Lewis Hamilton and Mo Farah have been shortlisted for the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton

The Formula 1 driver - who took home the title last year - and the long distance runner are two of 12 contenders in with a chance of winning the prestigious award at the ceremony on December 20.

Farah's fellow athletes Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford have also been shortlisted alongside a number of other sports stars.

Boxer Tyson Fury - who took the world heavyweight title from Wladimir Klitschko at the weekend - is up for the award as is former winner and tennis star Andy Murray.

Completing the shortlist are cyclists Chris Froome and Lizzie Armistead, footballer Lucy Bronze, swimmer Adam Peaty, gymnast Max Whitlock and rugby league player Kevin Sinfield.

The public get to decide who takes home the coveted prize by voting for their favourite by phone and online on the night of the event.

Previous winners of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award include cyclists Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish, jockey A.P. McCoy, footballers Ryan Giggs and David Beckham and former England cricket star Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff.