Looking to back your favourite contender to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year? Here’s who’s up for the gong and how you can cast your vote…
It’s that time of year again where we all start falling out over who should and shouldn’t win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
But we often forget – or, indeed, choose to ignore – the fact it’s actually a public vote.
In case that expert subliminal messaging in the headline didn’t make it obvious enough, we, as a golf publication, would love to see Rory McIlroy lift the prestigious gong. In 2014, the year he won two majors, a WGC, the BMW PGA Championship, and put three points on the board at the Ryder Cup, he lost out to F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.
It means that SPOTY has still only been won by a golfer on two occasions: Dai Rees in 1957 and Nick Faldo in ’89. In those days, of course, the winner was decided by an expert panel.
This time, though, he’s gone one step further by adding the Green Jacket to his wardrobe and, with it, become just the sixth golfer in history to win the Grand Slam.
Elsewhere, the European Ryder Cup winners are up for the Team of the Year award, but face stiff competition from the history-making England football squad, who successfully defended their trophy at this year’s Women’s European Championship, and England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup champions.
So who’s up for the title in 2025 and how can you vote?
Who is on the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist?
In alphabetical order, to avoid accusations of bias, this year’s nominees are…
Hannah Hampton: A star of England’s victorious Euros campaign, the goalkeeper was awarded Player of the Match in the final after saving two penalties in the shootout.
Chloe Kelly: Another Lioness, Kelly came on as a substitute in the final to provide the cross that saw England equalize, before scoring the decisive goal in the penalty shooutout.
Ellie Kildunne: The Red Roses star scored one of England’s four tries as they thrashed Canada to win the Women’s Rugby World Cup for just the third time.
Luke Littler: The 18-year-old darts sensation won 15 times in 2025, including the World Championship and five other major titles.
Rory McIlroy: The golfer won four times in 2025, including the completion of the Grand Slam at Augusta, and spearheaded Team Europe’s incredible Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage.
Lando Norris: Having finished runner-up in the 2024 F1 World Championship, the Bristolian won seven Grands Prix this year to go one better and lift the individual title as well as the constructer’s championship for McLaren-Mercedes.
How do you vote for BBC Sports Personality of the Year?
Voting for SPOTY will open during the ceremony itself – usually once all six nominees have been introduced.
Votes can be cast online or by scanning a QR code which will be displayed during the show.
You can also vote by telephone, with the numbers for each of the shortlisted athletes revealed on the night.
The 2025 ceremony will begin at 7pm GMT and will be broadcast on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.
Who has won BBC Sports Personality of the Year?EDITIONYEARWINNERSPORT1st1954Christopher ChatawayAthletics2nd1955Gordon PirieAthletics3rd1956Jim LakerCricket4th1957Dai ReesGolf5th1958Ian BlackSwimming6th1959John SurteesMotorcycle racing7th1960David BroomeShow jumping8th1961Stirling MossFormula One9th1962Anita LonsbroughSwimming10th1963Dorothy HymanAthletics11th1964Mary RandAthletics12th1965Tom SimpsonCycling13th1966Bobby MooreFootball14th1967Henry CooperBoxing15th1968David HemeryAthletics16th1969Ann JonesTennis17th1970Henry CooperBoxing18th1971Princess AnneEventing19th1972Mary PetersAthletics20th1973Jackie StewartFormula One21st1974Brendan FosterAthletics22nd1975David SteeleCricket23rd1976John CurryFigure skating24th1977Virginia WadeTennis25th1978Steve OvettAthletics26th1979Sebastian CoeAthletics27th1980Robin CousinsFigure skating28th1981Ian BothamCricket29th1982Daley ThompsonAthletics30th1983Steve CramAthletics31st1984Torvill and DeanFigure skating32nd1985Barry McGuiganBoxing33rd1986Nigel MansellFormula One34th1987Fatima WhitbreadAthletics35th1988Steve DavisSnooker36th1989Nick FaldoGolf37th1990Paul GascoigneFootball38th1991Liz McColganAthletics39th1992Nigel MansellFormula One40th1993Linford ChristieAthletics41st1994Damon HillFormula One42nd1995Jonathan EdwardsAthletics43rd1996Damon HillFormula One44th1997Greg RusedskiTennis45th1998Michael OwenFootball46th1999Lennox LewisBoxing47th2000Steve RedgraveRowing48th2001David BeckhamFootball49th2002Paula RadcliffeAthletics50th2003Jonny WilkinsonRugby union51st2004Kelly HolmesAthletics52nd2005Andrew FlintoffCricket53rd2006Zara PhillipsEventing54th2007Joe CalzagheBoxing55th2008Chris HoyCycling56th2009Ryan GiggsFootball57th2010Tony McCoyHorse racing58th2011Mark CavendishCycling59th2012Bradley WigginsCycling60th2013Andy MurrayTennis61st2014Lewis HamiltonFormula One62nd2015Andy MurrayTennis63rd2016Andy MurrayTennis64th2017Mo FarahAthletics65th2018Geraint ThomasCycling66th2019Ben StokesCricket67th2020Lewis HamiltonFormula One68th2021Emma RaducanuTennis69th2022Beth MeadFootball70th2023Mary EarpsFootball71st2024Keely HodgkinsonAthletics