The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award returns next month, with some of the biggest names in UK sport vying to join names such as Lewis Hamilton, Andy Murray and Jonny Wilkinson as winners.
The prestigious prize, which is judged via a public vote, is given to the sportsperson who is seen to have been the most successful in the last year, though several other factors, such as the general impact of the athlete, are also taken into account.
In 2023, Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps won the award off the back of her performances in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which included a now-famous penalty save in the final against Spain.
This year, a range of athletes are in the running, including F1 title hopeful Lando Norris, cycling great Mark Cavendish, darts breakthrough star Luke Littler, and Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the 71st BBC SPOTY ceremony:
When is the Sports Personality of the Year ceremony?
The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 17 December in Salford, Greater Manchester.
It will be televised live on BBC One, with coverage starting at 7pm. Subscribers can also watch on BBC iPlayer, while there will also be coverage on the BBC Sport website and app.
Who are the early contenders?
The official nominees for the award will be announced around a week before the ceremony, though there are some indications as to the early contenders.
The early favourite to win the award is Keely Hodgkinson, who was the face of Team GB at the Paris Olympics and delivered on her promise, winning a gold medal in the women’s 800m.
Luke Littler is another early contender, with the now-17 year old enjoying a breakout year in the darts world after becoming the youngest ever player to reach the PDC World Darts Championship final (which he later lost to Luke Humphries).
Other household names in contention include Lando Norris, who is locked in a fight for the F1 World Championship with Max Verstappen, as well as Mark Cavendish, who became the record-holder for Tour de France stage wins this year, not long before announcing his retirement.
Sarah Storey, who enjoyed gold medal success at the Paralympic Games and World Championships, is an outside shot for the award, as is Tom Pidcock – who won gold in the men’s mountain bike event at Paris 2024 – and Jack Draper, who enjoyed a breakout year on the tennis court in 2024.
What are the other awards on the night?
There is an award for the Young Sports Personality of the Year, which is awarded to a sportsperson who is aged 17 or under as of 1 January 2024. Again, the nominees are not yet known, though previous winners include Tom Daley, Phil Foden and Wayne Rooney.
In addition, there is an award for the World Sport Star, which is simply given to the non-British sports star who has achieved the most in that year – this was awarded to Erling Haaland in 2023.
The Unsung Hero Award is given to people in the local community to reward ‘unseen’ work in grassroots sports, with nominations made by the public. while the Helen Rollason Award is given for “outstanding achievement in the face of adversity” , and the winner is selected by BBC Sport.
There is also a Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as gongs for the sports team and manager of the year.
