2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award was announced as footballer Ryan Giggs. Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button was runner up, with world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis voted third. As part of the 2009 ceremony, awards were also to be presented for: 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award The 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, held on 13 December, was the 56th presentation of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Awarded annually by the BBC, the main titular award honours an individual's British sporting achievement over the past year. The winner is selected by public vote from a 10-person shortlist.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year half-hour special programmes, entitled "Simply The Best – Sports Personality", were broadcast. Hosted by Gary Lineker, the episodes were shown on BBC One for five consecutive nights from 8 to 2003 and each covered one decade of Sports Personality. To celebrate the golden anniversary of the show, a special award was voted for by the public to recognise an all-time Golden Sports Personality from the previous winners of the last 49 years. A shortlist of five was planned to contain one winner from each decade of the award; however, the actual shortlist contained two winners from the most recent decade—rower