The countdown to BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025 starts now. Six standout athletes, each defined by extraordinary performances in a spectacular year of sport, have been named as this year’s contenders for the coveted title.
The contenders (listed in alphabetical order) are:
- Hannah Hampton (Football)
- Chloe Kelly (Football)
- Ellie Kildunne (Rugby Union)
- Luke Littler (Darts)
- Rory McIlroy (Golf)
- Lando Norris (Formula 1)
BBC Sport has brought the nation together for major sporting moments all year long – and on Thursday 18 December, audiences can relive them all in the ultimate night of sporting celebration.
On the night, fans across the UK will have their say, voting live at bbc.co.uk/spoty, as presenters Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott guide viewers through twelve months of extraordinary achievements.
In a first for the show, the contenders will be dramatically narrowed down to a top three live on air, before the overall winner is crowned, making this year’s event an unmissable, high-stakes spectacle.
Broadcast live from MediaCity, Salford, BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7pm to 9pm on Thursday 18 December. Expect emotion. Expect celebration. Expect history in the making.
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport says: “This has been a breathtaking year for sport, driven by athletes whose performances belong in the history books. Each one has delivered moments of pure brilliance that have defined 2025. It’s been incredible to watch, and I can’t wait to honour their achievements, and to see who the nation chooses as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025.”
The shortlisting panel for this year’s awards included 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi, former England international Anita Asante, double Paralympic gold medal-winning sprinter Libby Clegg, former world champion boxer Carl Frampton, 2009 World Cup winning cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent, media personality and sports presenter Josh Denzel, sports broadcaster and Match of the Day co-host Kelly Cates, chief sports feature writer for the Daily Mail, Riath Al-Samarrai and sports reporter for The Times, Molly Hudson. Representing the BBC were Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski, Head of Content, Philip Bernie, and Executive Producer, Marc Vesty.
Nominees for other awards being presented on the night include breakout Lioness star Michelle Agyemang, darts sensation Luke Littler and cricketing powerhouse Davina Perrin for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award.
The public vote for World Sport Star is also officially open with the nominees announced earlier this week. Audiences have until midday on Sunday 14 December to vote for their World Sport Star online via bbc.co.uk/spoty. The nominees are Mariona Caldentey (Football, Spain) Terence Crawford (Boxing, USA) Armand Duplantis (Athletics, Sweden) Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Athletics, USA) Shohei Ohtani (Baseball, Japan) and Mohamed Salah (Football, Egypt).
The full list of awards being presented on the night are:
- Sports Personality of the Year
- World Sport Star of the Year
- Helen Rollason Award
- Young Sports Personality of the Year
- Coach of the Year
- Team of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025 Contenders
Hannah Hampton (Football, 25)
Hampton’s spectacular 2025 culminated in her winning the Yashin Trophy for the world’s best female goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or awards. Her heroics in saving two spot-kicks in a penalty shootout helped England win the European Championship final and she was named Player of the Match. She was included in the Team of the Tournament following a string of commanding performances that included another two shootout saves in their quarter-final. At club level she played a key role in Chelsea’s domestic treble and was the joint winner of the WSL’s Golden Glove award with 13 clean sheets in 22 games.
Chloe Kelly (Football, 27)
In January, Kelly was unsure of her place for club and country. Fast forward to the summer and she was a European Championship and Champions League winner. The hero of the Euro 2022 final showed she’s still England’s player for the big moments by scoring the decisive penalty as the Lionesses retained the trophy. Despite not starting a match, her contributions were immense with another successful penalty in the quarter-final shootout and a last-gasp semi-final winner. Named in the Team of the Tournament, she was fifth in the Women’s Ballon d’Or voting, and was integral to Arsenal’s Champions League success.
Ellie Kildunne (Rugby Union, 26)
Superstar Kildunne scored five tries and played a crucial role as England won the Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil. After missing the quarter-final due to a concussion, the full-back returned with gusto for the semi-final and scored twice for the Red Roses against France. In the final against Canada, she had a world-record crowd on their feet as she scored a trademark dazzling solo try. Earlier in the year, she scored four tries as England once again recorded a Grand Slam as they retained their Six Nations title. At club level, she scored 14 tries for Harlequins.
Luke Littler (Darts, 18)
Littler’s 2025 began in sensational style as he became the youngest world champion in darts history aged just 17 with a dominant victory in the final. His subsequent victory at the Matchplay made him only the fifth player to complete the PDC Triple Crown of World Championship, Premier League and Matchplay titles. And he wasn’t finished there – his triumph in November’s Grand Slam of Darts saw him rise to world number one for the first time. At 18, he is the youngest man to do so, smashing the previous record set by a then 24-year-old Michael van Gerwen.
Rory McIlroy (Golf, 36)
After years of frustration and near misses, McIlroy’s victory at the Masters made him only the sixth man in history to complete a Grand Slam of golf’s four major championships. His dramatic play-off triumph at Augusta was his first victory at a major since 2014. At the Ryder Cup, he shrugged off a hostile crowd to contribute three-and-a-half points as Europe won in America for the first time since 2012. Further wins came at the Players Championship, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Irish Open, before he topped off a stellar year with his seventh Race to Dubai title.
Lando Norris (Formula 1, 26)
Norris became the 11th Briton to win a Formula 1 drivers’ championship after emerging victorious from the closest finish to a season for 15 years. The McLaren driver was 34 points behind Oscar Piastri in the standings after 15 races, but a brilliant run of results, including back-to-back wins in Mexico and Brazil, propelled him into the lead. The season came down to a dramatic finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Norris, Piastri and four-time defending champion Max Verstappen all capable of winning the title. Norris held his nerve to secure McLaren’s first drivers’ championship since 2008.
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