The BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards will happen in Salford on Thursday 18 December.
The ultimate shortlist for the primary prize has but to be introduced however the competitors for the distinguished award is ready to be fierce after a sensational yr of sporting drama.
It started in January with Luke Littler’s historic victory on the World Darts Championships on the age of simply 17, adopted by Rory McIlroy sensationally ending his quest to win the Masters at Augusta and competing golf’s grand slam.
The summer time was dominated by a collection of sensible workforce triumphs, with the Lionesses changing into the primary England aspect to win a serious match on international soil as they defended their European crown at Euro 2025 and the Red Roses lifting the World Cup at a sold-out Twickenham.
The British and Irish Lions received their Test collection in Australia and Europe’s golfers conquered the United States away from dwelling to retain the Ryder Cup throughout three gorgeous days at Bethpage Black in September.
It hasn’t began so nicely for England’s cricketers within the Ashes however the yr has nonetheless completed with a flourish, as Lando Norris was topped Britain’s eleventh F1 world champion as he secured the title on the ultimate weekend of the season. With all that in thoughts, right here’s all the pieces you might want to know forward of SPOTY 2025.
When is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year?
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards will happen on Thursday 18 December, from 7pm till 9pm. Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott will host the awards from MediaCity in Salford. The ultimate shortlists for the awards will probably be introduced in December.
Who is favorite to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year?
Rory McIlroy – 10/11
This needs to be McIlroy’s finest likelihood of lastly successful SPOTY, a place mirrored by the truth that he’s planning on attending the ceremony for the primary time in a decade. If you possibly can script a yr in a golf, you’ll write it like this, with McIlroy ending his lengthy quest for the holy grail on the Masters on an astonishing ultimate day at Augusta that wrecked the nerves of everybody else watching at dwelling. On the brink of one other collapse, he stared his vulnerabilities within the face and defied them in a profession defining show that summed up his distinctive enchantment.
And but, what truly may swing it for McIlroy was what he confronted at Bethpage Black, as he was focused with vile and private abuse from the US followers on the Ryder Cup, and what he delivered once more as he helped lead Luke Donald’s workforce to a shocking victory away from dwelling. “I made my desires come true at Augusta, then to do what we’ve performed… I don’t assume there will probably be a greater yr in my {golfing} profession,” McIlroy mentioned.
Chloe Kelly – 9/4
With her trademark penalty run-up and unwavering confidence, Kelly’s affect from the bench rescued the Lionesses at Euro 2025 after which delivered glory for Sarina Wiegman’s aspect as they defended their European title in Switzerland. Despite not beginning a single match, Kelly impressed the comeback in opposition to Sweden within the quarter-finals, scored the winner in opposition to Italy within the semi-finals, and netted the decisive penalty within the shoot-out win over Spain because the Lionesses grew to become the primary England workforce to win a serious honour overseas. What a run.
Kelly might have stop soccer at the beginning of the yr as she was frozen out at Manchester City. But a mortgage transfer to Arsenal was the spark she wanted and her resilience in coming again summed up England’s marketing campaign. With over 16.2 million watching England’s win over Spain, the most important TV viewers of the yr, don’t rule out Kelly following Beth Mead and Mary Earps and a Lionesses successful SPOTY for the third time in 4 years.
Lando Norris – 9/2
With the F1 title battle reaching the ultimate weekend of the season, the timing might be key for Norris if the 26-year-old is so as to add SPOTY to his maiden World Championship crown. By becoming a member of the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Jackie Stewart to turn into the eleventh British driver to win the world title, Norris handled set-backs impressively to carry off a charging Max Verstappen and displayed admirable toughness and sophistication to emerge from a probably bitter combat with team-mate Oscar Piastri in control of the title combat.
The honesty and humility Norris confirmed after his crowning second might endear the favored McLaren driver to SPOTY voters, too. He mentioned: “If you examine me to all of the champions from the previous, have I been as aggressive as them? No. Have I been as daring? No, however did I do what I wanted to win a world championship and carry out underneath essentially the most stress and did I come again the way in which I wanted to? I did. What makes me very proud is that I might show myself flawed.”
Luke Littler – 11/1
The darts sensation was the runner-up in final yr’s SPOTY to Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, and but the most important results of his younger profession got here just some weeks later when he defeated Michael van Gerwen within the Ally Pally ultimate to turn into the youngest world champion of all time, aged 17 years and 347 days.
Littler is as soon as once more deprived that his signature second got here so way back however he has continued to dominate all through the season, successful the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts to turn into the youngest World No 1 in darts historical past.
Hannah Hampton – 16/1
The SPOTY shortlist has but to be launched, so there’s a likelihood that there’s just one England participant who’s in competition for the ultimate award. That mentioned, Hampton is right here as a result of she was England’s finest participant all through the entire of Euro 2025 and was arguably participant of the match forward of Spain’s Aitana Bonmati. The goalkeeper was underneath enormous stress following the shock retirement of Mary Earps however made key stops all through England’s run to the ultimate and was then the hero within the shoot-out as she saved from Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey.
Of course, there can be loads of irony in Hampton following Earps in changing into SPOTY, given the previous goalkeeper mentioned in her latest documentary. Hampton, although, did her speaking by her performances on the pitch, and may also declare to have had a extra profitable season general than England team-mate Chloe Kelly because of Chelsea’s unbeaten home treble.
Ellie Kildunne – 50/1
In a transformative, triumphant summer time for the Red Roses, during which they reclaimed the Women’s World Rugby Cup and lifted it excessive in entrance of a report 80,000 at Twickenham, it was the magical, twinkling ft of Ellie Kildunne that always led the way in which.
In a workforce sport, Kildunne possesses the person brilliance and spotlight reel that will show widespread amongst SPOTY voters, from her outrageous second in opposition to France within the semi-finals to powering by to attain England’s first in opposition to Canada within the World Cup ultimate. It might make the reigning World Rugby Player of the Year an out of doors shot for the primary award.
Changes to Team of the Year award
The ‘Team of the Year’ award will now be decided by a dwell public vote.
In latest years, solely the primary Sports Personality of the Year award has been chosen on the night time from the seven award classes, however voting will now prolong to the workforce prize.
This goes to be as aggressive as the primary award in a yr the place the Lionesses defended their European crown at Euro 2025, the Red Roses received the Rugby World Cup on dwelling soil, Europe’s golfers received the Ryder Cup away from dwelling, and the British and Irish Lions triumphed in opposition to Australia.
That’s with out mentioning Liverpool’s Premier League title, Crystal Palace’s FA Cup success, Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League victory, and McLaren’s potential double within the F1 drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
Young Sports Personality of the Year
The nominees are Michelle Agyemang, Luke Littler, and Davina Perrin.
Darts star Littler received final yr’s Young Sports Personality of the Year award and, as detailed above, is within the working for the primary award after successful the World Championship earlier than turning 18 and changing into the game’s youngest World No 1.
Lionesses striker Agyemang was the breakout star of England’s summer time, scoring key objectives to rescue Sarina Wiegman’s aspect in opposition to Sweden within the quarter-finals and Italy within the semi-finals. The 19-year-old received younger participant of the match after England received the Euro 2025 ultimate on penalties.
Perrin blasted a record-breaking 42-ball century for the Northern Superchargers because the England cricketer report the quickest ton within the ladies’s Hundred. The 19-year-old, thought of the rising star of English cricket, was additionally named the Professional Cricketers’ Association younger participant of the yr.
Other awards
- World Sport Star of the Year
- Helen Rollason award
- Coach of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement award
