The awards ceremony, which will take place on 19 December, will see Raducanu go up against Olympian diver Tom Daley, world champion boxer Tyson Fury, swimmer Adam Peaty, footballer Raheem Sterling and Paralympic cyclist Dame Sarah Storey.
According to Sky Bet, Emma Raducanu, who triumphed at the US Open earlier this year, is the heavy favourite to claim the award, boasting odds of 1/14. Tom Daley is second favourite following his gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic games. Tyson Fury, who has previously threatened to sue the BBC if he ever received a nomination, is third favourite after retaining his world champion status by dramatically knocking out Deontay Wilder in their fight earlier this year.
The main award, which has been presented every year since 1954, will be voted for on the night by members of the public, either through the BBC website or by phone. Last year’s winner was Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, while tennis player Sir Andy Murray has won the most awards in history, with three. Sporting individuals in the field of athletics have been most successful over its 66-year history, winning on 18 occasions.
The ceremony will also showcase other great sporting individuals from the past 12 months, with awards for Young Sports Personality of the Year, Team and Coach of the Year, World Sport Star of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and Unsung Hero also up for grabs.
Regular sporting commentators and pundits Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan, Clare Balding and Alex Scott will present the awards ceremony, which will be filmed at MediaCity in Salford. The event will take place without a studio audience for the second year running due to concerns surrounding Covid-19 safety.
