Awards & Winners

BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award

BBC Sports Personality of the Year

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award is the titular award of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the sportsperson, judged by a public vote, to have achieved the most that year. The recipient must either be British or reside and play a significant amount of their sport in the United Kingdom. The winner is selected by a public-vote from a pre-determinted shortlist. Sports Personality of the Year was created by Paul Fox, who thought of the idea while he was editor of the magazine show Sportsview. The first award ceremony took place in 1954 as part of Sportsview, and was presented by Peter Dimmock. For the first show, votes were sent by postcard, and rules presented in a Radio Times article stipulated that nominations were restricted to athletes who had featured on the Sportsview programme since April. Approximately 14,500 votes were cast, and Christopher Chataway beat Roger Bannister to win the inaugural BBC Sportsperson of the Year Award. Since then, numerous other awards have been introduced to the ceremony, which now consists of eight awards. Three people have won the award multiple times: boxer Henry Cooper and the Formula One drivers Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill have each won twice. Snooker player Steve Davis has finished in the top three a record five times. HRH The Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Phillips are the only pair of award-winners to be members of the same family. The oldest recipient of the award is Dai Rees, who won in 1957 aged 44. Ian Black, who won the following year, aged 17, is the youngest winner. Out of the fifty-seven recipients, thirteen have been female. Sixteen sporting disciplines have been represented; athletics has the highest representation, with seventeen recipients.
Date Established : 1954

Check all the winners of BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award presented under BBC Sports Personality of the Year since 1954 .


Nominations 2013 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Andy Murray
Leigh Halfpenny
Tony McCoy

Nominations 2012 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jessica Ennis-Hill
Andy Murray
Bradley Wiggins

Nominations 2011 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mark Cavendish
Darren Clarke
Mohamed Farah

Nominations 2010 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Phil Taylor
Tony McCoy

Nominations 2009 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ryan Giggs
Jenson Button
Jessica Ennis-Hill

Nominations 2008 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Chris Hoy
Lewis Hamilton
Rebecca Adlington

Nominations 2007 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Joe Calzaghe
Lewis Hamilton
Ricky Hatton

Nominations 2006 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Zara Phillips
Darren Clarke
Beth Tweddle

Nominations 2005 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ellen MacArthur
Steven Gerrard
Andrew Flintoff

Nominations 2004 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Kelly Holmes
Matthew Pinsent
Andrew Flintoff

Nominations 2003 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jonny Wilkinson
Martin Johnson
Paula Radcliffe

Nominations 2002 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Paula Radcliffe
David Beckham
Tony McCoy

Nominations 2001 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Beckham
Ellen MacArthur
Michael Owen

Nominations 2000 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Steve Redgrave
Denise Lewis
Tanni Grey-Thompson

Nominations 1999 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Lennox Lewis
Colin Jackson
David Beckham

Nominations 1998 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Denise Lewis
Iwan Thomas
Michael Owen

Nominations 1997 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Greg Rusedski
Tim Henman
Steve Redgrave

Nominations 1996 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Damon Hill
Steve Redgrave
Frankie Dettori

Nominations 1995 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jonathan Edwards
Frank Bruno
Colin McRae

Nominations 1994 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Damon Hill
Sally Gunnell
Colin Jackson

Nominations 1993 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Linford Christie
Sally Gunnell
Nigel Mansell

Nominations 1992 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Nigel Mansell
Linford Christie
Sally Gunnell

Nominations 1991 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Liz McColgan
Will Carling
Gary Lineker

Nominations 1990 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Paul Gascoigne
Stephen Hendry
Graham Gooch

Nominations 1989 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Nick Faldo
Frank Bruno
Steve Davis

Nominations 1988 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Steve Davis
Adrian Moorhouse
Sandy Lyle

Nominations 1987 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Fatima Whitbread
Ian Woosnam
Steve Davis

Nominations 1986 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Nigel Mansell
Fatima Whitbread
Kenny Dalglish

Nominations 1985 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Barry McGuigan
Ian Botham
Steve Cram

Nominations 1984 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jayne Torvill
Christopher Dean
Sebastian Coe
Steve Davis

Nominations 1983 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Steve Cram
Jayne Torvill
Christopher Dean
Daley Thompson

Nominations 1982 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Daley Thompson
Alex Higgins
Steve Cram

Nominations 1981 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ian Botham
Steve Davis
Sebastian Coe

Nominations 1980 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Robin Cousins
Sebastian Coe
Daley Thompson

Nominations 1979 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ian Botham
Sebastian Coe
Kevin Keegan

Nominations 1978 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Steve Ovett
Daley Thompson
Ian Botham

Nominations 1977 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Virginia Wade
Geoffrey Boycott
Barry Sheene

Nominations 1976 »

Nominee Nominated Work
John Curry
James Hunt
David Wilkie

Nominations 1975 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Steele
Alan Pascoe
David Wilkie

Nominations 1974 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Brendan Foster
John Conteh
Willie John McBride

Nominations 1973 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jackie Stewart
Roger Taylor
Paddy McMahon

Nominations 1972 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mary Peters
Gordon Banks
Richard Meade

Nominations 1971 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Anne, Princess Royal
George Best
Barry John

Nominations 1970 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Henry Cooper
Tony Jacklin
Bobby Moore

Nominations 1969 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ann Jones
Tony Jacklin
George Best

Nominations 1968 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Hemery
Graham Hill
Marion Coakes

Nominations 1967 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Henry Cooper
Beryl Burton
Harvey Smith

Nominations 1966 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Bobby Moore
Barry Briggs
Geoff Hurst

Nominations 1965 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Tom Simpson
Jim Clark
Marion Coakes

Nominations 1964 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mary Rand
Barry Briggs
Ann Packer

Nominations 1963 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Bob McGregor
Jim Clark
Dorothy Hyman

Nominations 1962 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Anita Lonsborough
Dorothy Hyman
Linda Ludgrove

Nominations 1961 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Billy Walker
Angela Mortimer
Stirling Moss

Nominations 1960 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Broome
Don Thompson
Anita Lonsborough

Nominations 1959 »

Nominee Nominated Work
John Surtees
Bobby Charlton
Ian Black

Nominations 1958 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ian Black
Bobby Charlton
Nat Lofthouse

Nominations 1957 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Dai Rees

Nominations 1956 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jim Laker

Nominations 1955 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Gordon Pirie

Nominations 1954 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Roger Bannister
Christopher Chataway
Pat Smythe