Andy Murray, Mo Farah and Laura Trott expected to be among BBC Sports Personality nominees

The BBC are braced to confirm the nominees for the Sports Personality of the Year award at 7pm on Monday, 28 November after a stellar 2016 for Britain's finest. The ceremony will be held at Birmingham's Genting Arena on Sunday 18 December and traditionally brings the curtain down on the sporting year.

Many of the 12-person shortlist is expected to come from the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, where Team GB enjoyed stunning medal hauls. Fifty-five athletes returned from Brazil with multiple medals, but there is only space for only a select few in 2016.

Andy Murray scooped the prize for a second time in 2015 after leading Great Britain to the Davis Cup, and his exploits this year have seen him installed as the bookmakers favourite for to become the first ever three-time winner of the award. He will have plenty of competition however from a variety of sports. Ahead of the announcement, IBTimes UK looks at the contenders for the 62<sup>th edition of the prestigious prize

Alistair Brownlee

Yorkshire's triathlon hero strolled to victory in the men's event in the searing Rio heat, ahead of brother Jonny, to claim Britain's 20<sup>th gold of the Games and retain his title from London. His stand-out moment of the year however was still to come as he sacrificed his own chances of winning the final World Series event in Mexico to haul leader Jonny across the line after his younger sibling began to weave on the running leg amid the sweltering conditions – footage which captured the imagination of sports fans across the globe.

Hannah Cockroft

The 24-year-old replaced David Weir as Britain's premier wheelchair racer with three gold medals in Rio, including in the T34 400m and 800m; longer distance events far removed from her comfort zone. The Halifax-born sprinter had lost all but one of her sponsors after winning two golds in London four years ago but battled through adversity to end in sight of Tanni Grey-Thompson record of 11 Olympic titles on the track.

Mo Farah

Farah became just the second athlete to successfully defend the long distance double when he mirrored his success from London and won 5,000m and 10,000m gold – surviving a fall during the race to prevail - in Rio. He also claimed victory in the Great North Run for a third straight year, all while having to evade questions over his relationship with coach Alberto Salazar, who was subject of an investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency earlier in the year.

Chris Froome

Froome became the first Briton to successfully defend the yellow jersey as he stormed to his third Tour de France. Pursuit of victory was not without its challenge however, with a collision with a motorbike leading to one of the most emotive sporting images of the year as he ditched his bike and ran up Mont Ventoux. In Rio, though the 31-year-old failed to claim the double gold he had been ambitiously targeting he did match his time trial bronze medal from London.

Anthony Joshua

Watford's Joshua is the only non-Olympic athlete included on the list but he has taken on the world and won in 2016. In February he became the fifth fastest man to win a heavyweight world title when he knocked out Charles Martin. Dominic Breazeale was then dispatched in seven rounds in his first defence, as Joshua continued his 100% knock-out record from his 17 fights. Though a meeting with Wladimir Klitchsko will have to wait, he should make short work of Eric Molina on 10 December.

Jason Kenny

No Team GB athlete has more Olympic gold medals than Kenny, who returned from Rio with three more for the collection to draw level with Sir Chris Hoy. Kenny is shy and retiring but there was nothing reserved about his performances on the track as he won team and individual sprint titles on top of prevailing in the lottery race of the keirin. His relationship with wife Laura Trott – another multiple Olympic medallist – has thrust his name deeper into the nation's consciousness.

Laura Kenny

Very much the darling of the British Olympic team, Trott's personality ran her brilliant performances in Rio very close. The Harlow-born rider combined endurance in the team pursuit, with skill in the omnium to finish with two golds and become GB's most successful female Olympian. Earlier in the year in London, she won two world titles to take her tally to seven. Her profile with husband Jason, the golden couple of the summer, means her public popularity has skyrocketed.

Andy Murray

The Scot could not have wished for a better 2016. A second Wimbledon title at SW19 was followed by becoming the first man to retain Olympic singles gold at Rio. Murray then broke new ground winning five consecutive tournaments, including the ATP World Tour Finals, to replace Novak Djokovic as the year-end number one. The 29-year-old is first Briton to achieve the feat in men's tennis history.

Adam Peaty

Peaty put on a breastroke clinic in the early hours in Rio by winning Team GB's first gold of the Olympics as he smashed the world record for the second time in as many days. The 21-year-old also helped Britain win silver in the 4x100m medley relay. At the European Championships in London earlier in the year Peaty laid down a marker with four golds in London.

Dame Sarah Storey

Only six athletes in Paralympic history have more medals than Storey, who added three more golds to her tally on the track and the road. She became Britain's most successful female Paralympian ahead of Grey-Thompson when she won the C5 3000m individual pursuit, before two further titles came on the road in the time trial and road race as her durability once again came to the fore.

Max Whitlock

None of Britain's multiple Olympic champions completed their success more dramatically than Whitlock. Within the space of two hours he twice created history, first in winning the individual floor title – Britain's first ever individual Olympic champion – before beating teammate Louis Smith to gold in the pommel horse. Earlier in the week Whitlock was part of the team which won bronze in the all-round, the country's first for 108 years.

Danny Willett

Willett may have competed as part of Great Britain's team on golf's return to the Olympics, but it was on the regular tour where he excelled. The Yorkshireman won his maiden major championship at The Masters, the first Englishman to do so since Nick Faldo in 1996, keeping his cool and defending champion Jordan Spieth fell apart on the back nine. Though the 29-year-old crumbled at his first Ryder Cup under the additional scrutiny created by his brother's ill-timed comments regarding American golf fans, he will seldom enjoy a better year.