In the first three years of the Des Moines Register Sports Awards, we featured guest speakers Peyton Manning, Shaquille O'Neal and Venus Williams.

This June, we are bringing in a celebrity guest to share his experiences with the top high school athletes in the state.

And he's one of Iowa's greatest sports icons.

Pro football Hall-of-Famer Kurt Warner will be appearing at the Des Moines Register Sports Awards on June 21 at Wells Fargo Arena. The event honors more than 750 of our All-Iowa athletes and coaches and state championship teams from the 2018-19 high school sports seasons, along with Special Olympians from the state.

“The last few years, we created memories of a lifetime for student athletes from across the state. We are excited to bring in someone like Kurt Warner as the headline speaker to continue that tradition," said Allen Vaughan, Consumer Experience Director for the Register. "Bringing in a member of the Hall of Fame who has ties to Iowa is a special opportunity."

TICKETS: Purchase your tickets to see Kurt Warner and honor high school athletes.

Muscatine native and national sports play-by-play commentator Chris Hassel will emcee the event. Hassel served as the emcee at last year's event.

"I could not have been more impressed with the event last year. Having never attended, I had no idea what to expect. But it was a first-class experience for everyone from the athletes to the parents," Hassel said in an email response to the Register. "These kids deserve to be recognized for their great accomplishments and the Register Sports Awards give them a unique place to come together and be treated like our top professional athletes. I'm honored to be welcomed back for another year on the mic for such a wonderful event."

The guest speakers will be able to relate to the 600 athletes in attendance. The Register honors boys' and girls' athletes and coaches in 21 sanctioned sports in Iowa, along with naming its top athletes in each sport and multiple special honors including boys' and girls' overall athletes of the year.

The Register will also name its coach of the year, team of the year and courage award winner, among other honors.

Each invited athlete and coach receive two complimentary tickets, which is made possible by the event's sponsor, Hy-Vee, Wells Fargo and Xtream powered by Mediacom.

The speakers this year will certainly be able to relate to those athletes and coaches in attendance.

Warner was a star high school athlete at Cedar Rapids Regis and played at Northern Iowa. He is one of the greatest underdog stories in sports history and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 after a playing career that included two NFL MVP awards and a Super Bowl win in 2000.

"Kurt may go down as the most accomplished athlete in Iowa history. Super Bowl MVP and, for a time, the best quarterback in a league with Peyton Manning and Tom Brady," Hassel said. "It seemed like every game they'd tell his story and tie him back to Iowa."

"High schoolers could learn a lot about perseverance from Kurt. Kurt was working at Hy-Vee when he really wanted to be playing football out of college. But he never gave up. Worked his way up through the AFL for very little money to fulfill his dream in the NFL," Hassel said.

The event opens with a red carpet experience at 6 p.m., with the program beginning at 7 p.m.

WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE TEAM? Nominate a team for our Top Team Fan Vote here.

Discounted hotel rooms are available at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown for June 21– 22. Standard guestrooms are available for $159 plus taxes. Book by May 21, 2019 at DesMoinesRegister.com/SportsAwardsHotel to receive the discount.

Official Des Moines Register Sports Awards merchandise is available. Get your t-shirts, tank tops and more at ShopDMRegister.com/SportsAwards.