Kal Sajad
BBC Sport boxing reporter

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British boxing was dominated by Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr’s fiery two-fight saga, a modern reboot of their fathers’ rivalry. There were egg-slap theatrics, tense weight-cut dramas and even a family reconciliation, before Eubank edged the first bout and Benn returned to win the rematch emphatically.

Oleksandr Usyk reinforced his status as a generational great by becoming a two-time undisputed champion after dismantling Daniel Dubois at Wembley. Yet the year’s most cinematic rise belonged to Fabio Wardley, who climbed from white-collar novice to world heavyweight champion, while teenage prodigy Moses Itauma continued his march towards future-superstar status.

In Las Vegas, boxing finally delivered a bona fide super-fight as Terence Crawford cemented his legacy, defeating Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to become a three-weight undisputed champion.

Irish icon Katie Taylor proved she is far from finished, winning her trilogy with Amanda Serrano, while Welshwoman Lauren Price overcame veteran Natasha Jonas on a memorable night at Royal Albert Hall on International Women’s Day. Also a notable mention to Britain’s other reigning world champions - Ellie Scotney, Caroline Dubois, Terri Harper, Lewis Crocker, Nick Ball and James ‘Jazza’ Dickens.

And the biggest shock may yet be to come - not in result but in concept - as two-time world champion Anthony Joshua prepares to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on Friday. In boxing, the only certainty is that the sport will always surprise.

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We'll bring you Thierry Henry's words shortly. But first, here's what Sports Personality of the Year nominee Rory Mcllroy had to say, speaking to Clare Balding in the studio, a short while ago:

"I didn’t make it easy for myself. When you want something so much, the obstacle becomes yourself.

"I’ve had my chances at Augusta, I’ve been trying for 14 or 15 years. When you go through the heartbreaks then it makes it all the sweeter [to win].

"Being a dad makes the losses a lot easier, but it also makes the good moments even more special. So to share it with Erica and Poppy [is special].

"My family have watched me go through all of this, along with the public. Everyone has gone on this journey with me."

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Thierry Henry's former Arsenal team-mate Dennis Bergkamp has also offered his congratulations:

"Congratulations on your award. Of course it's well deserved after the career you've had. You had a big impact on the game, performing week in, week out at the highest level, doing things that haven't been done before, winning trophies for your team, for your country, individual trophies.

"Apart from that, being a good example to everyone in the game and I really admire that.

"I enjoyed playing alongside you for so many years at Arsenal. I enjoyed all the training sessions, feeding off each other, respecting each other and talking about the game.

"We share the same philosophy for football which is playing to win and playing to entertain. I really enjoyed that."

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Among those to pay tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winner Thierry Henry is former England and Manchester United player David Beckham:

"Congratulations for your lifetime achievement award, everything that you've achieved on the field and of course everything you continue to achieve off the field.

"Thierry, tonight is about you, about your family, and about your friends. You've done everything in the game, you've won everything in the game and unfortunately you were a bitter rival for a long time.

"One of the things that people always ask me is "Who would you have liked to play with that you didn't play with during your career?" And I always say Thierry Henry.

"We did actually get to play with each other in the MLS all-star game one time and that was pretty amazing. Congratulations, have a great night and enjoy it."

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Thierry Henry scored 228 goals in 377 matches for Arsenal across his two spells with the Gunners, eclipsing Ian Wright to become the club's record goalscorer in 2005.

He won three FA Cups and two Premier League titles during his time in England - including the 2003-04 season when Arsenal's 'Invincibles' remained unbeaten throughout the Premier League campaign.

The striker won the Premier League Golden Boot a record-equalling four times and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six seasons in a row.

He holds the joint-record with Kevin de Bruyne for the most assists (20) in a single Premier League season.

It is time for former France and Arsenal footballer Thierry Henry to receive the Lifetime Achievement award, as announced earlier this week.

The 48-year-old, who retired in 2014, is widely considered to be one of the Premier League's greatest players.

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The strength in depth of the women’s game has been illustrated again by a raft of first-time major champions this year.

Four of the five winners lifted their maiden major title – although the wait continues for England’s Charley Hull. Hull trailed Japan’s Miyu Yamashita by 11 shots at the halfway stage at the Women's Open but showed her quality and character in the final major of the season to put herself into contention.

Yamashita, though, produced an almost faultless final round to secure the biggest win of her career. It ensured Japanese success bookended the major season after Mao Saigo claimed the Chevron Championship in April.

Sweden’s Maja Stark lifted the US Women’s Open before Australia's Minjee Lee claimed her third major victory at the Women's PGA Championship.

Another Australian, Grace Kim, won the Evian Championship by edging out another English player. Lottie Woad narrowly missed out on becoming the first amateur to win a major in 58 years, but it demonstrated the huge potential of a 21-year-old who turned professional shortly afterwards.

6 - Rory McIlroy's Masters win in April made him only the sixth man to win the modern-era career Grand Slam, after Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

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Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport golf news reporter

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The SPOTY shortlist clearly marks out the star of the golfing show this year.

Rory McIlroy, of course, deserves most of the attention. Nobody who saw him finally complete the career Grand Slam after an 11-year wait, surviving a nervy play-off against England’s Justin Rose to win the Masters, will forget that moment in a hurry.

Even those who don’t have a soft spot for the 36-year-old from Northern Ireland must have welled up as he collapsed to the 18th green at Augusta National. McIlroy wept tears of joy as the huge burden of history lifted from his shoulders and secured his place as a bona fide golfing great.

That wasn’t his only stellar achievement. His commanding performances at the Ryder Cup ensured Europe secured their own fairytale in New York – even more impressive given the torrent of unsavoury verbal abuse McIlroy received from the unruly American fans. The rare away win was masterminded by captain Luke Donald, whose ability to create a band of brothers trumped the star-studded hosts in front of the watching US President.

It didn’t even matter the United States had the best player in the world on their side. Scottie Scheffler can lay claim to that title having claimed two majors - the US PGA Championship and the Open Championship – in a season where he is hitting heights not seen since the incomparable Tiger Woods in his pomp.

Is Rory McIlroy your BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

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Rory McIlroy's dramatic play-off triumph at Augusta was his first victory at a major since 2014.

There, McIlroy held his nerve to beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death play-off and end his wait for a first Masters title, 14 years after he lost a four-shot lead in the final round.

At the Ryder Cup, McIlroy shrugged off a hostile crowd to contribute three-and-a-half points as Europe won in the United States for the first time since 2012.

He achieved further wins at the Players Championship, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Irish Open, before he topped off a stellar year with his seventh Race to Dubai title.

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After years of frustration and near misses, Rory McIlroy's victory at the Masters made him only the sixth man in history to complete a Grand Slam of all four major championships.

Time to focus on the second of our BBC Sports Personality of the Year contenders now.

And we turn our attention to golf...

Matt Warwick
BBC Sport cycling reporter

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Tadej Pogacar once again dominated the men's cycling scene, with commanding victories earned with ever-more explosiveness and greater finishing time margins.

The world’s greatest male cyclist did what everybody thought he would do this year and won his fourth Tour de France - plus another seven World Tour races alongside it, and the Road World Champion’s rainbow jersey during its first hosting in Africa.

But two of the sport’s biggest race wins still allude the 27-year-old, in the monuments of Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, both won in 2025 by Dutch monster Mathieu van der Poel.

Just as Pogacar equalled Chris Froome’s Tour title total of four, the British legend was quietly let go from the now-defunct Israel-Premier Tech - a team at the forefront of the sport this year for all the wrong reasons, as a rider contract lawsuit and pro-Palestinian protests dominated the Vuelta a Espana.

La Vuelta was a Grand Tour which saw a major achievement in Tom Pidcock’s third place, an antidote after the devastating last-minute defeat for 19-year-old Cat Ferguson in the Tour of Britain Women in June.

A British Women’s World Tour win was finally sealed thanks to Anna Henderson’s victory at China’s Tour of Guangxi in October, which also saw Briton Paul Double take the men’s race.

Meanwhile, Simon Yates produced a monumental comeback on the punishing gravel of the Colle delle Finestre to win the Giro d’Italia in May.

Harry Poole
BBC Sport athletics reporter

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The biggest names in track and field gathered in Tokyo for the World Championships in September, as athletics held its fifth major outdoor event in as many years.

Despite suffering two torn hamstrings during a challenging year, Britain's Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson recovered in time to make the podium with bronze behind silver medal-winning training partner Georgia Hunter Bell, who continues her rapid progress since returning to the sport following a long break.

There was a breakout individual medal on the global stage for Amy Hunt, who won 200m silver, while former world 1500m champion Jake Wightman achieved redemption after missing the previous two major championships because of injuries with his silver.

Meanwhile, Katarina Johnson-Thompson captured an emotional fourth global heptathlon medal at the stadium where she suffered Olympic heartbreak in 2021 - doing so in unprecedented circumstances as she shared world bronze with American Taliyah Brooks.

There were captivating displays by record-breaking pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who went close to the women's 400m record, while American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Jamaica's Oblique Seville were crowned Queen and King of the 100m.

Elsewhere, triathlon gold medallist Alex Yee hinted he could have a future in the marathon after going second on the British all-time list behind only Mo Farah.

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F1 champion Lando Norris, who is nominated for tonight's main award, has been speaking to Alex Scott.

Appearing at tonight's awards ceremony via web link, Norris said: "Hello everyone, good evening. Sorry I can't be with you tonight. I'm enjoying a little break at the moment. I've had a really enjoyable year."

On the 2025 F1 season: "We certainly made life tough for ourselves at times, especially in Las Vegas, but we didn't do it on purpose!

"It takes a lot to win anything. It takes a lot of effort from every individual. One of the biggest things we learned this year was to keep fighting until the end."

Asked whether he gets nervous ahead of a race: "I'd love to say I wasn't nervous, but I get nervous all the time...but it is also excitement. I learned how to deal with the pressure, how to perform under it and how to get the best out of myself."

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Amy Lofthouse
BBC Sport tennis reporter

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Aryna Sabalenka started and ended the year as the undisputed world number one, but it wasn't as straightforward as it sounds

Sabalenka won the US Open but lost a brilliant Australian Open final to a fearless Madison Keys, before completely unravelling in the French Open showpiece against Coco Gauff.

Iga Swiatek's dominant 6-0 6-0 Wimbledon final win over Amanda Anisimova capped a superb SW19 run for the Pole, but Anisimova's resilience since then means she'll be one of the favourites to win her first major next year.

Next year will hopefully see the return of the rivalry between Sabalenka, Swiatek and Elena Rybakina after Rybakina ended the year on a stunning run of form, lifting the WTA Finals trophy and the biggest cheque in women's tennis to boot.

Venus Williams also thrilled the New York crowds in her 32nd consecutive season on the WTA Tour - but will sister Serena join her next year? Who knows...

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport tennis news reporter

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Never mind the ‘Big Three’, it is all about the ‘New Two’ now.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner strikingly underlined in 2025 how they’ve taken over from Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the dominant forces in the men’s game, sweeping the four major titles for the second successive season and creating a rivalry which has transcended the sport.

The year began with Sinner retaining his Australian Open title. Then came his three-month ban in a doping controversy which rocked the sport.

On his return, Sinner quickly picked up where he left off – jostling with Alcaraz for the sport’s biggest prizes. Few will ever forget their French Open final - a mesmerising marathon which Alcaraz won after saving three championship points - before they met again in the Wimbledon and US Open showpieces, splitting the trophies with another victory apiece.

Given how wide the gulf is between them and the rest of the tour, it is hard to see anyone else challenge them in 2026. British number one Jack Draper - who showed his potential by winning the prestigious Indian Wells title - might be among those who can close the gap if he can stay clear of injury.

In the doubles, British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool are continuing the nation’s rich success after winning Wimbledon and finishing year-end number ones in an extraordinary first full season together.

Sean Kearns
BBC Sport

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Last, but by no means least, I'm joined by Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson.

How would she sum up 2025 after an incredible 2024? "Mixed emotions, I think. I didn't have the most plain sailing of years but off the track I've had a great time with family and friends so I have a lot to be grateful for.

"I think career-wise it hasn't gone my way but we pulled it back pretty well. A couple of years ago if you would have told me that I'd be running these times and getting a bronze medal I would have bitten your hand off. It's just now that perception changes and you want more but I'm proud of myself.

On her goals for 2026: "I think for me it's just about keeping that enjoyment. I don't really like to plan too far ahead anymore. I'm like you know what, let's take this week by week.

"I'm looking forward to hopefully racing during the indoor season, and just being healthy and enjoying everything. That's where I'm at right now. I just want to continue doing that because that's how I get the best out of myself. Her favourite sporting moment of 2025? "Definitely the Lionesses at the Euros. Watching that was incredible. We were at a training camp in Portugal and just supporting them every day."

2 - Lando Norris' winning points margin was the smallest since Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton's back-to-back one-point wins in 2007 and 2008, as he became the 11th different British winner of the Formula One drivers' title.

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