Sports Personality of the Year 2020: What time does it start tonight, what TV channel is it on and who are the contenders?
What is it?
SPOTY is the BBC's long-running end of year sports review show to crown the Sports Personality of the Year. It remains, for some viewers, one of sport’s most prestigious awards.
When is it?
The event takes place on Sunday, December 20 with voting open to the public during the BBC's programme. The show is broadcast on BBC One.
Where is it?
This year, the event will be broadcast live from from Media City in Salford.
What time will it start?
Coverage begins at 8pm GMT, finishing at 10pm GMT. Last year's winner was announced 15 minutes before the end of the show, and we should expect the same this year.
How can I watch it?
BBC One and BBC iPlayer will have live coverage of the show, presented by Gabby Logan, Clare Balding, Gary Lineker, and Alex Scott. Alternatively, you could follow the event by reading our rolling blog.
Who are the contenders?
This year's nominees were revealed by living room fitness enthusiast Joe Wicks. Stuart Broad (cricket), Hollie Doyle (horse racing), Tyson Fury (boxing), Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1), Jordan Henderson (football), and Ronnie O'Sullivan (snooker) are the nominees, though Fury has asked the BBC to remove his name from the list.
Additional awards like Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, World Sport Star of the Year and Unsung Hero will also be announced on the night, while Marcus Rashford, the Manchester United footballer, will receive a special award in recognition of his work to raise awareness of child food poverty, having helped force government uturns and inspire businesses around the country to support the cause.
What are the latest odds?
Lewis Hamilton - 1/3
Ronnie O'Sullivan - 6/1
Jordan Henderson - 25/2
Tyson Fury - 16/1
Hollie Doyle - 28/1
Stuart Broad - 100/1
Who won last year's award?
Cricket star Ben Stokes was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2019 after inspiring England to win their first ever cricket World Cup, with a man of the match performance in a super over win against New Zealand at Lord's and hitting an unbeaten 135 in the Ashes against Australia.
Stokes became the first cricketer to win the award since Andrew Flintoff in 2005, handed the prize by Denis Law in the event held in the Scottish football hero's home town of Aberdeen. You can read Oliver Brown's interview with Stokes here after he received the award, with a snippet quote below:
“People who say they aren’t nervous are telling a white lie. Nerves get you going, as you are playing for so much at the highest level. Once you step out there and you’re in the moment, you’re in a place where you’re comfortable and where you have been successful before. As a batter, I just try to put myself in a bubble, not letting anything in from the outside, looking only at how many runs I can score.”
The public voted Stokes ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who is nominated again this year, in second place and Dina Asher-Smith in third. Raheem Sterling, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Welsh rugby player Alun Wyn Jones were also up for the award.
Here is Oliver Brown's report from the night.
What other awards will be presented?
Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year
BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year
Lifetime Achievement
Team of the Year
Coach of the Year
The BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero award
Special Award recognising Marcus Rashford's contribution to awareness of child food poverty
