Sports Personality of the Year Award nominees announced

  • Sport

Jessica Ennis-Hill is the favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award 2015.

The 12-strong shortlist has been revealed and includes two late additions in Davis Cup winner Andy Murray and new heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Tyson Fury.

The winner will be announced at the culmination of a live show staged at The SSE Arena in Belfast on Sunday, 20th December.

The 2015 SPOTY nominees

  • Andy Murray

Andy Murray lifts the trophy after the Great Britain won the Davis Cup Final. Credit: PA

The Scot won a landslide vote to scoop the award after his Wimbledon win in 2013, and with his Davis Cup heroics fresh in the memory, Murray must be a strong contender.

The world number two played the pivotal role as Great Britain won the team title for the first time in 79 years.

  • Jessica Ennis-Hill

Ennis-Hill celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's Heptathlon event in Beijing. Credit: PA

Golden girl Ennis-Hill has come third twice and second once, so is this her year to take the coveted gong?

Returning from a season off following the birth of her first child, she won heptathlon gold at the world championships in August to add to her memorable 2012 Olympic title.

  • Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury holds his belts during a homecoming event at the Macron Stadium, Bolton Credit: PA

Controversial boxer Tyson Fury has now ticked the sporting achievement box as well with his surprise points win over Wladimir Klitschko to become world heavyweight champion.

  • Lucy Bronze

Lucy Bronze in action during the World Cup this summer. Credit: PA

The only footballer on the shortlist is a hero from England women's successful World Cup campaign.

Bronze scored goals in excellent wins over Norway and Canada as England went on to claim third place.

  • Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton celebrates his victory and winning the 2015 Formula One World Championship. Credit: PA

The reigning Sports Personality of the Year made it back-to-back Formula One world championships, and three in total, in 2015 to cement his place among the greatest drivers of all time.

But will that be enough to earn Hamilton successive awards?

  • Chris Froome

Chris Froome Credit: PA

Cyclist Froome became the first Briton to win the Tour de France twice, repeating his 2013 triumph, when he reached the finish line in Paris at the end of the gruelling three-week race in July.

Arguably one of cycling's greats.

  • Mo Farah

Mo Farah celebrates after winning the Men's 5000m Final in Beijing. Credit: PA

Distance hero Farah shrugged off considerable controversy surrounding his coach Alberto Salazar to complete the 'triple-double', winning 5,000m and 10,000m gold at the World Championships - a feat he also achieved at the London Olympics and the 2013 Worlds.

  • Lizzie Armitstead

Lizzie Armitstead wins gold at the the women elite's race at the UCI Road World Cycling championships in Richmond, Virginia. Credit: PA

Britain's first medal winner of London 2012, when she took silver, Yorkshire rider Armitstead went one better with a thrilling victory at the Road World Championships in September and has her eyes set on Olympic Gold next year.

  • Kevin Sinfield

Kevin Sinfield, Leeds Rhinos Credit: PA

Rugby league gets a rare mention via Leeds Rhinos' Sinfield, who won the Challenge Cup for the second successive year plus a sixth Super League title as captain. Now 35, Sinfield has swapped codes to try his hand at union.

  • Adam Peaty

File photo dated 17-04-2015 of Adam Peaty. Credit: PA

Peaty was the dominant male swimmer at the World Championships in Russia in May, the first Brit to win three golds when he claimed 50m and 100m breaststroke titles. He then helped Great Britain to gold in the mixed medley.

  • Max Whitlock

Great Britain's Max Whitlock competes on the Parallel Bars during day six of the 2015 World Gymnastic Championships Credit: PA

Whitlock became the first ever British man to win a gold medal at the World Gymnastics Championships in October, taking gold on the pommel horse at the Hydro Arena in Glasgow.

Louis Smith came second as Britain claimed a thrilling one-two.

  • Greg Rutherford

Great Britain's Greg Rutherford celebrates winning gold in the long jump during day four of the IAAF World Championships. Credit: PA

The third hero of Super Saturday at London 2012, Rutherford followed in the footsteps of Ennis-Hill and Farah when he added world championship long-jump gold to his Olympic crown with a leap of 8.41m in Beijing.