Sports Personality of the Year shortlist announced

A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

England footballers Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly, rugby union player Ellie Kildunne, darts player Luke Littler, golfer Rory McIlroy and Formula 1 driver Lando Norris are the nominees.

Voting will take place during the show on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer on Thursday, 18 December.

The programme – presented by Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Clare Balding, and broadcast live from MediaCityUK in Salford – will celebrate 12 months of incredible sporting action.

Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “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 public can vote online on the night for the main award, with full details announced during the show.

The Team of the Year award will also be decided by a public vote, with contenders to be announced on 15 December.

Other prizes awarded on the night include Young Sports Personality of the Year, Coach of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and the Helen Rollason Award.

Age: 25 Sport: Football

Hampton’s spectacular 2025 culminated in her winning the Yashin Trophy, which is given to 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 the quarter-finals.

Age: 27 Sport: Football

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 is 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 huge, with another successful penalty in the quarter-final shootout and a last-gasp semi-final winner.

Age: 26 Sport: Rugby union

Kildunne scored five tries as she played a crucial role as England won the Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil.

After missing the quarter-final with concussion, the full-back returned with gusto for the semi-final – scoring twice for the Red Roses against France.

In the final against Canada, she delighted the 80,000 fans as she scored a trademark dazzling solo try.

Age: 18 Sport: Darts

Littler’s 2025 began in sensational style as – aged 17 – he became the youngest darts world champion in history with a dominant victory over Michael van Gerwen in the final.

His subsequent victory at the World 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 meant he climbed to world number one for the first time.

Age: 36 Sport: Golf

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 all 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 the United States for the first time since 2012.

Age: 26 Sport: Formula 1

In 2025, Norris became the 11th Briton to win a Formula 1 drivers’ championship – emerging victorious in the closest finish to a season for 15 years.

The McLaren driver was 34 points behind team-mate Oscar Piastri after 15 races, but a brilliant run of results – including back-to-back wins in Mexico and Brazil – propelled him to the top.

The season came down to a dramatic finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Norris, Piastri and four-time champion Max Verstappen all capable of winning the title.