Three of the favourites for this year's SPOTY.placeholder image
Three of the favourites for this year's SPOTY. | Getty Images

Who Will Win BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025? Here are the 12 stars tipped for the SPOTY - led by Rory McIlroy

It’s just three weeks until we know who will join a prestigious list of British sporting heroes.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award (or SPOTY) was first held in 1954 when around 14,500 voters decided (controversially, in retrospect) to crown Christopher Chataway over fellow runner Roger Bannister.

Since then the winners read like a roll call of British sporting greats, with the likes of Mo Farah, Ian Botham, Nick Faldo, Steve Redgrave, Lewis Hamilton, Kelly Holmes and David Beckham all lifting the trophy.

Several Scots have also lifted the trophy, including Sir Andy Murray (a record three times), Sir Jackie Stewart, Liz McColgan and Sir Chris Hoy.

This year’s ceremony will be held at Salford’s Media City on Thursday, December 18, and will be broadcast live on BBC One.

This year it looks like Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy is the one to beat after his win at the Masters completed his Grand Slam of the Majors, but .several of the history-making Lionesses might have something to say about that having won their second consecutive European Championship.

Here are the 12 favourites to be crowned SPOTY 2025.

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