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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.
