Luke Littler nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
Luke Littler has been confirmed among the nominees for the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Littler was announced last week as a contenders for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, and it has now been confirmed that he is also on the shortlist for the event’s main honour.
The 17-year-old becomes only the second darts player ever to be shortlisted for the award, with Phil Taylor initially nominated in 2006 before finishing runner-up in 2010.
Littler has the opportunity to become the youngest winner of the Sports Personality of the Year award for more than 60 years, and is in esteemed company on the six-person shortlist.
The betting is headed by Paris 2024 800m gold medallist and European Champion Keely Hodgkinson – who is the odds-on favourite.
Littler is currently second favourite with the bookmakers, ahead of Olympic and world champion triathlete Alex Yee and England’s record Test run scorer Joe Root.
Footballer Jude Bellingham, who won the Champions League with Real Madrid and reached the Euro 2024 final with England, is also nominated, as well as Paralympian Sarah Storey.
Littler’s nomination sees him recognised for a remarkable debut year on the PDC circuit in which he has followed up his World Championship final appearance by winning the Premier League and Grand Slam.
The teenage sensation has stormed into the world’s top four, having also claimed two European Tour titles and three Players Championships this year, as well as landing two televised nine-darters.
He has racked up than £1m in prize money and will return to Alexandra Palace later this month as the pre-tournament favourite, looking to go one step further than his runner-up spot in January.
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards will take place from 7pm GMT on Tuesday December 17 at Media City UK in Salford, with votes opening during the show on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer.
Littler is scheduled to contest his opening match at the World Championship on Saturday December 21 in the evening session against either Ryan Meikle or Fallon Sherrock.
Reigning World Champion and world number one Luke Humphries has also received an invitation to the awards and will star on opening night at Ally Pally against either Thibault Tricole or Joe Comito.
