BBC Sports Personality of the Year – What Is It? When Is It And Who Wins It?

You are no doubt well aware that bet365 Sport offers its customers an outstanding range of sports bets. But did you know you can also bet on the outcome of one of the biggest sports awards of the year – The BBC Sports Personality of the Year award!

In this article, we’ll explain exactly what that award is, its long history as well as a look at some of the famous names that have won the main award.

We’ll also look back at last year’s event and the big winners from that ceremony.

And of course, we’ll finish with a look ahead to this year’s ceremony taking place in mid-December.

So let’s begin by answering the first of the three questions posed in the title.

What is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award?

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is a TV show and awards ceremony that decorates the top sports person of the year, as voted for by viewers and fans.

Each year a series of nominees for the award are put forward and viewers can vote for their favourite online and via their phone.

Originally, the main award was selected by voting via a form in the Radio Times, but that has changed in recent years to an online or phone line fan vote.

The show first ran in 1954 and it has run every year since, meaning that the 2023 awards show is the 70^th anniversary of the first.

Alongside the main BBC TV Sports Personality of the Year award, a number of other awards are also handed out. The full list of awards presented on the night are as follows:

• Coach of the Year – Top professional coach (added 1999)
• Team of the Year – Best team of the year (added 1960)
• BBC Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year – (added 2019)
• World/Overseas Sports Star of the Year – Best foreign sporting star of the year (added 1960)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Individual who has achieved incredible things over their career (added 1995).
• Young Sports Personality of the Year – Top young sports star of the year (added in 1999).
• Unsung Hero Award – Award for a substantive contribution to sport, but which has not been recognised. This is usually awarded to a member of the public (first awarded in 2004)
• Helen Rollason Award – For outstanding achievement in the face of adversity (first awarded in 1999)
• BBC TV Sports Personality of the Year – The main award (began in 1954)

When Is The BBC TV Sports Personality of the Year Award Show?

This year the show takes place on Tuesday 19^th December at MediaCity in Salford Manchester.

The live show, hosted by Gabby Logan, Alex Scott, Clare Balding and Gary Lineker will start at 7pm., although it will clash with the Chelsea v Newcastle Carabao Cup tie.

The nominees for this year’s main award will be announced shortly before the show.

Who Has Previously Won The Sports Personality of the Year Award?

The full list of winners of this award is as follows:-

• 1954 – Sir Chris Chataway (Athletics)
• 1955 – Gordon Pirie (Athletics)
• 1956 – Jim Laker (Cricket)
• 1957 – Dai Rees (Golf)
• 1958 – Ian Black (Swimming)
• 1959 – John Surtees (Motorcycling)
• 1960 – David Broome (Show jumping)
• 1961 – Sir Stirling Moss (Formula 1)
• 1962 – Anita Lonsbrough (Swimming) – First Female Winner
• 1963 – Dorothy Hyman (Athletics)
• 1964 – Mary Rand (Athletics)
• 1965 – Tommy Simpson (Cycling)
• 1966 – Sir Bobby Moore (Football)
• 1967 – Sir Henry Cooper (Boxing)
• 1968 – David Hemery (Athletics)
• 1969 – Ann Jones (Tennis)
• 1970 – Sir Henry Cooper (Boxing) – First Two-Time Winner
• 1971 – HRH Princess Anne (Eventing)
• 1972 – Dame Mary Peters (Athletics)
• 1973 – Sir Jackie Stewart (Formula 1)
• 1974 – Sir Brendan Foster (Athletics)
• 1975 – David Steele (Cricket)
• 1976 – John Curry (Ice Skating)
• 1977 – Virginia Wade (Tennis)
• 1978 – Steve Ovett (Athletics)
• 1979 – Sebastian Coe (Athletics)
• 1980 – Robin Cousins (Ice Skating)
• 1981 – Ian Botham (Cricket)
• 1982 – Daley Thompson (Athletics)
• 1983 – Steve Cram (Athletics)
• 1984 – Torville & Dean (Ice Dancing)
• 1985 – Barry McGuigan (Boxing)
• 1986 – Nigel Mansell (Formula 1)
• 1987 – Fatima Whitbread (Athletics)
• 1988 – Steve Davis (Snooker)
• 1989 – Sir Nick Faldo (Golf)
• 1990 – Paul Gascoigne (Football)
• 1991 – Liz McColgan (Athletics)
• 1992 – Nigel Mansell (Formula 1)
• 1993 – Linford Christie (Athletics)
• 1994 – Damon Hill (Formula 1)
• 1995 – Jonathan Edwards (Athletics)
• 1996 – Damon Hill (Formula 1)
• 1997 – Greg Rusedski (Tennis)
• 1998 – Michael Owen (Football)
• 1999 – Lennox Lewis (Boxing)
• 2000 – Sir Steve Redgrave (Rowing)
• 2001 – David Beckham (Football)
• 2002 – Paula Radcliffe (Athletics)
• 2003 – Jonny Wilkinson (Rugby Union)
• 2004 – Dame Kelly Holmes (Athletics)
• 2005 – Andrew Flintoff (Cricket)
• 2006 – Zara Phillips (Eventing)
• 2007 – Joe Calzaghe (Boxing)
• 2008 – Sir Chris Hoy (Cycling)
• 2009 – Ryan Giggs (Football)
• 2010 – Sir Anthony McCoy (Horse Racing)
• 2011 – Mark Cavendish (Cycling)
• 2012 – Sir Bradley Wiggins (Cycling)
• 2013 – Sir Andy Murray (Tennis)
• 2014 – Sir Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1)
• 2015 – Sir Andy Murray (Tennis)
• 2016 – Sir Andy Murray (Tennis) – First Three-time winner.
• 2017 – Sir Mo Farah (Athletics)
• 2018 – Geraint Thomas (Cycling)
• 2019 – Ben Stokes (Cricket)
• 2020 – Sir Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1)
• 2021 – Emma Raducanu (Tennis)
• 2022 – Beth Mead (Women’s Football)

Andy Murray is the only person to have won the award three times. Henry Cooper, Lewis Hamilton, Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell have all won the award twice.

Who Won The Main Awards Last Year?

The 2022 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award winners were as follows:

• BBC Sports Personality of the Year – Beth Mead (Arsenal & England)
• Team of the Year – England’s Women’s Football Team
• Coach of the Year – Sarina Wiegman (England Women’s Football Team Coach)
• World Sports Star of the Year – Lionel Messi (Inter Miami & Argentina)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Usain Bolt (Athletics)
• Helen Rollason Award – Rob Burrow (Rugby League) (special award for Kevin Sinfield)
• Unsung Hero Winner – Mike Alden (Park Knowle Football Club owner)
• Young Sports Personality of the Year – Jessica Gadirova (Gymnastics)

Who Are The Favourites To Win The Sports Personality of the Year Trophy in 2023?

A quick look at the latest betting odds with bet365 Sport for this market reveals that we have a clear favourite to win the award.

To find the markets, simply click on the Specials option in the list and from there select United Kingdom and then you’ll see the Sports Personality of the Year betting category. Click on that and you will see the list of options to bet on for this year’s awards.

Mary Earps. The England Lionesses goalkeeper, is the favourite to win this year at 4/6. Stuart Broad, the retired cricketer is 9/4, with Frankie Dettori the jockey at 10/1 and heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson a 12/1 chance. Footballer Jude Bellingham is the only other option at less than 50/1 at 33/1 with bet365.

Team of the Year will be an interesting category this year with Manchester City’s treble winning football team going up against the likes of the European Ryder Cup team and the Red Bull Racing team.

Coach of the Year could be a close one too with Pep Guardiola, Luke Donald and Gareth Southgate amongst those in with a chance.

Other awards are more difficult to predict with Max Verstappen, the South African rugby union team, Novak Djokovic, Jon Rahm perhaps in with a chance of the overseas award.

Tune in on the night from 7pm on BBC One to see which sporting stars are the next to see their names engraved on one of the most sought after awards in the industry.