BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award

BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byBBC Sports Personality of the Year
First awarded1996; 28 years ago (1996)
Most recent winnerMark Cavendish (2024)
Sebastian Coe, the winner in 2012

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award[1] is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. The award is given to a sportsperson "who has made a major impact on the world of sport during their lifetime". The winner is selected by BBC Sport.[2] When football manager Alex Ferguson won the award in 2001, the BBC described the award as "a new accolade" to be presented annually;[3] however, two people had already received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The inaugural recipient of the award was Frank Bruno in 1996, who won it after his retirement from boxing that year.[4] Bruno was the favourite to win the main award in 1995, but lost to Damon Hill,[5] causing many to criticise his Lifetime Achievement Award as being a consolation award.[6][7][8] Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros won the award the following year, but after that the award was not presented for three years. The award has been presented annually since Ferguson ended the hiatus in 2001. Five of the eleven recipients have been associated with football; tennis and golf are the only other sports to have been represented more than once. Tennis player Martina Navratilova was the first woman to have won the award. The only recipient of the award on multiple occasions is Ballesteros who won in 1997 and again in 2009, for his contribution to golf winning "the Open three times, the Masters twice as well as playing an inspirational role in the Ryder Cup".[9] The most recent winner, in 2024, was cyclist Mark Cavendish.

Winners

By year

Martina Navratilova, winner in 2003, was the first female recipient of the award
Pelé, the winner in 2005
2016 winner Michael Phelps has competed in four Olympic Games
2017 recipient Jessica Ennis-Hill was the first female winner since 2003
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Year Nationality Winner Sport Rationale Ref.
1996  United Kingdom Frank Bruno Boxing For his contributions to boxing which include winning the WBC heavyweight title.[10] [11]
1997  Spain Seve Ballesteros Golf "In recognition of his outstanding contribution to European golf over the last 20 years."[12] [13]
2001  United Kingdom Alex Ferguson Football For a managing career at Manchester United since 1986 which has won seven league titles and "claimed an unprecedented treble of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup".[3] [14]
2002  United Kingdom George Best Football "In recognition of his footballing achievements", which include being named "Footballer of the Year and European Player of the Year in 1968", and winning two championship medals and a European Cup with Manchester United.[15] [16]
2003  United States Martina Navratilova Tennis "For a trophy-laden tennis career spanning 30 years, (...) winning a record 167 singles titles and an astonishing 329 trophies overall, 140 ahead of her nearest rival."[17] [18]
2004  United Kingdom Ian Botham Cricket "For services to cricket" where he played 102 Tests for England in his 15-year career as an all-rounder. During that time he took 383 wickets, which was the highest number for England until 2015 (currently third on the list) and scored 5,200 runs.[19] [19]
2005  Brazil Pelé Football For having a professional career in which "he scored 1,280 goals in 1,363 games" and "made 92 appearances for Brazil, scoring 77 goals" and winning three of the four World Cups he played in.[20][21] [21]
2006  Sweden Björn Borg Tennis For "dazzl[ing] the world of tennis in the 1970s and 1980s, winning 11 Grand Slam titles" including 5 Wimbledon championships.[22] [23]
2007  United Kingdom Bobby Robson Football For "his contributions as both player and manager in a career spanning more than half a century"[24] [25]
2008  United Kingdom Bobby Charlton Football For achievements that include helping "England to World Cup success in 1966 and [leading] Manchester United to European Cup glory in 1968, scoring twice in the final".[26] [27]
2009  Spain Seve Ballesteros Golf For his contributions to golf which include winning "the Open three times, the Masters twice (and) playing an inspirational role in the Ryder Cup".[9] [9]
2010  United Kingdom David Beckham Football For his playing career as well as his roles in the London 2012 Olympic bid and his central role in attempting to bring the 2018 World Cup to England [28]
2011  United Kingdom Steve Redgrave Rowing For "his huge contribution to rowing, his long and extraordinary career, and his ongoing commitment to promoting sport in the UK" [29]
2012  United Kingdom Sebastian Coe Athletics For his role in both London's bid for, and organisation of the hosting of, the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games. [30]
2014  United Kingdom Chris Hoy Cycling For winning six Olympic gold medals, more than any other British sportsperson in history, as well as 11 golds at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. [31]
2015  United Kingdom AP McCoy Horse racing For an unprecedented career in horse racing, being Champion Jockey for every season of his 20-year professional career and riding over 4,300 winners – including the Grand National, two Cheltenham Gold Cups, three Champion Hurdles and the Champion Chase. [32]
2016  United States Michael Phelps Swimming For a career in which he has won 23 Olympic gold medals, 3 silver medals and 2 bronzes across 4 games, including a record breaking eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. [33]
2017  United Kingdom Jessica Ennis-Hill Athletics For being one of only 12 British women to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics. Ennis-Hill is the 2012 Olympic champion, three-time world champion and 2010 European champion. [34]
2018  United States Billie Jean King Tennis For changing perceptions of what it meant to be a woman in sport following her historic victory in the Battle of the Sexes and for founding the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation. Winner of 39 Grand Slam titles. [35]
2019  United Kingdom Tanni Grey-Thompson Para-athletics [36]
2021  United States Simone Biles Gymnastics [37]
2022  Jamaica Usain Bolt Athletics [38]
2023  United Kingdom Kenny Dalglish Football [39]
2024  United Kingdom Mark Cavendish Cycling [40]

By nationality

Winners by nationality
Nationality Number of wins
 United Kingdom 15
 United States 4
 Spain 1
 Brazil 1
 Sweden 1
 Jamaica 1

By sport

This table lists the total number of awards won by the winners sporting profession.

Winners by sport
Sporting profession Number of wins
Football 6
Tennis 3
Athletics 3
Cycling 2
Boxing 1
Cricket 1
Golf 1
Gymnastics 1
Horse Racing 1
Rowing 1
Swimming 1

References

General

  • "Sports Personality of the Year: more winners". BBC. December 2007. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2008.

Specific

  1. ^ Haywad, Paul (11 January 2009). "Wayne Rooney is just like I was. So enthusiastic". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  2. ^ "Sports Personality voting & judging: Terms & conditions". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  3. ^ a b "Fergie handed new accolade". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 December 2001. Archived from the original on 28 May 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  4. ^ Gibbons, Alex (6 June 2004). "The highs and lows of Frank Bruno". The Observer. London: Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  5. ^ "Today's Number 1". The Independent. FindArticles. 5 September 1995. Retrieved 3 February 2009. [dead link‍]
  6. ^ "To be Frank, this is going down-Hill". Daily Record. 18 December 1996. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2009 – via HighBeam.com archive.
  7. ^ "Bruno backlash". The Sunday Telegraph. ]. 22 December 1996. Retrieved 3 February 2009.[dead link‍]
  8. ^ Walters, Mike (16 December 1996). "Ruddy great Damon". The Mirror.[dead link‍]
  9. ^ a b c "Seve Ballesteros to get BBC Lifetime Achievement award". BBC Sport. 11 December 2009. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  10. ^ Walters, Mike (18 December 1996). "How did Bruno get an award for...this!; Henry Cooper on the Beeb's sporting blunder". The Mirror. ].[dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Hill wins BBC award for second time". The Independent. London: Independent News & Media. 16 December 1996. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  12. ^ "Rusedski wins sports star of year award". The Examiner. Thomas Crosbie Holdings. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  13. ^ Reade, Brian (19 December 1997). "Personality bypass for TV turkeys; The column that puts the boot into sport". The Mirror.[dead link‍]
  14. ^ Silver, Neil (10 December 2001). "Beckham is chosen by BBC viewers". The Independent. London: Independent News & Media. Retrieved 11 January 2009.[dead link‍]
  15. ^ "Best nets lifetime honour". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 December 2002. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  16. ^ Akwagyiram, Alexis (9 December 2002). "Marathon winner scoops BBC sports award". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  17. ^ "Navratilova given lifetime honour". BBC Sport. BBC. 14 December 2003. Archived from the original on 14 March 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  18. ^ Norton, Charlie (15 December 2003). "Wilkinson and Redgrave scoop top BBC awards". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  19. ^ a b "Botham: The entertainer". BBC Sport. BBC. 12 December 2004. Archived from the original on 1 January 2007. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  20. ^ "Sports Personality: The winners". BBC Sport. BBC. 11 December 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  21. ^ a b "Pele and Mourinho win BBC awards". BBC Sport. BBC. 11 December 2005. Archived from the original on 19 February 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  22. ^ "Sports Personality: The winners". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 December 2006. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  23. ^ Broadbent, Rick (12 December 2006). "Borg backs irrepressible Murray to end British grand-slam drought". The Times. London: The News International. Retrieved 1 February 2009.[dead link‍]
  24. ^ "Robson humbled by lifetime award". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 December 2007. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  25. ^ Millward, Robert (10 December 2007). "England's Bobby Robson honored for lifetime achievement in soccer". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  26. ^ "Charlton given BBC Lifetime award". BBC Sport. BBC. 14 December 2008. Archived from the original on 14 December 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  27. ^ Roughley, Gregg (14 December 2008). "BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2008 – as it happened". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 15 December 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  28. ^ "David Beckham to be given Lifetime Achievement award". BBC. BBC. 18 December 2010. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  29. ^ "BBC Sport – Sir Steve Redgrave given BBC Lifetime Achievement award". BBC News. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  30. ^ "Lord Coe receives BBC Lifetime Achievement award". BBC. 16 December 2012. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  31. ^ "Sports Personality 2014: Sir Chris Hoy receives lifetime award – BBC Sport". Bbc.co.uk. 14 December 2014. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  32. ^ "AP McCoy to be honoured with Lifetime Achievement award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015". BBC. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  33. ^ "BBC Sports Personality 2016: Michael Phelps to be given lifetime achievement award". BBC. 19 December 2016. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  34. ^ "BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017: Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill gets Lifetime Achievement award". BBC. 17 December 2017. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  35. ^ "Sports Personality of the Year: Billie Jean King given lifetime achievement award". BBC. 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  36. ^ "Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson given Lifetime Achievement award". BBC. 15 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  37. ^ "Sports Personality 2021: Simone Biles honoured with Lifetime Achievement award". BBC. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  38. ^ "Sports Personality of the Year: Usain Bolt wins Lifetime Achievement award". BBC. 15 December 2022. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  39. ^ "Dalglish given BBC Lifetime Achievement award". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  40. ^ "Cavendish wins BBC Lifetime Achievement award". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 December 2024.