Whether it is team success or individual glory, it is shaping up to be a year to remember — and when the great and the good of the sporting world gather to look back on the last 12 months in December, there will be plenty of contenders for the annual BBC prize.
The stories behind the sports stars matter, of course, and in total 71 previous winners have been recognised down the years for their athletic brilliance and resilience in achieving their goal.
Last year saw Keely Hodgkinson claim the award in the public vote after she won gold in the women's 800 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, while Luke Littler and Joe Root also made the podium.
We may still have plenty of the year left to go, but England's stunning Euro 2025 final win and the penalty heroics of Chloe Kelly marks her out as a key contender. Littler is another firmly back in the mix after his latest PDC major win at the Grand Prix.
England World Cup win in the rugby, meanwhile, has thrust Ellie Kildunne into the spotlight. Tommy Fleetwood is another whose stock is on the rise after Europe's Ryder Cup win and his first PGA Tour success at the Tour Championship.
Here we take a look at the key contenders to become the 2025 SPOTY and all the event details, as well as all the latest odds and betting from our selected partners.
Sports Personality of the Year 2025 winner odds
| Winner | Sport | Odds |
| Chloe Kelly | Football | 10/11 Ladbrokes |
| Rory McIlroy | Golf | 6/4 Sky Bet |
| Ellie Kildunne | Rugby | 25/1 Bet365 |
| Luke Littler | Darts | 33/1 Betfred |
| Hannah Hampton | Football | 33/1 Bet365 |
| Lando Norris | Motor Sport | 33/1 Virgin Bet |
Who is the favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year?
The favourite to win the 2025 Sports Personality of the Year remains Lioness Euros Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning penalty in the final. She is odds on with some bookmakers in the UK and a best price of evens, giving her an implied 50% chance of winning the award in December.
Chloe Kelly
It has been another historic summer for England's women’s football team, capped off with a remarkable European Championship title, and one of their heroes is the favourite for another major honour.
Kelly's starring role from the substitutes' bench ensured that the Lionesses made it to the showpiece against Spain and — just as she was three years ago — it was fitting that Kelly was again the heroine in the final, with the winning penalty in the shootout.
That almost guaranteed her to be among the leading candidates for this year's SPOTY award, but there will no doubt be public backing also for several of the other Lionesses, with Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Hannah Hampton and Michelle Agyemang also in the running.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy had been the early frontrunner after finally completing the career Grand Slam in golf with a dramatic play-off victory against Englishman Justin Rose at The Masters in April, 11 years on from his previous major championship victory.
McIlroy first won a major back in 2011 at the US Open, with that triumph coming a couple of months after his extraordinary collapse on the back nine at Augusta at The Masters when he should have really claimed his first green jacket.
He had to wait nearly 15 years for redemption, but did so in style in 2025 to earn his place among golf's greats. His position in the market has only been strengthened by his contribution to Europe's Ryder Cup win in New York.
Ellie Kildunne
Two of Ellie Kildunne's three international tries came in the latter stages of this summer's Women's Rugby World Cup, of which England won at home with Kildunne scoring against France in the semi-finals and then Canada in the final at Twickenham.
Kildunne, from Keighley, is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and her exploits in winning her country a home World Cup marks her out as one of the favourites for SPOTY.
Luke Littler
Luke Littler is back into the top four in the betting market after thumping world number one Luke Humphries to win the World Darts Grand Prix - his seventh major title in less than 18 months.
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When is 2025 Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony takes place in December of each year, with the most recent edition being broadcast live on December 17, 2024.
The 2025 event is yet to have an exact date confirmed, but based on history, we can speculate that it will be on or around Sunday, December 14 or Sunday, December 21 2025.
Sports Personality of the Year: Winners 2015-2024
Here's the winners of the last 10 years of SPOTY awards. Who will join them in 2025?
| Year | Winner | Second place | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Andy Murray (Tennis) | Kevin Sinfield (Rugby League) | Jessica Ennis-Hill (Athletics) |
| 2016 | Andy Murray (Tennis) | Alistair Brownlee (Triathlon) | Nick Skelton (Equestrian) |
| 2017 | Mo Farah (Athletics) | Jonathan Rea (Motor Sport) | Jonnie Peacock (Athletics) |
| 2018 | Geraint Thomas (Cycling) | Lewis Hamilton (Motor Sport) | Harry Kane (Football) |
| 2019 | Ben Stokes (Cricket) | Lewis Hamilton (Motor Sport) | Dina Asher-Smith (Athletics) |
| 2020 | Lewis Hamilton (Motor Sport) | Jordan Henderson (Football) | Hollie Doyle (Horse Racing) |
| 2021 | Emma Raducanu (Tennis) | Tom Daley (Diving) | Adam Peaty (Swimming) |
| 2022 | Beth Mead (Football) | Ben Stokes (Cricket) | Eve Muirhead (Curling) |
| 2023 | Mary Earps (Football) | Stuart Broad (Cricket) | Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Athletics) |
| 2024 | Keely Hodgkinson (Athletics) | Luke Littler (Darts) | Joe Root (Cricket) |
How to watch 2025 Sports Personality of the Year
- Date: December 2025 (Exact date TBC)
- Venue: Dock10 Studios, Salford, Manchester
- TV: BBC, BBC iPlayer