BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Set For December 13 As 2 New Awards Debut

The 2026 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, 13 December, with five of the nine categories to be decided by public voting.

Organisers said this year’s ceremony would celebrate an eventful year in sport, featuring Team GB’s most successful Winter Olympics, England’s best finish at a men’s FIFA World Cup since 1966 and record-breaking performances at the European Athletics Championships.

Two new categories, Men’s Footballer of the Year and BBC World Service Women’s Footballer of the Year, will also be introduced at the ceremony.

The women’s football award, which has been presented by the BBC World Service since 2015, will become part of the Sports Personality of the Year ceremony for the first time. Voting for audiences around the world will open on Tuesday, 10 November.

Fans will also have the opportunity to choose the winners of the World Sport Star of the Year, Team of the Year and the prestigious Sports Personality of the Year awards.

An independent panel comprising industry experts, sports broadcasters, journalists and former athletes will draw up the shortlists for the three categories, while also selecting the winners of the Young Sports Personality of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.

Separate panels of football experts will determine the shortlists for the Men’s Footballer of the Year and Women’s Footballer of the Year categories.

BBC Sport Director Alex Kay-Jelski said the ceremony would bring together the sporting moments that captured public attention throughout the year, including memorable goals, medals, records and unexpected achievements.

He added that audiences would have a greater say than before in determining the winners.

The nine categories are Sports Personality of the Year, Helen Rollason Award, Young Sports Personality of the Year, Coach of the Year, Team of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Men’s Footballer of the Year, Women’s Footballer of the Year and World Sport Star of the Year.