Time to sign off, I’ll leave you with Sean Ingle’s report. Thanks for joining me.
All tonight's award winners
Sports Personality of the Year: Rory McIlroy
Runners-up: Ellie Kildunne, Lando Norris
Team of the Year: Europe’s Ryder Cup team
Coach of the Year: Sarina Wiegman
Young Sports Personality: Michelle Agyemang
World Sport Star: Armand Duplantis
Lifetime Achievement Award: Thierry Henry
Helen Rollason Award: Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe
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A reminder of Rory McIlroy’s golden year:
And with that, the ticker tape flies and Balding, Logan and Scott bid us farewell. That was a very watchable ceremony with plenty of insights – it was also emotional, even fraught, at times. But it ends with an athlete in formal attire, holding a trophy and looking slightly awkward. Some things never change.
“It’s such a honour just to be in this room with all of these incredible people,” says McIlroy. “2025 is the year I made my dreams come true, the year dreams are made of, from Augusta to the Ryder Cup and everything in between.”
He thanks the public first, then “my family – my mum and dad, if you’re watching, thank you – my wife Erica, my daughter Poppy, they’re what holds me together. They couldn’t be here tonight, but I can’t wait to see them and celebrate with them.”
“I remember growing up, looking forward to watching this event every year. I’m very honoured to get my hands on this trophy. Hopefully I can challenge for it again next year!”
Rory McIlroy wins Sports Personality of the Year!
It’s Rory! A huge cheer goes up. Another elusive trophy is bagged, and for all the incredible achievements across the year, he feels like the right winner.
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Ellie Kildunne is runner-up!
She looks a little stunned, and has to be nudged by her teammates to go up on stage. We now go straight to the winner announcement – it’s McIlroy or Norris.
Here we go, then – the big one. Sports Personality of the Year 2025, to be presented by Keely Hodgkinson and Thierry Henry. The top three: Ellie Kildunne, Rory McIlroy and Lando Norris.
Europe's Ryder Cup team win Team of the Year!
Well. I’d say that looks like good news for McIlroy’s hopes. He starts by paying tribute to the Red Roses and Lionesses’ achievements. “We’re up here as the 12 players, but we couldn’t have done what we did at Bethpage without the captain and all the backroom team,” he adds, while Tommy Fleetwood manages to escape without saying a word.
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Now the team of the year award – why do they pack so many prizes into the final 10 minutes? Hannah Cockroft and AP McCoy are presenting this one. It goes to …
Michelle Agyemang wins Young Sports Personality!
It goes to the young England striker whose penchant for late heroics captivated the nation (and Seb Hutchinson) this summer. She takes to the stage on crutches, having sustained an ACL injury in October.
“Wow. Thank you so much,” she says. “To all my team mates, coaches, I am so grateful. To my family, who have supported me throughout my career – even if it hasn’t been that long! I love you. A big thank you to God for this opportunity. I’m so thankful.”
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Nitro and Lucy Bronze? Name a more iconic duo, etc. They’re on stage to announce the Young Sports Personality prize, which Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (to use his actual name) won in 2005. The winner is …
Eddie Hearn reacts to the year in boxing and MMA, and the vote is now closed. The team of the year and the main Spoty award should be announced in the next five to 10 minutes. We hope.
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It’s a Sports Personality tradition: the year in rugby league! There’s a romantic tale here though, as Hull Kingston Rovers won the Super League grand final to complete a treble.
Billy Bonds, Robin Smith, Ray French, Denis Law, Dickie Bird, Eddie Jordan, George Foreman … so many sporting greats. But it’s the younger faces in the gallery that hit a little harder. Ethan McLeod, Billy Vigar, Michael O’Sullivan, Matt Beard, Ricky Hatton – and Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva.
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Now it’s time to remember those we lost from the sporting world this year, while a Bradford City choir performes. They were formed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Valley Parade fire – the BBC documentary on that is a worthwhile, if difficult, watch.
While Big Zhu runs us through the year in domestic football, I’ve just been trying to think of a football coach who has been more transformational than Sarina Wiegman. Her predecessor as England manager was Phil Neville.
Sarina Wiegman wins coach of the year
The pace keeps cranking up, as we race on to the Coach of the Year award, which goes to … Sarina Wiegman! “I’m part of a tremendous team of players and staff,” she says, adding that she’s sorry for putting England fans through it. She thanks her husband, Martin, for his support. Her final message goes to “every female coach, or future female coach … you really can make a difference and we need more female coaches.”
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That’s interesting – not too far off bookies’ predictions, but Ellie Kildunne takes a top-three place ahead of Chloe Kelly. Perhaps having two Lionesses in the top six did split the vote.
The top three are announced
In no particular order, remember – they are: Ellie Kildunne, Rory McIlroy and Lando Norris!
We’re now on to autumn’s great sporting moments, which, while undeniably dramatic, only happened a few weeks ago. Still, Kenny McLean, eh? Iain Stirling is up on stage for a slightly embarrassing tribute to Scotland securing a World Cup place, complete with a “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” backing track. Although he’s surely the first person to ever say “Morocco’s getting pumped” on live TV.
World Sport Star of the Year: No surprises here, it’s Armand Duplantis, who retains his title. The pole vault superstar is more superhero than athlete at this point, so far ahead of his rivals that they cheer him on as he tries to keep breaking his own world record. Which he’s done 14 times.
A look back at Wimbledon, where Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek emerged victorious, in a clip narrated breathlessly by Richard E Grant. As good a reason as any to post this:
Finally, we hear from Ellie Kildunne, the sixth nominee for tonight’s big award. “The impact that the whole team, the whole World Cup has had, it’s something you can only dream of. It’ll go down in history … not just for women’s rugby, but for women in sport.”
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Yes, it’s the Women’s Rugby World Cup – an entirely joyous occasion where the favourites were utterly dominant, while still remaining inherently likeable. We hear from captain Zoe Aldcroft – “It was about keeping calm, keeping emotion out of it” – and Sadia Kabeya, the player of the final. “It’s great the competition we have in the team, it pushes all to get better.”
In previous years, Sports Personality has fallen into the “Question of Sport” zone – ie. a bit boring, even if you like sport – but there’s so much to pack in this year. Eighty minutes in, and we’ve only just got to a World Cup on home soil …
Alex Scott goes straight in, asking Hampton about her grandfather, who died just before the Euros. “He was my rock, the one who helped me make the dream happen,” she says. “Everything I’ve achieved is down to my parents pushing me, my coaches who kept me going.” On that penalty shootout with Spain: “It was my time to give back to the team, the girls who had run about for 120 minutes. I tried not to think about anything else.”
Now, we move on to Kelly’s teammate, England’s other penalty maestro – goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. In a VT, she talks tearfully about being left out of the squad in 2022. “The only thing that kept me going was my mum,” she says. “I felt like I’d let her down, [but] I’m so glad I didn’t give up.” Hers is another remarkable sporting story in a year full of them.
Chloe Kelly is out for an interview, and gets a big reception. “To score goals at Wembley and play for your country is a huge honour – you’ve always got to take any chance you get with both hands.” What got her through the tough times earlier this year? “Falling back in love with the game when Arsenal came calling. I’m grateful to Sarina too, and the players out on the pitch with me.”
Chloe Kelly is recounting her year from the confines of a concrete five-a-side pitch – the kind of place where she would play against boys growing up. Sarina Wiegman praises her as “ruthless … she’s got something in her that she wants to prove people wrong.” Alessia Russo adds: “whatever’s going on for her, when she steps on the pitch she puts it all aside.”
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Some news from elsewhere, regarding a former Spoty nominee – Charlotte Dujardin, who has returned to competition after a one-year ban.
Now to the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 triumph – an extraordinary feat of resolve, team spirit and simply never knowing when they were beaten. All the highlights are there: Agyemaaaang, Hampton’s saves, Russo’s header, Chloe Kelly’s prancing penalty kick. But there’s also an important word of support from Jill Scott for Jess Carter, and a message: “Stick to football? We’re better than that.”
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Luke Littler is here for a video chat – he’s at his practice space in St Helens, quashing rumours he’s skipped the awards for a night on the Xbox. He’s excited to try and defend his world title, and enjoyed returning to Ally Pally as world No 1. There are some “darts fans” in the crowd who look suspiciously like people who were persuaded to put foam dartboards on their heads. It’s an unnecessary touch.
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It feels like we need a little light relief, so here’s Paddy McGuinness to chat Luke Littler. This year, “The Nuke” has won his first world title and five other PDC majors, and become world No 1 for the first time. He’s still only 18!
Now a reel of celebrity well-wishers, including David Beckham – “you’re the player I wish I could have played alongside” – and Rob Beckett, who asks “Thierry, will you be my Dad?” What a player, though. Henry, not Beckett. Surely he belongs in any all-time Premier League XI?
Thierry Henry is about to receive the lifetime achievement award – and his four kids are on stage to present it to him! “I’m French, proud to be, but I’m a Londoner,” he says, thanking his coaches and teammates. “I want to thank those who believed in me, and those who didn’t – the list is long.”
Titi also thanks his family, and then turns to his kids, that famous top lip of his trembling a touch. “My biggest fear is not being a good dad,” he says. “I wasn’t always present … but you have helped me with my traumas, helped me to be better … this award is for you.” It’s an emotional night, alright.
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Rory McIlroy agrees with Lando Norris that winning in such dramatic fashion made it even better. “I didn’t make it easy on myself … when you want something so much, the obstacle becomes yourself. I’ve had my chances at Augusta, I’ve been trying for 15 years, and the heartbreaks, the way it finished, made it even sweeter.”
He’s also asked about how being a father has changed him, and pays a tribute to Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe, tears in his eyes. Sports Personality has often been something of an emotionless affair – that’s not the case tonight, and it’s good to see.
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Now we move on to Rory McIlroy, and the Masters triumph that seemed to have slipped away at the last – only for him to regroup and defeat Justin Rose on a playoff hole. He’s now coming out for a chat, to the strains of “Zombie”, which is a bit of a weird choice.
Over to the Ryder Cup, and Jimmy Nesbitt leads us through Europe’s nerve-shredding triumph. Now a chat with Tommy Fleetwood: “I feel so blessed to be part of that team. We play the rest of the time as individuals, it’s a different pressure. You do everything you can not to let your team down, and to be a good teammate. We all love it.”
Some highlights from the front end of 2025 now, including the Gold Cup, Super Bowl, Boat Race and Zhao Xintong’s Crucible triumph, a first world snooker title for China.
I wasn’t expecting to be in tears 20 minutes into this, but here we are. How can you move on from there? The presenters press on, heading straight into an interview with Lando Norris. The F1 world champ isn’t at the venue – he’s off at an Alpine retreat.
“It takes a team to win in any sport,” he says. “We made it exciting – I hope you all enjoyed it – but it made it even sweeter in the end. I learned how to get the maximum of myself this year. [For the final race], I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I’d be. I tried to treat it as a chilled weekend. I was still really nervous though.” Ah, you’ve got to like Lando.
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The Helen Rollason award is the first to be announced – and it’s given to Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe, the fathers of Alice da Silva Aguiar and Elsie Dot Stancombe, two of the children killed in Southport in July 2024. They both ran the London Marathon to raise money in memory of their daughters, and continue with their charity work.
“I’m just a dad keeping a promise to his little girl,” says David. “I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us, especially my wife Jenny – what she does with Elsie’s story keeps us all lifted up.” Sergio speaks next, dedicating the award to his wife and “my princess, Alice … keep dancing and spreading magic”. The whole room is on their feet. I need a minute.
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Now a look back at the British & Irish Lions’ successful tour of Australia, where they defeated the hosts 2-1. Marcus Smith is in the studio, talking about how the Lions “is your dream when you’re a kid”, and how Andy Farrell got his players to “buy in” to the team’s traditions. It shows the scale of achievements this year that the Lions didn’t even get a nomination for team of the year tonight.
The first of many sporting montages focuses on the year in men’s cricket – including the Ashes! “England are still in it, just!” concludes Logan. Let’s just move on, shall we?
A change to the voting setup this year… Viewers can vote online, but the vote will freeze before a top three (in no particular order) is announced. Then viewers will have another chance to try and get their favourite over the line.
Presenters Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Clare Balding head out on stage to big cheers. Time to try and spot some sporting stars as the camera pans around the room. Tommy Fleetwood! Lucy Bronze! Nitro from Gladiators!
Here we go!
The BBC’s annual jamboree is under way with some gritty shots of Salford and Manchester, murals of Ian Curtis and the Gallagher brothers. Hang on, is this a Manchester derby sizzle reel? No, here come the sporting highlights, loosely narrated by Liam and Noel. Let’s have it!
“Why is Hannah Hampton the rank outsider for tonight’s award?” asks Peter Gartner. “Without her, we would not have won the Euros.” I think the problem is that two England players are on the list, and it’s hard to make an argument for excluding either. That was always going to split the vote, and Chloe Kelly seems to be the people’s choice out of the two.
Simon Burnton’s excellent annual review of sport’s least impressive stars is back …
… and here’s a rogues’ gallery from the world of football.
Roll of honour
Here are the last 10 Spoty winners. Who’s adding this name to the list tonight? The shot starts in around 10 minutes, so we’ll find out soon enough*.
2015 Andy Murray
2016 Andy Murray
2017 Mo Farah
2018 Geraint Thomas
2019 Ben Stokes
2020 Lewis Hamilton
2021 Emma Raducanu
2022 Beth Mead
2023 Mary Earps
2024 Keely Hodgkinson
*In two hours and 10 minutes’ time
More attendees arriving, including nominee Hannah Hampton, her England head coach Sarina Wiegman – fresh from winning coach of the year in the Netherlands – and the lifetime achievement recipient, Thierry Henry. I wonder if he’ll get the award from a giggling Carra and Big Meeks later on.
Lando Norris
Born: Bristol. Age: 26. Sport: Motor racing.
Won in 2025: F1 drivers’ world championship.
British F1 world champions are among the nation’s most treasured sporting figures, and Lando Norris’s title saw him add his name to the pantheon, holding off a hard-charging Max Verstappen by just two points. After an initial McLaren procession turned into a thrilling three-way rivalry, Norris did the unexpected. He did not turn on teammate Oscar Piastri, or call on team orders to see him over the line.
Yes, he’s been behind the wheel of a winning car – McLaren won the constructors’ title at a canter – but there were enough bumps in the road to derail lesser drivers. “I just won it my way, I’m happy I could go out and be myself,” was Norris’ typically understated verdict. This is not your typical F1 narrative of petulant paddock backstabbing, which is why Norris should be cherished. A Spoty crown to top it all feels right. Andy Martin
Rory McIlroy
Born: Holywood, Co Down. Age: 36. Sport: Golf
Won in 2025: The Masters; Ryder Cup with Europe.
The moment of this sporting year was delivered by Rory McIlroy. It was not simply that he won the Masters in April, but the theatric circumstances by which McIlroy became just the sixth man in history to complete a grand slam of majors turned heads way beyond golf, confirming his status as the UK’s finest ever golfer.
McIlroy has delivered lessons in persistence, in chasing a dream that looked so likely to escape him. And if we are being true to the title of this award, McIlroy wins hands down. He has personality in abundance. He displayed it not only at Augusta but in New York, where he was front and centre for Europe’s famous Ryder Cup triumph.
There is a legitimate argument that McIlroy has not received the credit he deserves at home. He should have claimed the Spoty title in 2014, when he lost to Lewis Hamilton. This is the time to properly recognise his brilliance. Ewan Murray
And here are recent Guardian interviews with that trio of elite athletes. Get reading!
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Two more contenders for tonight’s big prize have arrived in Salford: Chloe Kelly and Rory McIlroy!
Luke Littler
Born: Warrington. Age: 18. Sport: Darts.
Won in 2025: World Championship, world No 1 ranking and five more majors.
Even Luke Littler doesn’t think he should win this year: he won’t be at the ceremony, instead endorsing Lando Norris. That said, it’s hard to think what more he could have done: world champion, world No 1, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix champion, UK Open and Grand Slam champion, architect of the most frightening reign of dominance the sport has seen since Phil Taylor.
Not only that, Littler’s emergence has transformed the landscape of professional darts, cutting through the snobbery and condescension that often accompanies it. Perhaps Littler’s most significant impediment – in both this and future years – will be timing. The world championship final, the crowning achievement of the darting year, comes in January, a full 11 months before voting begins.
The curse of repeated excellence is that after a while, everyone gets used to it. Perhaps Littler’s best chance – as with Taylor in 2010, when he finished second to AP McCoy – is to wait for a quieter year and build a groundswell of momentum. That is, if he’s bothered about Sports Personality in the slightest. Jonathan Liew
Ellie Kildunne appears to be the first of our shortlisted six to arrive – although we already know Luke Littler isn’t planning on showing up.
Also on the red carpet are Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean – the only people to share the award, back in 1984, and true sporting icons.
Rising cricket star Davina Perrin is up for the young sports personality award. She was born in 2006, everyone.
Rory McIlroy is the bookies’ favourite to win tonight – with Lando Norris and Chloe Kelly seen as his biggest rivals. As Sean Ingle reports, golf has a troubled history with this award – incredibly, only two golfers have ever won it.
Ellie Kildunne
Born: Keighley. Age: 26. Sport: Rugby union
Won in 2025: Rugby World Cup with England.
Ellie Kildunne’s nomination is as unsurprising as it is deserved. She has had a sparkling year as part of a formidable Red Roses team, culminating in winning the Rugby World Cup. England’s squad is full of talented players but Kildunne has become one of its stars, thanks to her style of play and scoring crucial tries.
In 2025, Kildunne scored nine tries across the Six Nations and World Cup, but she is much more than her stats. The Harlequins full-back has grown as a role model, and is the first women’s rugby players to make the Spoty shortlist. On the field, fans get to their feet to see what magic Kildunne will produce, and she more than delivered with a sizzling solo effort in the World Cup final. Sarah Rendell
Chloe Kelly
Born: London. Age: 27. Sport: Football.
Won in 2025: Euro 2025 with England, Champions League with Arsenal.
You could argue that Chloe Kelly has not played enough football for club or country to win a major individual award, but her position on this shortlist is reward for a year of game-changing impact. Her hop, skip, jump and strike from the penalty spot to seal a second straight European title for the Lionesses was probably enough.
In a year which began with Kelly contemplating quitting football after being frozen out at Manchester City, her journey has been remarkable. Going public with her frustrations and deteriorating mental health, as her career stalled and a place in England’s Euros squad looked increasingly at risk, forced City to let her join Arsenal on loan.
Kelly returned to the club she left in 2018 and thrived, making a significant contribution to Arsenal’s historic Champions League win before replicating her 2022 Euros final heroics three years on. “Tough times don’t last – just around the corner was a Champions League final. I won that. Now a Euros final, I’ve won that. So, thank you to everyone that wrote me off. I’m grateful.” Suzanne Wrack
There are other prizes on offer tonight, including:
World Sport Star of the Year: The nominees include athletics stars Armand Duplantis and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, footballers Mohamed Salah and Mariona Caldentey, recently-retired boxer Terence Crawford and baseball phenomenon Shohei Ohtani.
Young Sports Personality: Three names on the shortlist here – Luke Littler, Euros hero Michelle Agyemang and teenage cricket sensation Davina Perrin – you can read more about her journey here.
Team of the Year: It’s between three sides who would coast to victory in most years – the England women’s rugby team, England women’s football team and Europe’s Ryder Cup winners.
Helen Rollason Award: A special prize “recognising outstanding achievement in the face of adversity.” Recent winners include Rob Burrow, Fatima Whitbread and Mark Prince, who created the Kiyan Prince Foundation in honour of his late son.
Lifetime Achievement Award: This year, it’s going to football legend, viral pundit and coolest man alive, Thierry Henry. Va-va-voom!
Here are the reasons why each nominee might win tonight, using an entirely impartial alphabetical order and starting with …
Hannah Hampton
Born: Birmingham. Age: 25. Sport: Football.
Won in 2025: Euro 2025 with England, domestic treble with Chelsea.
No sporting event in 2025 gripped England quite like the Lionesses’ Euros success and that euphoria would not have happened without Hannah Hampton’s saves. The England keeper made crucial saves to deny Sweden and Italy on the way to the final, and then kept out two Spanish penalties in the crucial shootout.
If that were not enough, Hampton also helped Chelsea win a domestic treble unbeaten and was the joint winner of the WSL’s golden glove. She has achieved all this despite being born with a serious eye condition; doctors warned her she would not be able to play football. Instead, she has filled the sizeable gloves of England’s previous No 1, Mary Earps, and thrived on the pressure that brought. Tom Garry
Preamble
When the BBC first launched their annual Sports Personality of the Year prize in 1954, Queen Elizabeth II was 18 months into her reign. Britain’s most expensive footballer was Jackie Sewell, signed by Sheffield Wednesday for £34,500. Formula One was a fledgling event with nine races a year. Women’s football was banned by the FA, who deemed it to be “not a game for girls”.
The sporting landscape and the world around it has changed beyond all recognition since the Beeb handed the first trophy to Christopher Chataway. “His friend and fellow athlete Roger Bannister might have seemed a likelier winner,” wrote the Telegraph, and thankfully we can only imagine the social media furore.
While so much has changed, Sports Personality has remained largely the same; one headline winner at the end of a comfortably familiar ceremony that runs through the year’s highlights. No big surprises, no huge drama or controversy – and after the deep cringe of the recent World Cup draw, a little decorum wouldn’t go amiss.
There are six names on this year’s shortlist: Euro-winning England footballers Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton, Rugby World Cup winner Ellie Kildunne, Formula One world champion Lando Norris, Masters and Ryder Cup winner Rory McIlroy and the darts world champion and world No 1, Luke Littler.
Few Spoty shortlists have been so rich in silverware, and you could make a case for any one of them to win the award in a leaner year for British sport. But only one can take home the prize, after which – much like in 1954 – the audience will politely applaud, go home and get on with their lives. And that’s the way we like it.
