Lionesses hero Beth Mead is the favourite to scoop the Sports Personality of the Year award after being named in a six-person shortlist ahead of Wednesday's ceremony.
She is joined by gymnast Jessica Gadirova, curling legend Eve Muirhead, snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan, England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes and running sensation Jake Wightman. Voting will be open during the show on BBC One on Wednesday, 21 December.
Other awards to be announced include Young Sports Personality of the Year, Team and Coach of the Year, Unsung Hero and the Helen Rollason Award. Eight-time sprinting gold medallist Usain Bolt will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award, while Argentina's World Cup winner Lionel Messi is World Sport Star of the Year.
Mead won the Golden Boot and was player of the tournament as England claimed a historic triumph at Euro 2022. The Lionesses lifted their first trophy at a major women's tournament with a 2-1 victory after extra time against the eight-time champions Germany at Wembley.
Gadirova, a rising phenomenon in British gymnastics, claimed floor gold on the final day of the world championships. The teenager had already won two medals in Liverpool after taking silver in the team event and a historic bronze in the all-around competition.
Eve Muirhead, meanwhile, led the Great Britain women's team that won curling gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. As skip, she claimed an elusive gold in China at the fourth time of asking, the pinnacle of a stellar career for Scotland's most decorated curler.
O'Sullivan claimed his seventh World Championship in April to equal Stephen Hendry's record in the modern era. At 46, he became the oldest world champion in Crucible history, and the world No 1 also added the Champion of Champions and Hong Kong Masters in 2022.
Stokes, who won the award in 2019, again starred in a World Cup final as England won the T20 tournament by beating Pakistan in a tense final down under, making a match-winning 52 not out. He also became Test captain and amid a thrilling new style, led his side to series wins against New Zealand and South Africa, and a history making 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan.
Wightman completes the list, after he produced a stunning run to take 1500m gold at the World Championships in Oregon. The Scot was the first British man to win the world title in the event since Steve Cram in 1983.
