| Venue: MediaCityUK Date: 20 December Time: 20:00 GMT |
| How to watch: Live on BBC One & the BBC Sport website and app |
A year like no other will be marked with a firm festive favourite this weekend…
While 2020 will be remembered as the time our lives were hit by the coronavirus pandemic, we were still able – for much of the year – to witness the unique drama that only sport can provide.
And so, on Sunday – for the 67th time – the BBC Sports Personality of the Year will be crowned.
The annual awards will recognise the best of elite sport while also reflecting on how the public has kept the nation going through challenging times this year.
Aside from the coveted main honour, there will be a host of other awards dished out – as well as surprises, music and other memorable moments.
But when is the programme broadcast? How can I follow it? And where can I vote?
What is Sports Personality of the Year?
BBC Sports Personality of the Year is one of the most prized awards in British sport, as it is voted for by the general public.
Past winners include Ben Stokes, Sir Andy Murray, Dame Kelly Holmes, David Beckham, Paula Radcliffe and Bobby Moore.
Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott will present the show, which will look a little different this year. More of that later.
Who are the contenders for Sports Personality?
The six contenders, chosen by an expert panel, were announced last month. They are:
- Stuart Broad – Cricket: Took 16 wickets in the final two Tests against West Indies, at an average of 10.93, to pass 500 for his career, having been dropped for the opening match.
- Hollie Doyle – Horse racing: Broke her own record for winners ridden by a woman in a year, had a Champions Day double, was the first woman to ride five winners at one meeting and claimed her first Royal Ascot victory.
- Tyson Fury – Boxing: Became a two-time world heavyweight champion with a devastating defeat of Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC title in their Las Vegas rematch in February.
- Lewis Hamilton – Formula 1: Equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven World Championships with his fourth consecutive title and surpassed the German’s total of 91 grand prix wins.
- Jordan Henderson – Football: Captained Liverpool to their first league title since 1990, by a margin of 18 points, a year after lifting the Champions League trophy.
- Ronnie O’Sullivan – Snooker: Won his sixth world title at the Crucible to become the oldest champion for more than 40 years and cement his place as one snooker’s greatest players.
What other awards will be handed out?
England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford will be honoured with a special award for his work to raise awareness of child food poverty in the UK.
Diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 16, has been named as the Young Sports Personality, while Russian UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov was voted World Sport Star of the Year.
Other awards to be presented on the night are Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Unsung Hero and the Captain Tom Young Unsung Hero award.
In addition, the Helen Rollason Award will be presented for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity.
How will Sports Personality be different this year?
In recent years, the show has been broadcast from various arenas around the UK with 10,000 spectators or more.
This time, it will be hosted in a studio at MediaCityUK in Salford with a virtual audience of about 700 people – including previous award winners, NHS workers and fundraisers – on big screens and with strict Covid-19 protocols in place.
A limited number of guests will be placed in their household bubbles in an extended green room.
When can I watch Sports Personality and how can I follow on social media?
The show will be broadcast live on BBC One, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app from 20:00 GMT.
All the build-up, news and highlights will be in our live website page.
You can also follow the latest updates – before, during and after the show – on BBC Sport’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts and be sure to keep an eye out on TikTok for some special moments from behind the scenes.
How can I vote for Sports Personality?
Voting will open when it is announced in the show. There are two ways to vote – by phone or for free online.
If you vote online, you will need a BBC account.
If you want to vote by phone, numbers will be displayed in the show and online when voting opens, so only call when voting has opened.
And do not vote if watching on demand!
For full terms and conditions, go here. You can find our FAQs on voting here.
What about the music acts on the night?
Brit Award winner Celeste will open the show with Stop This Flame and perform a poignant cover of Nat King Cole’s Smile as the show remembers sporting stars lost in 2020.
Rick Astley will sing Every One Of Us to celebrate the Unsung Hero awards, which include a new accolade in honour of Captain Tom Moore’s fundraising achievements during the coronavirus pandemic.
Eleven-time Paralympic champion Baroness Grey-Thompson, Olympians Ellie and Becky Downie and BBC pundit Alex Scott are among those to feature in Astley’s music video alongside the 2019 Unsung Hero award winners.
Who are the Sports Personality winners over the past decade?
The show has moved on from the days when it was known as Sports Review of the Year. But one thing has remained – there’s always plenty of talked-about moments.
What surprises await us this time? Join us to mark an extraordinary year on Sunday, live on BBC One, the BBC Sport website and app from 20:00.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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