With this year’s BBC SPOTY awards ceremony just a week away, we’ve provided everything you need to know about one of the most prestigious prizes in British sport.
What Are The SPOTY Awards?
The Sports Personality of the Year awards is an annual event put together by the BBC, which celebrates sporting achievements from the previous 12 months.
The award is steeped in history, with some legendary sporting names winning the prize since it was established in 1954.
Previous winners include British sporting icons Bobby Moore (1966), Ian Botham (1981), Paul Gascoigne (1990), Lennox Lewis (1999), Andy Murray (2013, 2015 and 2016) and Lewis Hamilton (2014 and 2020) to name just a few.
There are several awards up for grabs on the night, but to qualify for the main category you must either be a British athlete or live in the UK and play a significant amount of your sport there.
What Does It Take To Win Sports Personality Of The Year?
The Sports Personality of the Year award is unlike any other, as rather than being based entirely on sporting merit, the winner is the athlete who is judged to “have most captured the public’s imagination” with their actions over the previous year.
The award is decided by a public vote, which means that the winner must have a mix of sporting achievement and popularity on their side if they are to come out on top.
The most successful athlete of all-time when it comes to SPOTY is tennis player Andy Murray, whose three victories in 2013, 2015 and 2016 are more than anyone else – despite his (apparent) reputation for being rather grumpy on the tennis court!
Who Won Sports Personality of the Year In 2022?
Last year’s winner was England footballer Beth Mead, who played a leading role in firing her country to glory in the Women’s Euros, finishing the tournament as the leading scorer with six goals.
Mead was the first female footballer to win the prize, beating England test cricket captain Ben Stokes into second and Olympic curling champion Eve Muirhead in third.
Who Are The Leading Contenders For SPOTY 2023?
It very much could prove to be like London buses for female footballers, as England goalkeeper Mary Earps is the overwhelming 1.10 favourite for this year’s prize at the time of writing.
A hugely popular figure on social media with over 1 million TikTok followers, Earps has enjoyed a stunning year, playing a crucial role in her country’s run to the 2023 Women’s World Cup Final.
The full list of nominations was released on Tuesday morning (12th December) and Earps is joined on the shortlist by England cricketer Stuart Broad, who capped off his illustrious career with a fine campaign in this year’s Ashes against Australia.
Other contenders for the award include world champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson Thompson, golfer Rory McIlroy, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewitt and the legendary jockey Frankie Dettori – who is slowly bringing the curtain down on his glittering career.
Heavy odds-on favouritism doesn’t always guarantee success in SPOTY, however, with some big upsets over the years. Indeed, world champion boxer Anthony Joshua was an overwhelming 1.10 favourite for the prize back in 2017 but ultimately failed to finish in the first three, losing out to Mo Farah, Jonathan Rea and Jonnie Peacock.
What Are The Other Awards Categories At The Sports Personality Of The Year Awards?
Along with the main award, there are seven other categories which are awarded on the night. Each of the remaining awards are decided by a panel rather than a public vote and we’ve listed each below, with last year’s winners in brackets.
– BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year (Lionel Messi)
– BBC Sports Team of the Year Award (England women’s national football team)
– BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award (Usain Bolt)
– BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award (Sarina Wiegman)
– BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award (Rob Burrow)
– BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year (Jessica Gadirova)
– BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award (Mike Alden)
Where Can I Watch The Sports Personality Of The Year Awards?
You can watch the 2023 Sports Personality of the Year live on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer from 7pm on Tuesday 19th December.
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By Nick Seddon
