The biggest names in sport gather in Glasgow to celebrate another sensational year of achievement as ten of Britain’s outstanding sports stars battle to be crowned 2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, live on BBC One.
Hosted by leading BBC Sport presenters Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan, the star-studded ceremony, now in its 61st year, will take place in Glasgow at The SSE Hydro on Sunday, December 14 , following a memorable Commonwealth Games in the city in the summer.
This hugely anticipated evening features almost three hours of celebration in the arena, looking back at the incredible year of sport and the athletes who made the events so special, all ending with the presentation of the famous trophy, with the winner chosen by viewers on the night.
There are ten contenders for the main award and picking a winner will be tricky, with Glasgow having hosted a memorable Commonwealth Games, with golden glory for many home nations’ competitors, while in other sports, Rory McIlroy won two of golf’s majors, Lewis Hamilton became Britain’s record Grand Prix winner and Lizzy Yarnold struck Winter Olympics gold.
Last year, in the 60th edition of BBC Sports Personality, the coveted trophy was won by Britain’s number one tennis player Andy Murray following his historic Wimbledon triumph, with the Scot taking more than 55% of the total vote, beating Lions rugby star Leigh Halfpenny and jockey AP McCoy, who finished second and third respectively.
This year’s winner will join a long list of sporting greats who have claimed the trophy before, including the first winner, Sir Christopher Chataway in 1954, followed by the likes of Bobby Moore, Princess Anne, Sir Jackie Stewart, Lord Coe, Daley Thompson, Dame Mary Peters, Torvill and Dean, Liz McColgan and Sir Steve Redgrave.
More recent winners of this famous BBC award include David Beckham, Dame Kelly Homes, Andrew Flintoff, Sir Chris Hoy, Paula Radcliffe, Zara Phillips, Joe Calzaghe, Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley Wiggins.
2014 has been another fantastic sporting year with this year’s SPOTY host Scotland right at the heart of both the outstanding Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles, where Europe’s golfers excelled in their win over the United States.
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Golf was also in the limelight at The Open Championship in Hoylake at the height of the summer, which kept fans on the edge of their seats as Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy triumphed on home soil, lifting the famous Claret Jug for the first time, before going onto to win the next Major, the US PGA Championship, in Valhalla just weeks later.
Huge sporting moments came during a spectacular Winter Olympics in Sochi and a brilliant World Cup in Brazil, which was littered full of stunning goals and spectacular moments, though all less memorable for England fans, who saw Roy Hodgson’s men crash out in the group stages.
Other memorable moments included the Women’s Rugby World Cup in France, which saw England win the tournament for the first time in 20 years, while a nail-biting battle for the drivers’ championship in Formula 1 saw Britain’s Lewis Hamilton triumph in the final round in Abu Dhabi.
The 2014 edition of BBC Sports Personality of the Year will again feature eight awards, which will be presented and received by some of the biggest names in sport, both past and present, while there will also be live music from internationally renowned acts before and during the live two-hour broadcast.
All ten nominees for the main prize of the night were decided by a specially selected panel, which was chaired by director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater, and with an array of candidates to choose from, the expert 12-member panel faced some difficult choices finalising the shortlist.
Real Madrid and Wales footballer Gareth Bale, World Equestrian Games dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin, boxer Carl Froch, Paralympic skier Kelly Gallagher, along with her guide Charlotte Evans, and Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton were the first five nominees to be revealed.
They were joined by Open golf champion Rory McIlroy, European 10,000m champion Jo Pavey, Commonwealth Games gold medallists Adam Peaty (swimming) and Max Whitlock (gymnastics), and Sochi 2014 Olympic skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold.
British sport’s top 10 shortlisted contenders will now compete for the public vote on the night of the show, though alongside the big award, seven other awards will be presented, made up of Team and Coach of the Year, Young and Overseas Sports Personality, Unsung Hero, Lifetime Achievement and the Helen Rollason award, given for inspirational achievement in the face of adversity.
The BBC revealed in the week building to this year’s Sports Personality that record-breaking cyclist Sir Chris Hoy will be given the lifetime achievement award.
Winner of six Olympic gold medals from 2000 to 2012, Hoy, who retired from competition in 2013, is set be honoured in his home country of Scotland where no doubt he will receive a rapturous reception from the thousands inside the arena.
The latest name to join an illustrious roll of honour will be announced in front of an expected 12,000 crowd at The SSE Hydro and millions watching on BBC One this Sunday night.
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The BBC’s annual star-studded celebration of the sporting year comes to Glasgow in 2014 and fans can watch all of the spectacular show as it happens on BBC One.
The winner will be announced during this year’s two-hour programme in Glasgow, which will celebrate a year of drama which included the World Cup, Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.
Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan will present the show on BBC One and BBC One HD, starting at 8.00pm on Sunday, December 14, with further coverage on Radio 5 live and the BBC Sport website.
With the programme taking place in Glasgow this year, viewers and the audience at the Hydro will be treated to a real Scottish flavour this year.
Along with Simple Minds performing during the show, there will also be live performances from Nicola Benedetti and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, while one of the biggest music acts of 2014, Clean Bandit, will also take the stage to perform.
The programme will also feature a celebration of this year’s major sporting events held in Scotland, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
In addition to full coverage of the glittering ceremony in Glasgow, viewers can get all the build-up to the show by watching a special Red Carpet Show on the BBC News Channel from 6.15pm on Sunday night, hosted by Lee McKenzie and John Watson.
Ahead of the 2014 ceremony, there will also be a repeat showing of last year’s special documentary looking back at 60 years of BBC Sports Personality of the Year, hosted by Gary Lineker and Sue Barker, on BBC Two at 6.00pm on Sunday evening.
Sports Personality of the Year will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 5 live, presented by John Inverdale, and via the BBC Sport website, where live text and audio commentary can also be found.
Commenting on this year’s ceremony, BBC presenter Gary Lineker, who will host BBC SPOTY for the 16th time, said: “We had such a fantastic time in Glasgow over the summer at the Commonwealth Games.
“I can’t wait to be back to celebrate, not only the Games, but also the many other sporting achievements that have taken place over the year.
“It’s the perfect way to end what has been an outstanding year in sport and we know that Scotland can certainly host a great celebration.”
Voting details, including phone numbers for each of the 10 nominees, will be announced during the programme, while viewers can also cast their votes online, though they must register in advance.
For more information on voting terms and conditions, as well as special features, interviews and clips from the SPOTY archive, visit bbc.co.uk/sportspersonality.
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