Who will win Sports Personality of the Year? An early look at SPOTY 2025 Odds
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards will take place at MediaCity in Salford on Thursday, 18 December. Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott will present the ceremony, with the final shortlist to be announced in early December.
While the shortlist for the main prize has yet to be confirmed, the early indications suggest one of the most competitive years in recent memory.
The sporting calendar has delivered a steady stream of headline moments. It began in January with Luke Littler’s historic World Darts Championship triumph at just 17 years old.
By spring, Rory McIlroy had ended his decade-long wait for Masters glory at Augusta, finally completing golf’s career grand slam in career-defining fashion.
Summer brought two stunning team triumphs. The Lionesses became the first England side to win a major tournament on foreign soil, defending their European crown in Switzerland. Weeks later, the Red Roses lifted the Women’s Rugby World Cup at a sold-out Twickenham, cementing a golden period for English women’s sport.
With the World Cup 2026 as well as Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, there is plenty to be excited about too over the next 12 months, with punters already examining early free bets for North America, while cricket fans will be dusting themselves down after England suffered their quickest defeat in an Ashes Test for 104 years.
But who could take the crown for SPOTY? With the ceremony approaching, we examine the leading contenders and their chances of claiming the famous trophy.
Chloe Kelly – 6/4
Chloe Kelly’s impact from the bench rescued and then defined England’s Euro 2025 campaign. Despite not starting a single match, the forward inspired the comeback against Sweden in the quarter-finals, scored the winner against Italy in the semi-finals, and converted the decisive penalty in the shoot-out victory over Spain. Her trademark run-up became a symbol of England’s resilience under Sarina Wiegman.
The backstory adds weight to her candidacy. Kelly could have quit football at the start of the year at just 27 after being frozen out at Manchester City.
A loan move to Arsenal reignited her career and her determination mirrored England’s journey in Switzerland.
With over 16.2 million viewers watching the final, the biggest television audience of the year, Kelly would become the third Lionesses player to win SPOTY in four years, following Beth Mead and Mary Earps.
Rory McIlroy – 6/4
This represents McIlroy’s strongest chance of winning the award, reflected by his decision to attend the ceremony for the first time in a decade.
His Masters victory at Augusta in April completed the career grand slam and ended years of near misses in major tournaments. On the brink of another final-round collapse, McIlroy steadied himself and produced a performance that will define his career.
What strengthened his case further was his response to personal abuse from US crowds at the Ryder Cup. At Bethpage Black, McIlroy faced vile treatment yet helped Luke Donald’s team secure a stunning away victory.
The combination of individual triumph and team resilience under extreme pressure makes a compelling narrative.
Bookmakers have him level with Kelly, and his broader appeal beyond football’s traditional SPOTY dominance could prove decisive.
Lando Norris (3/1)
Norris’s title bid ultimately hinged on the season’s final two races — and he delivered. Carrying a 24-point advantage over Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen into the closing rounds, the McLaren driver converted consistency and composure into a decisive breakthrough, sealing the 2025 world championship after already amassing nine victories.
His resilience defined the campaign. Few moments tested it more than McLaren’s disqualification in Las Vegas, an episode that threatened to destabilise his title charge but instead sharpened it. Norris emerged from that setback with authority, reaffirming his status as the season’s most complete contender.
By securing his maiden Formula One crown, Norris became the 11th British world champion, joining a lineage that includes Lewis Hamilton and Jackie Stewart. At 26, the timing felt ideal: popular with the public, battle-hardened by adversity, and now impossible to overlook. The championship transformed nine race wins from an impressive statistic into a defining achievement — one that crowned his season’s narrative rather than merely contributing to it.
Luke Littler (16/1)
Littler finished runner-up to Keely Hodgkinson in last year’s SPOTY, only to produce his signature achievement weeks later.
His World Championship victory over Michael van Gerwen made him the youngest world champion in darts history at 17 years and 347 days. The problem for The Nuke’s candidacy is timing. That triumph came in January, and recency matters in SPOTY voting.
Still, Littler has maintained his dominance throughout the year. He won the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts to become the youngest world number one in the sport’s history.
His recent victories at the Grand Slam and Players Championship, where he dominated Nathan Aspinall in Minehead, keep him relevant heading into December’s World Championship defence.
A successful title retention at Ally Pally could shift the narrative, but it comes too late to influence the vote.
Ellie Kildunne (33/1)
In a dominant year for the Red Roses, Kildunne was the standout performer. The full-back’s searing pace and clinical finishing drove England to Six Nations glory before she helped deliver the Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil.
A head injury briefly halted her tournament, but Kildunne returned to steer England past France in the semi-final and scored in the final victory over Canada.
Her odds suggest bookmakers view her as an outsider, perhaps because rugby union has historically struggled for recognition at SPOTY. Yet her performances across the biggest stage in women’s rugby deserve serious consideration. Whether the voting public prioritises individual brilliance in a team sport over more singular achievements remains the question.
Since runner Christopher Chataway became the inaugural winner in 1954, the award has evolved into a cultural institution that captures the moments when sport transcends competition and becomes something shared.
From Anita Lonsbrough’s breakthrough as the first female winner in 1962 to Andy Murray’s record three titles between 2013 and 2016, SPOTY charts the athletes who made the nation stop and watch. Emma Raducanu remains the youngest recipient at 19, while Sir Henry Cooper claimed the prize at 36, proof that these moments of collective joy can come from anywhere.
And now, in 2025, the stage is set once again. Whoever lifts the trophy in Salford will not just be recognised for sporting success, but for the way they made Britain pause, cheer, and believe.
[Image: BBC]
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