It’s going to be a tough one to call after so many sporting highlights across the year, in so many different sports
The six sports stars who are contenders to win this year’s Sports Personality of the Year from the BBC have been announced following a sensational year of sporting drama in 2025.
Golfer Rory McIlroy is the bookies’ favourite to lift the trophy, and knows he’s in with a good shout, as he announced weeks ago that he would be attending the ceremony – for the first time in a decade. The full list of the contenders is split 50:50 between men and women:
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.
The SPOTY ceremony, filmed at MediaCity in Salford, airs on Thursday 18 December, from 7pm, and will again be hosted by an all-female team in the form of Gabby Logan, Clare Balding and Alex Scott, who will guide the nation through the highs of the sporting year.
And it may well be two women’s teams fighting it out for Team of the Year, which is being decided by a live public vote – just like the main award – for the first time in the show’s history.
Director of BBC Sport Alex Kay-Jelski said: “This year has been once again packed full of amazing sporting moments and stories. I’m glad it’s not me having to pick who to vote for!
The top three contenders for the BBC Young SPOTY 2025 award have already been unveiled live on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James.
They are:
- Michelle Agyemang (Football)
- Luke Littler (Darts)
- Davina Perrin (Cricket)
And voting is already underway for the World Sport Star of the Year award. Announced on December 9, the shortlisted athletes 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).