it, the documentary is not less than what Simone Biles is.

Simone Biles’ documentary has inherited her one trait

Biles was already a champion in the gym, but now, the spotlight shifted from the mat to the screen as well. At the 9th Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards held in New York City on November 10, 2024, the Netflix documentary achieved a remarkable feat, winning both Best Sports Documentary and Best Limited Documentary Series amidst stiff competition. Just a few months later, industry insiders, producers, creators, and behind-the-scenes storytellers added their own seal of approval.

At the 2025 Producers Guild of America Awards, the series was crowned Outstanding Sports Program, elevating it from a critical darling to a peer-approved masterpiece. And now she is here for an Emmy. But this is not the first time she has been nominated for this award. Before Simone Biles Rising, another of her documentaries received recognition from the Emmys. Simone vs. Herself, a Facebook Watch sports docuseries about Simone Biles, was nominated for a Sports Emmy in the Documentary Series – Serialized category. Though she failed to win it then, can she now?